World History & Cultures

Advanced study of modern global social, political and cultural interactions, focusing on the global and local and the relationship between worldwide empires and the regions of Asia, Africa and the Americas. Students choose from an exceptional range of options and take a compulsory module in Transnational History. Leads to further research or careers in education, journalism, finance, politics and cultural sectors.
KEY BENEFITS

• One of the best history departments in the world, ranked 2nd in the UK by The Sunday Times newspaper (2011).
• Excellent graduate prospects, amongst the top five in the country (Times Good University Guide, 2010).
• The most comprehensive coverage of the history of the European seaborne empires of any university in the UK and has key figures in the study of South Asia, Australia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The central London location offers students unrivalled access to world-class museums, collections, archives and libraries as well as easy access to resources in Europe.
• Vibrant research culture, including seminars and conferences at which students are encouraged to participate and give papers.

PURPOSEBoth to provide training in the historiographical and technical skills necessary for further study, and also to deepen your knowledge of the period studied. Suitable both for potential academics and for personal interest, but particularly aimed at those students with a clear research interest looking to progress in academic study.

DESCRIPTION

King’s College London is internationally famous as a centre for the study of world history. The Department of History at King’s has the most comprehensive coverage of the history of the European seaborne empires of any university in the United Kingdom, including leading scholars of the British, Portuguese, French, Spanish, and Dutch empires. It also has key figures in the study of South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and two historians of Australia. Its Rhodes professorship of Imperial history is the second oldest endowed chair for the study of imperial and global history in the Anglophone world and the Charles Boxer professorship is Britain’s most distinguished chair in the history of the Portuguese empire. Other scholars in the departments of War Studies, French, English, Music and Film Studies also work on problems in international history.

The MA World History & Cultures offers graduate students a broad interdisciplinary introduction to the history of worldwide cultural, political and economic interaction, and to the world historical aspects of other disciplines in the Arts & Humanities. The programme develops students’ understanding of the global networks, power relations and cultural interactions that made the modern world, giving them the opportunity to examine global power relations in local situations.

Teaching
Modules on the MA are taught by weekly seminars where students are expected to contribute to discussion and prepare presentations. Students can also attend relevant undergraduate lecture series, such as The Worlds of the British Empire c.1700-1960. Students on the 1 year full-time programme attend 4-8 hours of taught classes per week, whilst students following the 2 year part-time MA attend 2-6 hours of taught classes per week. The compulsory 15,000 word dissertation enables students to research a topic of their choice, working one-to-one with an academic supervisor.

Study in LondonLondon not only offers a vast range of resources but also has the advantage of a strong graduate community, where students can follow up a range of interests towards further research. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the seminars at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), many of which are convened by members of the Department.