Program Overview

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Early Modern and Reformation History (MLitt) 2025 entry

Overview

Discover a range of approaches to early modern history (1450 to 1750) in this course, which provides advanced study of the history of the early modern European and Atlantic worlds and the Ottoman Empire.

Application Deadline

Thursday 7 August 2025

Starts

September 2025

Duration

One year full time

School

School of History

Fees

• UK: £12,030
• Rest of the world: £25,900

Why Study This Course?

• Work with a significant number of scholars of early modern history who can provide a high level of specialised supervision and advanced training in the history of the politics, society and culture of the early modern European and Atlantic worlds.
• For those choosing to specialise in Reformation history, the course instils a wide contextual awareness of all of the European Reformations, while also offering the chance to pursue detailed study of a particular theological, geographical or methodological area.
• Benefit from broad and deep preparation, offering you the chance to explore and critically evaluate both historiography and primary sources.
• Pursue high-level skills training to build up to your MLitt dissertation.
• Preparation for students who are interested in subsequent doctoral research.

Teaching

• Delivered through fortnightly seminars, practical classes and tutorials.

Class Sizes

• Groups range from individual supervision up to 12 students.

Dissertation

• A 15,000-word project with weekly support.

Assessment

• Coursework only, no exams.

Modules

Compulsory

• Themes and Debates in Early Modern History 1: introduces students to a variety of key debates in early modern history through studying different scholars’ approaches to the period.
• Themes and Debates in Early Modern History 2: allows students to continue exploring different scholarly approaches to early modern politics, society, and culture.
• Aspects of Reformation: explains selected themes in reformation studies and encourages students to develop a sense of the historiography of the period.
• Early Modern Documents and Sources: provides a wide-ranging introduction to the types of source material which researchers on the early modern period may encounter.
• Latin for Early Modern History 1: provides three tiers of Latin teaching (beginners, intermediate, and advanced) for students with earlier or no experience.
• Material Bibliography 1: covers the use of the book as historical evidence and practical aspects of technical bibliographical description, as well as a detailed exploration of digital book history.
• Paleography and Manuscript Studies: provides a wide-ranging introduction to reading and handling original source material of all types which researchers of the early modern period may encounter.

Optional

• Students choose one optional module.
• Directed Reading: designed to encourage the development of skills of historical analysis through concentrated study.

What It Will Lead To

Careers

• History postgraduates go on to pursue careers in a range of sectors including:
  • journalism
  • publishing
  • think tanks
  • government
  • law
  • teaching

Further Study

• Many graduates of the programme continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews or elsewhere.

Why St Andrews?

Alumni

• As a graduate of St Andrews, you become part of a prestigious and globally connected alumni community.

Events

• The School of History hosts the Early Modern and Modern History Postgraduate Forum, which provides a space for postgraduates at all stages to present ideas, discuss research issues and find out about what their fellow historians are up to.

Entry Requirements

• A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a subject-related area.
• English language proficiency.

Application Requirements

• CV or résumé
• a personal statement
• a sample of your own, single-authored academic written work (2,000 words)
• two original signed academic references
• academic transcripts and degree certificates.

English Language Proficiency

• If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability.

Fees and Funding

• The School of History is pleased to be able to offer a number of competitive scholarship which contribute to the fees and maintenance for postgraduate study.
• Offer the cash equivalent of one year's home fees and cannot be held in conjunction with other awards offering full fees and maintenance.
• Whenever it is relevant to your programme and possible, the School makes available competitive language bursaries for training prior to the start of an MLitt programme.

Scholarships and Funding

• We are committed to supporting you through your studies, regardless of your financial circumstances.
• You may be eligible for scholarships, discounts or other support:
  • School of History postgraduate funding
  • GREAT Scholarship
  • St Andrews Sanctuary Scholarship
  • St Leonard's funding opportunities
  • Graduate discount (15% off tuition fees)