How does the MA World History differ from the MA History?

MA World History is comparative and transregional by design, with global, postcolonial and environmental history modules at the core. MA History allows specialisation across any region or period. Choose MA World History for comparative or global focus; choose MA History for regional or period specialism.

Do I need a language other than English for the MA World History?

Strongly recommended for any dissertation working with non-English-language primary sources, and required for some regional dissertation topics. Many students complete a viable dissertation working entirely in English with translated sources; reading ability in another language opens more options.

Does the MA World History include palaeography training?

Yes — palaeography appropriate to your dissertation region and period is covered in the research methods module. Early modern English and European palaeography is taught as standard; specialist palaeographies are covered with one-to-one supervision.

Can I take the MA World History part-time?

Yes. The MA can be taken over 24 months part-time. Online and distance routes are available. London archive work continues for distance students via digital archives and an extended dissertation timeline with on-campus archive residentials.

Is the MA World History a route into doctoral research?

Yes — it is one of the standard UK routes into a PhD in world history, global history or a regional/thematic historical specialism. The dissertation is structured to produce work suitable as the basis of a PhD application.

MA World History in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA World History at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for history graduates, archivists, heritage professionals and editorial researchers who want master's-level depth in comparative and transregional historical study. You will work through current debates in global, environmental and postcolonial history, take advanced research methods training across primary source criticism and digital archive work, and complete a 12,000–15,000 word dissertation on a transregional or comparative historical question.

The MA World History is built around the conviction that the most interesting questions in modern history rarely fit inside a single country's archive. By graduation you have produced a piece of comparative or transregional research that contributes to a historiographical conversation rather than summarising it.

Key Features

Global history seminar across early modern, modern and contemporary world history.
Postcolonial and decolonial historiography — Said, Mamdani, Cooper, and the contemporary debates that follow.
Environmental and climate history module — methods, sources, the long history of climate and energy.
Advanced research methods — primary source criticism, palaeography, oral history, digital and transnational archive use.
London archive-based teaching with sessions at the National Archives at Kew, the British Library and major specialist collections.
12,000–15,000 word dissertation on a transregional or comparative historical question, supervised across the year.

What You Will Learn

The MA World History is structured around three interlocking strands — comparative and transregional historiography, advanced research methods, and sustained dissertation work. You graduate able to engage seriously with contemporary global-history scholarship, work with primary archive material across regions, and produce original historical argument at master's level.

Early modern global history — Atlantic and Indian Ocean systems, comparative empires.
Modern global history — industrialisation, imperialism, comparative decolonisation.
Contemporary global history — Cold War, globalisation, the post-1989 settlement.
Environmental and climate history at master's depth.
Postcolonial and decolonial historiography.
Gender and family history across cultures.
Primary source criticism — provenance, context, reading against the grain.
Palaeography for the periods relevant to your dissertation.
Digital and transnational archive practice — finding aids, specialist catalogues, digital archives.
Sustained dissertation construction — research question, comparative archival strategy, sustained argument.

Who This MA Is For

Bachelor's history graduates ready for master's-level comparative and transregional specialism.
Working teachers, archivists and museum professionals seeking a research-historical credential with comparative depth.
Editorial researchers in history publishing and history broadcasting wanting structured global-history training.
Career-changers from journalism, the civil service or international development moving into research-historical work.

Career Pathways

World History MA graduates feed into a varied UK and international labour market — archives, museums, heritage, education, publishing, broadcasting, international research and the wider analytical-graduate market. Typical destinations include:

Historian (research project, university post-doc with PhD, longform writing)
Archivist (senior — research library, national archive, specialist collection)
Museum Curator (specialist — national museum, regional museum)
History Teacher (with PGCE, secondary or sixth-form)
Heritage Researcher (senior — heritage charity, World Heritage Site team)
Editorial Researcher (senior — history publishing, history broadcasting)

The MA also serves as a launchpad for doctoral research in world history, global history or a regional/thematic historical specialism.

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 dissertation area.
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.