You are viewing: 2024/25 version

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, in addition to the formally examined programme elements described below.

  • 3. The final examination shall comprise (i) one extended essay of 4,000-5,000 words based on the programme's Concepts and Themes course, (ii) one extended essay of between 6,500 and 7,500 words 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. 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 4,000 and 5,000 words, which must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by 12 noon on Monday of Week One 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 essay should reflect the skills and understanding acquired by the candidate through attending the Advanced Option classes. It may complement – but may 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 permission of the programme convenor, the person responsible for the delivery of the requested Option paper, and their supervisor. Such candidates will be assessed according to the regulations with respect 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 course elements of the programme for which the candidate is registered will 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 University approved online assessment platform by 12 noon on Monday of Week Nine of Trinity Term. Material submitted under (i) and (ii) may be summarised or 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. 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.