War: History and Politics MA (PGCert PGDip)

This MA offers an alternative, critical and global perspective to war studies.

Instead of focusing on the usual themes of military history and conflict studies, our War: History and Politics MA is an interdisciplinary degree which examines the causes, modes, experience and memory of war through a combination of theories from critical history, politics, philosophy and cultural theory.

Adopting a critical stance against war-making, you will cover a variety of topics that are usually ignored in war-studies. You will learn about those dominant forces that take societies to war, but you will also study about resistance movements and anti-war activism. You will learn about how war has been conceptualised and ‘normalised’, and how you can critique these narratives.

This degree has a global outlook. Our case studies are drawn from across the world, from the start of the twentieth century to today. Yugoslavia, Colombia, Palestine, Algeria, Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, and Guantanamo Bay are some of the areas covered by the curriculum, along with more familiar histories from the two World Wars and the Cold War.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme.

You should take this degree if you want to move beyond the familiar themes of conflict studies, and if you want to learn instead:

the main ideologies and structural forces that have informed war-making since 1900 across the globe
the most recent scholar theories from a variety of disciplines from across the humanities on the causes, forms, experience, and memory of war
the ways in which war is promoted and normalised, and how you can challenge this.

We pay great attention to the delivery of our MA programme. Attending this degree you will receive:

tuition in small seminar groups from a team of specialist researchers and lecturers
close supervision from your actual tutors.

The War: History and Politics MA is part of the Humanities Programme, giving you access to:

a variety of option modules and modes of assessment so that you can pick what suits your particular interests and intellectual trajectory best
an even greater number of open-access undergraduate lectures you might want to follow, to build up your knowledge in specific areas
the lively and welcoming research culture of our Centres for Memory, Narrative and Histories and for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics
a vibrant postgraduate student community, active in organising workshops and reading groups.

This MA also offers:

flexible terms for part-time study
easy access and established contacts to local and London-based archives, such as the Mass Observation archive in Falmer, and the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth.

Careers

The interdisciplinary approach that is particular to our MA allows you to open up to a wide range of disciplines and employment sectors.

At the end of your studies you will have a degree that covers the two major disciplines of history and politics, and, most crucially, it will testify to your capacity to be a flexible learner across different fields of research.

Our graduates are particularly well equipped to follow career paths in sectors that deal with violent conflicts, their consequences and resolution, such as a variety of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), particular sections of the civil service, and international bodies.

Students can exit with PGDip & PGCert.

Normally a 2:1 undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. Candidates with a 2:2 or lower or who do not have a degree will still be considered for admission if they can demonstrate suitable professional experience or substantial experience of the subject area.