Master of Studies in Global and Imperial History

The regulations of the Board of the Faculty of History are as follows:

• 1. Candidates for this degree must follow for at least three terms a course of instruction and directed research and must, upon entering the examination, produce from their society a certificate to that effect.

• 2. Candidates must attend such lectures, seminars and classes as their supervisor shall determine., Inin addition to the formally examined programme elements described below, each candidate will be expected to attend and complete in-course requirements for a series of skills and specialist options based on a schedule to be published from year to year by the Faculty’s Graduate Studies Committee.

• 3. The final examination shall comprise (i) one extended essay of 34,000-5,000 words based on the programme's theory component, plus one annotated bibliographyConcepts and oneThemes dissertation proposalcourse, (ii) twoone extended essaysessay of 4between 6,000-5500 and 7,000500 words each based on an Advanced Option, or other assessment as required by the relevant regulations where an Advanced Option is taken from another programme of study, and (iii) a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words.

  • I. The programme has three streams, providing the following distinct Advanced Options:

    • (i) Imperial History : Empires in Global History 1750-2000;

    • (ii) South Asian History : paper t.b.c.;

    • (iii) East Asian History : history and historiography of modern China.

  • During Michaelmas Term each candidate will attend core classes on concepts and themes in global and imperial history from CE 1400.   The core classes will be assessed by an extended essay of between 34,000 and 5,000 words, and by an annotated bibliography and a dissertation proposal of between 800 and 1,000 words.

  • The two essayswhich must be uploaded to the AssignmentsUniversity sectionapproved ofonline theassessment Global and Imperial History WebLearn siteplatform by  12 noon on Monday of Week NineOne of Hilary Term.

  • In Hilary Term, candidates will take one Advanced Option. Details of available Advanced Options are published in the course handbook. Approval of an Advanced Option choice must be obtained from the programme convenor and the Director of Graduate Studies by Friday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term. The Advanced Option essay must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by 12 noon on Monday of Week 9 of Hilary Term. The essaysessay should reflect the skills and understanding acquired by the candidate through attending the Advanced Option classes. One of the essaysIt may complement— – but mustmay not share significant content with— – the dissertation.

  • Candidates wishing to take an Option paper from another programme offered by the History Faculty, and exceptionally, by other Faculties, may do so with the essayspermission areof alsothe expectedprogramme convenor, the person responsible for the delivery of the requested Option paper, and their supervisor. Such candidates will be assessed according to bethe distinctregulations fromwith eachrespect to the form of assessment and deadlines governing that Option (i.e. the regulations of the programme under which the Option paper is offered), but the modes of assessment and deadlines for the other incourse periodelements orof issuesthe covered.  Eachprogramme submissionfor will requirewhich the candidate to make a declaration indicating that it is theirregistered ownwill work.remain in force

  • II. Each candidate must submit a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic, to be negotiated with the supervisor, in the candidate's chosen subject area. The dissertation must include a short abstract which concisely summarises in about 300 words its scope and principal arguments.

  • The dissertation must be uploaded to the AssignmentsUniversity sectionapproved ofonline theassessment Globalplatform and Imperial History WebLearn site by 12 noon on Monday of Week Nine of Trinity Term and accompanied by a declaration that it is the candidate's own work. Material submitted under I(i) and II(ii) may be summarised or substantially further developed in the dissertation, but no significant part of the dissertation should reproduce or paraphrase other work submitted for examination. Each submission will require the candidate to make a declaration that it is their own work.

  4. The examiners may award a distinction to candidates who have performed with special merit in the whole examination.

• 54. A candidate who fails one component of the examination will be permitted to retake it on one further occasion only, not later than one year after the initial attempt.