Department of History | MA Global History

MA Global History at Durham University

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Explore the history of an interconnected world, from early medieval to late modern times, while mastering the methods needed to approach it from global and transnational perspectives.

Ours is a richly interconnected world. That was just as true in the past as it is in the present. The MA in Global History equips you with the tools to explore the themes that define an interlinked global past in various regions of the world and from the Medieval to Late Modern Eras. You will leave the course with a firm grounding in historical research and an aptitude for approaching it through the distinctive techniques of Global History.

Global History is a distinctive method of analysis that considers historical events as they unfold in the context of large-scale political, cultural, social, economic, and environmental contexts that cut across traditional national and regional boundaries. Modern-day challenges, such as the climate crisis and pandemic disease, highlight the benefits of a global perspective, but by no means are the global links that shape these challenges new phenomena. A global historical perspective both puts modern global challenges in historical context and reveals the globally interconnected nature of past cultures and civilisations.

You will encounter the tools for exploring these connections in the module Foundations of Global History. It provides the extensive methodological grounding you will need for further research in Global History, or to apply insights from the course to other sectors.

The remainder of the taught modules are selected from options that provide in-depth exploration of topics and themes linked to active research in the Department. The knowledge and skills developed across the taught modules are then integrated into a dissertation, which offers a further opportunity to shape your own path through the course.

The course provides the intellectual skills and conceptual tools to engage with a long and varied history of global integration. You will graduate with a depth of knowledge that enables you to confront historical questions on a global scale, a breadth of subject expertise covering multiple time periods and regions and the skill to communicate your insights incisively.

Postgraduates play an active part in the academic and social life of the Department with involvement in discussion groups, annual conferences and guest lectures. The course offers the opportunity for wider academic networking through the Institute of Medieval & Early Modern Studies, the Centre for Nineteenth Century Studies, and the Centre for Visual Arts & Culture, among other Centres and Institutes.

You will have access to the extensive learning resource made available via various libraries, archives, and special historical collections housed in the University and in the City itself.

Durham University has a vibrant and supportive learning community and is able to provide you with an extensive study resource thanks to its large number of libraries, archives, and special collections.

Postgraduates are active in the academic and social life of the Department. They lead their own discussion groups, organise annual conferences, and meet with external keynote speakers, thereby forming an integral part of the Department’s wider research culture.

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