What disciplines does the MA Interdisciplinary Humanities actually cover?

The core curriculum draws on history, philosophy, literature and cultural studies, with selected social-science methods. The MA Interdisciplinary Humanities is genuinely interdisciplinary by design — students typically engage seriously with three or four fields rather than skimming all of them.

Is the MA Interdisciplinary Humanities a doctoral-preparation degree?

Yes — among other things. The research-methods core and dissertation are calibrated to the entry expectations of UK doctoral programmes in interdisciplinary humanities, cultural studies, history of ideas and related fields. Many graduates progress to PhD-track research.

Can I focus on a particular discipline within the MA Interdisciplinary Humanities?

Yes — within reason. Students typically lean toward two or three disciplines for their dissertation while maintaining genuine engagement with the broader interdisciplinary core. Tutors work with each student to identify the right field combinations early in the year.

Can I take the MA Interdisciplinary Humanities online?

Yes. The reading-and-research structure of the MA Interdisciplinary Humanities translates well to online study, with synchronous seminars, recorded methodology workshops and structured dissertation supervision. Distance learners complete on extended deadlines with named tutor support.

What is the dissertation on the MA Interdisciplinary Humanities?

An independent 12,000–15,000 word piece of original interdisciplinary research. Recent topics have included the conceptual history of mental health in twentieth-century UK literature and policy, comparative analysis of museum interpretive practice across two European cities, and philosophical analysis of historical-memory debates in three national contexts.

MA Interdisciplinary Humanities in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA Interdisciplinary Humanities at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for graduates and working professionals who want to undertake serious humanities research without confining themselves to a single discipline. You will work across history, philosophy, literature, cultural studies and selected social-science traditions, build the methodological literacy interdisciplinary work demands, and produce a 12,000-to-15,000-word dissertation that genuinely draws on multiple fields.

The MA Interdisciplinary Humanities is taught in dialogue with the British Academy's framework for humanities research and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) wider humanities-and-social-science standards. It is built for the researcher whose question does not respect departmental boundaries.

Key Features

UK postgraduate degree — one year full-time or two years part-time, with online and distance routes.
Interdisciplinary methods core — explicit teaching of how to work across disciplines without falling into vague generalism.
Reading seminars across history, philosophy, literature, cultural studies and selected social-science traditions.
Object and archive work in partnership with London cultural institutions — the British Library, the V&A, Tate, the National Archives.
Cohort workshops — small fixed cohorts working through each other's dissertation projects across the year.
Dissertation — an independent 12,000–15,000 word piece of original interdisciplinary research.

What You Will Learn

The MA Interdisciplinary Humanities is structured around the working competences of an interdisciplinary humanities researcher — disciplinary literacy across multiple fields, methodological discipline, comparative method and clear analytical writing. You graduate able to formulate a research question that requires multiple disciplines, draw on those disciplines responsibly, and write up your findings in a form usable across academic, cultural-sector and policy settings.

Interdisciplinary methods — how to work across disciplines with integrity, common pitfalls, defensible synthesis.
Historical method at advanced level — primary and secondary sources, archival literacy, historiographical debate.
Philosophical method — argument construction, formal and informal logic, applied reasoning.
Literary analysis — close reading, narrative theory, critical-theory engagement at MA level.
Cultural-studies method — material-culture analysis, ethnographic reading, comparative cultural method.
Social-science method — content analysis, interview methods, archival research at humanities-adjacent level.
Research ethics across the humanities — text, archive, contributor, community.
Communication of interdisciplinary work — academic writing, public-facing writing, presentation craft.

Who This MA Is For

Bachelor's graduates in humanities or social sciences whose interests genuinely cross departmental lines.
Working professionals in cultural institutions, publishing, education or policy seeking advanced cross-disciplinary research training.
International scholars wanting a UK postgraduate degree with genuine interdisciplinary scope.
Aspiring doctoral researchers preparing for PhD-track work that crosses traditional discipline boundaries.

Career Pathways

Interdisciplinary humanities training opens onto a wide career market — academic research, cultural institutions, publishing, policy analysis, charity programming and the wider creative and knowledge economy. Typical post-MA destinations include:

Humanities Researcher (university, research institute, learned society)
Cultural Programme Coordinator (museum, gallery, festival, broadcaster culture desk)
Policy Analyst (think tank, government department, charity)
Lecturer (further education, university — with subsequent PhD)
Editorial Researcher (publisher, longform digital outlet, broadcaster)
Doctoral Researcher (interdisciplinary humanities, cultural studies, history of ideas)

The MA serves as preparation for doctoral research, senior cultural-sector roles and interdisciplinary policy work.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject, OR a 2:2 in any subject with two years of relevant professional experience.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement (max 1 page) outlining your motivation, relevant experience and intended specialism.
Two academic or professional references.
Applicants without a related undergraduate degree may be considered with significant industry experience and a written sample.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.