Program Overview

---

MA Modern History

The MA Modern History programme provides broad coverage of the origins, formation, and reinvention of the modern world. This is enabled by a research-oriented approach rooted in the humanities. The degree has three main elements: a research-oriented approach rooted in the humanities, a timeframe which embraces early modern, modern, and contemporary history, and a 10,000-word dissertation in which students elaborate their own understanding of the nature and genealogy of the modern world.

Introduction

The one-year MA in Modern History, given by the Department of International History, provides broad coverage of the origins, formation, and reinvention of the modern world. This is enabled by a research-oriented approach rooted in the humanities. The degree provides broad coverage of the origins, formation, and reinvention of the modern world, and has three main elements: a research-oriented approach rooted in the humanities, a timeframe which embraces early modern, modern, and contemporary history, and a 10,000-word dissertation in which students elaborate their own understanding of the nature and genealogy of the modern world.

Preliminary Readings

• Maxine Berg, ed., Writing the History of the Global: Challenges for the Twenty-First Century (2013)
• Adom Getachew, Worldmaking After Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination (2019)
• Susan Pederson, The Guardians: The League of Nations and the Crisis of Empire (2015)

Entry Requirements

Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent in any discipline. Please select your country from the dropdown list to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Overseas

Select a country to find out the specific entry requirements.

Programme Content

You'll take taught courses to the value of three units, with at least one predating the twentieth century and another on contemporary history. The courses will be selected from those offered by the Departments of Anthropology, Economic History, Gender, Geography, Government, International History, Law, Media and Communications, Philosophy, and Sociology, the European Institute, and the Language Centre.

Year 1

You'll encounter a mix of lectures and seminars, have opportunities to deliver presentations, work with peers, and engage in off-campus learning. You'll also be required to write a 10,000-word dissertation based on your own research.

Dissertation

This component of the degree reflects our belief that master's level history students should be willing to engage in detailed historical research. In preparing this piece of work, students are provided with guidance about how to choose an appropriate topic, how to identify and locate the necessary sources, and how to write up their research findings.

Why Study with Us

Discover more about our students and department. History is a wide-ranging and challenging subject to study. It seeks to understand the past and to make sense of the present, adding an important dimension to the understanding of many aspects of human society.

Meet the Department

The department is world-renowned in its field, offering a unique perspective on the history of relations between states, peoples, and cultures. We pride ourselves on giving students the benefit of ground-breaking research throughout our teaching programmes.

Why LSE

LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research. All of the teaching is done either by the Department's full-time academic staff or specially engaged post-doctoral teaching staff.

Your Application

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential, and motivation, irrespective of background.

Overview

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your academic achievement, statement of academic purpose, two academic references, and CV.

Who Attends

The MA in Modern History gives students a firm grasp of the nature and genealogy of the modern world. This will benefit professionals in a range of fields, including the civil service in the UK or abroad, think tanks, international organisations, and NGOs.

When to Apply

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

Fees and Funding

The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes. You're charged a fee for your programme. At LSE, your tuition fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes, and individual supervision.

Home

£18,300 Home student fee (2026/27)

Overseas

£30,400 Overseas student fee (2026/27)

Fee Status

At LSE, your tuition fees, and eligibility for any financial support, will depend on whether you’re classified as a home or overseas student.

Scholarships, Bursaries, and Loans

We recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town/city or country and we provide generous scholarships to help both home and overseas students.

Learning and Assessment

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award.

How You Learn

Within your programme, you will take a number of courses, often including half-unit courses and full-unit courses. In half-unit courses, on average, you can expect 20-30 contact hours in total and for full-unit courses, on average, you can expect 40-60 contact hours in total.

How You're Assessed

LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams, and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course.

Graduate Destinations

Students develop highly transferable skills valued by employers and go on to work in the foreign service, the EU, political think tanks, risk assessment, journalism, or the NGO sector, or stay on to take a research degree.

Overview

LSE history graduates find employment in almost any job sector due to the wide range of transferable skills developed during their studies.

Career Support

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Related Programmes

• MSc History of International Relations
• MSc Theory and History of International Relations
• MSc Empires, Colonialism, and Globalisation
• LSE-Columbia University Double MA Degree in International and World History
• LSE-PKU Double Degree in MSc International Affairs