MA in History, Place and Community

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

Among them, the Institute of Historical Research is the UK's national centre for history, dedicated to supporting historians of all kinds. The IHR is dedicated to training the next generation of researchers, and to producing and facilitating ambitious, innovative historical research. Through our library, events programmes, seminars, fellowships, training and publications, we offer a wide range of services both onsite and remotely that facilitate excellence in historical research, teaching and scholarship in the UK.

Our academic staff produce world-leading research, conducting nationally-important projects and providing a remarkable range of expertise, with particular strengths in the history of Britain, its colonial involvement and the Commonwealth. A large body of senior and junior research fellows complements the staff and, alongside the institute’s substantial body of doctoral students, ensures a lively and thriving intellectual environment. Staff and students also take advantage of the seminar programmes and academic resources of the University of London colleges, the other institutes of the School of Advanced Study and the other internationally-renowned institutions of Bloomsbury, such as the British Library. Finally, we enjoy the unrivalled resources of the IHR Wohl Library, including its world-renowned collections in placed, place-based and local histories, as well as secondary materials around public history and historiography.

The Institute of Historical Research’s MA in History, Place and Community is an exciting new programme (now in its second year of running) designed to be flexible and centred on your needs: whether you’re building the foundations for higher level research, looking to develop applied skills for your professional development, or simply interested in your own place and its history.

Today, the intersections between history, place and community have never been more visible in public discourse, heritage interpretation, conservation and policy. What does it mean to feel a sense of identity and commonality with a group or with a place? What are the bonds that link people as parts of a greater whole, and how are they created and perpetuated? How are communities imagined and what does it mean for those within them and outside? 

The MA encourages you to ask and answer these questions and can be adapted to allow you to draw upon wider scholarship to focus on your own particular favoured areas, localities or research topics. This flexibility in approach also extends to the structure and teaching format: the course is taught using a hybrid, blended approach, making the most of London where appropriate but also allowing for study at a distance, allowing you the maximum opportunity to fit study around your own circumstances and needs.

The independent study element of the course – taking place in term 3 for full-time students or term 6 for part-time – will see you choose between a 15,000-word dissertation, a placement with a partner organisation (of your choice, although the IHR can assist in finding suitable placements) of not fewer than eight weeks, or an 'alternative output', which might be a series of podcasts, a small exhibition or a set of interpretation panels, or a set of teaching materials, or something similar of your own devising; we are open to offers!

Positioned within the rich intellectual environment of the University of London’s School of Advanced Study, the IHR is the perfect place in which to engage with localities and communities. Home to the Centre for the History of People, Place and Community, the Victoria County History and the Layers of London project, the Institute boasts an unrivalled concentration of expertise in both urban and rural places, ranging widely beyond the usual boundaries of history as a discipline. The programme also takes advantage of the IHR’s unique location in the heart of London, and the opportunities for field trips, archive visits, and observation of the historic environment this presents.

NB, please note that acceptance onto the MA in History, Place & Community does not qualify for the purposes of making a UK student visa application; enquiries about flexible learning for international students are, however, welcome. 

Full details of the programme structure and modules are available on the course page

A number of bursaries are currently available for this course:

Two awards from the SAS Convocation Trust Bursary, each of £10,000.

One award from the British Friends of the IHR Bursary, offering a 50% reduction on fees for one student from the UK (i.e. paying Home fees);

Terms and conditions apply for each bursary. See the Institute of Historical Research MA Funding for further details. 

The deadline for bursary applications is 1 May 2024.

By the end of the programme, students will be able to:

•            understand the complex and charged discourses around ‘community’ and ‘place’ and contribute to them with their own original research and analysis

•            critically address problems in knowledge or understanding of historical places and communities, Identifying and selecting appropriate methods, tools and analytical frameworks to bring to bear upon them

•            use a wide variety of scholarly tools and services to undertake independent historical research

•            communicate research findings to academic and public audiences

•            apply historical research skills in a variety of professional environments

•            frame, plan and execute a substantial historical research project

The programme re-imagines postgraduate taught study for the post-Covid era, with an emphasis on flexibility, student-centred formats, wide geographical accessibility, and bespoke learning. From the start this course has been designed with flexibility in mind, with extensive use made of blended and online learning, and a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous teaching. We understand the need for study opportunities that allow students to combine the MA programme with other activities or employment, and we recognise that they will not always want to be present in London. Both full-time (one year) and part-time (two year) modes of study are available, allowing students to choose a level of commitment appropriate to their circumstances.

The degree course consists of a total of seven modules: six twenty-credit taught modules and a final independent study module – either a dissertation or a placement – worth sixty credits. These can be taken full-time (one year) or part-time (two years) for a total of 180 credits. In addition to the full MA, shorter qualifications are also available.

Modules

HPM010-01    Thinking History

Thinking critically about the past lies at the core of what we call historical research. This module identifies and examines the key conceptual frameworks and practical techniques that shape historical research and that enable and inform research into past communities and places. First, it examines the various and changing answers to the question ‘What is history?’ How have recent generations of historians thought about history and communities, and how has the nature of this thinking changed? How does it relate to other approaches to human societies and identities? University researchers are, moreover, just one among many groups who seek to understand, use or claim the past in support of their own understandings of society and culture; we shall consider the relationship of historians with practitioners and audiences who approach and interpret the past in radically different ways. Ideas of community and group identity are highly charged, both emotionally and politically, not least to those who see
themselves as members of those abiding communities and groups. We shall explore how historians can relate to and inform debates and interested parties outside the academy. In the second part of the module students will learn about the wide range of techniques and methods applied in the modern disciplines of historical research,
allowing each student to make an informed choice in selecting those to be explored in more depth in pursuing their research project. Commencing with a grounding in source theory, the ‘archival turn’, and ideas of (inter)textuality, seminars will proceed to explore material, visual and oral sources and the ways in which historians interrogate them to create understanding of the past. An array of digital approaches have radically changed – and continue to change – how historians produce, retrieve, manipulate and store data from these sources; students will learn
what each can do and how to acquire the skills to deploy them in their own research. Existing IHR and SAS research training sessions provide high-level tuition and learning opportunities and will be made available; all students will be required to take at least one IHR training course.

Two assessments will be undertaken: a formative plan of 1,500 words to be completed by the end of week 5 and a summative 4,000-word case study essay at the end of the module.

HPM020-01    Applied Public History

This module introduces skills, approaches and practices in Applied Public History: understanding and interpreting the past today, and engaging diverse communities in the practice of making and sharing histories. Based around an online course, the module draws on project case studies, expert insights and diverse perspectives to model
exciting approaches to public engagement and co-production in the history of places and people. It features the unique, diverse projects and expertise based in the CHPPC, including the Victoria County History of England (founded 1899), and the Layers of London crowdsourced digital history project, as well as contributions from the Centre’s collaborators and partners across academia, the heritage sector and creative industries throughout the UK. Students will extend the online content with bespoke tutorial / seminar support, enabling them to develop their own applied public history project design for assessment.

HPM030-01    Connecting History

How do we do history (in its broadest sense) in collaborative, connected and impactful ways? This module builds professional skills for the Humanities, with a particular focus on making connections: from addressing varied audiences and communicating across varied media and contexts, to partnership working and forging links across sectors, to planning and delivering research impact. Other topics will include how to connect research with policy and policy-makers, identifying funding streams, and developing proposals, pitches and grant applications.
Assessed through a portfolio of mini assignments, the module will give students the opportunity to create varied kinds of content and respond to ‘real-world’ briefs, with a particular attention to their own area of research or professional practice. Indicative mini assignments, from which students will select options, include writing
a book proposal, press release, media (e.g. documentary) pitch, funding bid, opinion piece (using the History & Policy format), book review, poster and short creative output (written or in another medium). Module teaching will include contributions from experts with experience in areas such as publishing, broadcast media, policy, funding and more. Throughout the module, students will have the opportunity to tailor skills and assignments to their own subject-specific interests. By the end of the module, students will have built a toolkit and portfolio to inform
and underpin their future professional work. The module will also facilitate discussion of more theoretical and conceptual questions around where, and how, historical (and broader Humanities) research operates in partnership with other sectors and meets the public sphere, including lively current debates around the ‘value’ of the Humanities and the risks – as well as opportunities – of working between disciplines and practices.

HPM040-01    Historic Places: Landscapes, Buildings and Significance

This module explores key concepts and methodologies for understanding and interpreting historic places – from rural landscapes to the built environment and historic buildings. It introduces key research and professional skills, with a particular focus on techniques relevant to heritage, conservation, landscape history, and the built environment. Taught with input from Historic England and the IHR’s own flagship projects including the Victoria County History of England, students will engage with methods ranging from documentary research – engaging with community understandings of historic space and place – to architectural analysis and landscape archaeology using aerial imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatial analysis. The module will employ diverse teaching methods including thematic case studies and a field trip showing the skills taught in a real-world setting. Throughout, the module will maintain a focus on practical applications, such as writing statements of significance for historic buildings for the purposes of heritage management and planning. These will include building statements of significance for heritage management and planning; on site interpretation of a historic building or landscape; integrating research into community engagement. Students will be able to tailor their work on the module to their specific interests by completing their coursework on either urban or rural contexts, or by focusing it all upon a chosen location. Whether students aim to gain applied skills for professional development or to acquire knowledge and methods for further place-based research or local history projects, this module will provide a thorough grounding. 

Assessment will be via case studies (minimum two) using direct observation and documentary sources, with a reflective essay outlining the significance of these case studies and the techniques used (4,000 words) and the creation of an interpretation panel (500 words max with images) demonstrating the significance of a given
building or landscape to a general audience in public realm.

HPM050-01    Layers of London: Deep Mapping London’s History

London’s long and multi-layered story makes it a uniquely rich and exciting focus for placed histories. This module aims to:

• Introduce students to the importance of places in London’s history, with a focus on neighbourhoods, communities, and networks
• Work with a broad range of primary sources, including maps, images, and memories, to document and contextualise the history of London’s places
• Work with many of our London neighbours and partners – including field trips to locations, collections, archives, and museums

Students will encounter aspects of London’s history through a varied range of sources and projects: from crowdsourced content and historic maps on Layers of London, to the records of London’s medieval livery companies, to stories of the Windrush generation, and community archives such as Everyday Muslim. Teaching
will be organised around three focused ‘deep dive’ case studies – typically including at least one focused on the pre-modern period, and one on the modern period. These case studies will change from year to year, but always introduce different aspects of London’s history in a place-based way. Where possible these will be
taught involving with partner organisations and visits to locations and archives. Asynchronous content and reading lists will give students a comprehensive introduction to the topics covered. Students will take inspiration from these case studies to design and complete their own project on an aspect of London’s history of their choice. This will take the form of a collection on the Layers of London website, alongside a reflective essay exploring the theoretical, methodological, and ethical aspects, as well as historical content, of their project."

HPM060-01    Place and Policy

This module examines the intersections between place and policy, bringing together disciplines and debates across heritage and conservation, planning, regeneration and development, with a particular emphasis on how history can resource, inform and challenge place policy. Topics will include uses of history and heritage in the
renewal of places today, histories of place policy and planning through place-based case studies, and broader histories of larger-scale place policies, up to and beyond the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda. Particular attention is given to the framework of regulation and support within which the heritage and cultural sector operates and the extent to which that has been the subject of political debate at a local, national and international level. This will be
viewed within the context of broader developments in the state, society and the economy.

Indicative content may include histories of the UK’s diaspora communities particularly those of Asian and Afro-Caribbean heritage in the context of a growing but highly politically contested recognition of the legacies of colonialism and slavery; and London as a case study, drawing on IHR networks and contacts. There is a strongly practical element to the course with a broad focus on understanding the nature of policy-making so as to be able to make effective interventions in this area. This is reflected in the assessment methods of the module which provide experience of drafting materials suitable for public and policy engagement."

HPM300-01    London Summer School

The IHR London Summer School offers a unique opportunity to explore London’s stories and historic places from the Institute’s home at Senate House in the heart of Bloomsbury. Guest lectures from world-renowned experts and interactive workshops focus on topics from London’s earliest history to the present day – as well as visions
and policy debates around its future. Site-specific work takes students out to archives and museums, as well as offering special access to some of London’s most fascinating historic sites. Students will have access to the remarkable London collections in the IHR’s Wohl Library, including maps, rare books and a range of
important primary and secondary sources. Alongside programmed content, IHR academic and library staff will be available for consultation and bespoke support. The London Summer School builds on the IHR’s outstanding strengths in urban and metropolitan history, and especially London history, formerly concentrated in its
Centre for Metropolitan History (founded in 1988 by the IHR and Museum of London) and now based in its Centre for the History of People, Place and Community. The Summer School draws on this world-class academic heritage, as well as other high profile projects and centres based in the IHR: the Victoria County History of England
(founded 1899), History & Policy: the UK’s national network for connecting historians and policy-makers, and Layers of London: the major history mapping project which brings together historic maps, material from archives and institutions, and crowdsourced content from communities across the city. The Summer School will also feature cutting-edge new research from other projects both within and beyond the University of London.

Each year, the IHR London Summer School will have a different theme. Indicative themes may include ‘Renewal’, ‘Rivers’, ‘Secret London’, ‘Green London’, or other broad topics. This module offers an opportunity to convert participation in the IHR London Summer School into a credit-bearing module, either as a stand-alone microqualification, or to build towards the MA History Place and Community. Module teaching, therefore, will be delivered through the Summer School teaching provision, with two additional consultations after the end of the Summer School for students taking this as a credit-bearing module, alongside formative and summative
assessment. In addition to content-focused lectures and workshops, field trips and archive visits, the IHR London Summer School will include sessions which will particularly support students taking the credit-bearing module. These will include library induction and guided independent research time, and a half-day ‘Writing Workshop’ focused on essay-writing skills. IHR academic staff will also be available throughout the Summer School for one-to-one consultations with students, and those taking the credit-bearing module will be required to attend at least one individual consultation session.

HPM400-01    Scoping and Planning a Research Project

The purpose of this module is to prepare students for their independent research project (dissertation, alternative output project, or applied research project), developing and refining the intended project’s question and aims and, by the end, producing the final proposal and plan. Teaching will comprise – firstly – a series of group workshops that will explore how to construct a research proposal that is both pertinent and realizable, and – secondly
– ongoing scoping discussions (and up to two face-to-face/online meetings) with the intended supervisor.
The workshops will cover important subjects such as how to frame questions that are meaningful pertinent and current, how to position research within the existing literature, how to identify, locate and obtain relevant sources, and how to create a research plan that will promote successful and timely completion. These skills will be
taught within a framework of project management, emphasizing the transferrable skills involved in developing and executing a research project. NB, for part-time students, one Scoping & Planning workshop will be held at the beginning of term 3 to prime them to begin their preparation for their final project during that term; the rest of
the workshops and the assessment for the module will take place in term 5. For full-time students, all workshops will take place in term 2. Interacting with their dissertation supervisor, the students will also engage in a
programme of directed reading and research on the chosen subject in order to design the project that will ultimately become their project. The workshops will also include an opportunity for students to present their topic before their peers, encouraging feedback and interaction with those encountering similar challenges at
the same time. By the end of the module, students will have clearly defined their topic and principal research questions and will have constructed a detailed plan and prospectus for their research project.

HPM600-01    Applied Research Project

This module builds upon ‘Scoping and Planning a Research Project’ to allow students to apply their research skills within a significant work-based project. The Applied Research Project may take a number of forms. Students may work on an agreed history-related placement with an institution, community group, or business, during
which they will undertake a project defined by that organization in consultation with the student and the module convenor. Most projects will be pre-arranged with partner organizations. Students may also arrange a bespoke placement, especially where they might have pre-existing interests or connections, but this must be approved by the module convenor to ensure learning outcomes are met. Placements will be flexible and output driven, but will be expected to last no less than 8 weeks within one term for full-time students (pro-rata for part time students).
Students will apply the same skills of project development, primary and secondary research, and writing as those completing the dissertation option as their capstone project, but rather than a single written output, they will produce outputs related to an agreed significant work-based project, as defined by their partner organisation.
Another approach to the Applied Research Project may be to conduct an independent research project (as with a dissertation) but produce an ‘alternative output’. This might take the form of (but not be limited to), a series of podcasts, a set of interpretation panels for a museum or public place, or a set of teaching materials.
All students will be allocated an academic supervisor and have the same amount of supervision time as dissertation students. Guidance and support will focus on methodological and theoretical positioning.
In all cases completion of a substantial practical output is essential, but students will be assessed not on the output produced directly, but via a 1500-word analytical project report and a 4000-word critical essay. This essay will critically evaluate the task undertaken, and the institutional or practical context in which it was undertaken. Students will be expected to explore the theoretical and practical issues arising at the intersection of research and public, commercial, or institutional practice. These assignments will be marked with reference to the main output(s), but that output itself will not be marked (because of its potential diversity and dependency upon outside factors).

HPM500-01    Dissertation

In this module the student, guided by the research plan developed in the Scoping and Planning the Research Project module, continues a programme of primary and secondary reading, project development and writing to complete a dissertation of 15,000 words. This will be on an aspect of historical debate and will draw upon both
the existing literature on the subject and original historical research and argument conducted by the student to produce a new analysis. Over the period, students will meet their supervisor for three sessions of 60 minutes
each, to discuss the project’s development, to adapt and refine plans as required, and to resolve questions or challenges as they arise. With supervisors, students will examine and test the academic credibility of their research project, as well as its timetabling and presentation with the aim of creating a substantial work incorporating original research to a professional standard and of lasting value to its intended readership. In writing the dissertation, students will also draw on skills acquired in earlier modules, relating to bibliographical design, presentation of
research-based text, and copy editing and proof reading for academic writing.

To find out more, visit the Institute of Historical Research's course page.

Dr Adam Chapman, Lecturer in Medieval History & Victoria County History (VCH) Editor

Adam is principal editor for the VCH, based at the Institute, and also teaches on the Institute's MRes and PhD programmes.

Adam.Chapman@sas.ac.uk

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Professor Catherine Clarke is Director of the Centre for the History of People, Place and Community at the Institute of Historical Research

Catherine is a cultural historian specialising in the Middle Ages, but she also works across a wide range of periods on questions of place, identity, heritage and uses of the past.

catherine.clarke@sas.ac.uk

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Justin Colson, Senior Lecturer in Urban and Digital History and Deputy Director of the IHR's Centre for the History of People, Place and Community.

Justin is an historian of towns and cities, specialising in London during the late medieval and early modern periods, and uses digital and spatial techniques to study societies and cultures more broadly across time and place.

Justin.colson@sas.ac.uk

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Claire Langhamer, Director of the Institute of Historical Research.

Claire is a social and cultural historian of modern Britain who specializes in the history of everyday life, especially the experiences of women and girls, and the history of feeling.

claire.langhamer@sas.ac.uk

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Professor Philip Murphy

Professor Philip Murphy is Director of History & Policy at the IHR

philip.murphy@sas.ac.uk

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Dr Ruth Slatter, Lecturer in Historic Environment & Knowledge Exchange Manager at the Institute of Historical Research.

Ruth is interested in people's everyday experiences of religion, faith and spirituality since the nineteenth century. To explore these themes, she uses architecture and material & visual culture, historical geography and participatory approaches.

ruth.slatter@sas.ac.uk

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Simon Trafford, Director of Studies and Lecturer in Medieval History

Simon convenes and teaches on the MA in History, Place & Community, co-ordinates and oversees the research training programme, and has overall responsibility for all teaching and learning within the Institute.

simon.trafford@sas.ac.uk

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We have designed this programme to be a new and exciting way for students to explore those fundamental building blocks of human society and identity: communities, places and groups. The taught element will give you the firmest possible grounding in modern historical debates and methods, equipping you with all the skills and knowledge you need to establish yourself as a researcher in your chosen subject area. The degree culminates in either a dissertation or a placement, allowing you to craft your original contribution to historical understanding in whatever way suits both the material and you. With the help and support of our enthusiastic team of expert staff you will emerge as a seasoned historical researcher, ready to go on to further study or further explore your own amateur or professional historical interests.

The normal minimum entry requirement is an upper second-class honours degree from a British university, or an equivalent qualification from a foreign institution, in any discipline in the humanities which is related to the course. All students whose first language is not English must provide recent evidence that their written and spoken English is adequate for postgraduate study.

“For more information on how to apply, including deadlines and the documentation you will need to provide on the application form, visit our How to Apply page.”

Fees are set annually and cover registration, tuition, and (in the case of research students) supervision.

Fees are quoted per annum -- that is, you will need to pay at least the fee quoted below for each year of your studies. Please note that tuition fees are subject to annual uplift. The University of London reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses and amend other details without prior notice.

See the Tuition Fees for 2024-25 - listed by Institute.

Our students fund their studies in a variety of ways including scholarships, bursaries and fellowships, as well as government loans and postgraduate loans. 

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement. Funding at postgraduate level is competitive so it’s a good idea to plan financially before starting your course. 

For information about fees and funding from the School of Advanced Study, please visit the SAS Fees and Funding page.

This programme is designed for those who wish to:

• develop a deeper, broader understanding of historical research – and/or build specific skills – to assist with their professional development (for example, those who work in the arts, in galleries, museums, archives and libraries, and heritage sectors) – there is a growing need for individuals and for institutions to develop research skills in history in many professional environments. The combined methodological and applied approaches adopted in this programme, together with the hybrid mode of instruction, provides appropriate professional training in the relevant areas.

• prepare for further study in history at PhD level – this programme builds a set of research practices and modes of critical thinking that will equip students to approach PhD study with confidence, tackling all of the key skills they will need to build a career in academia or historical research. This course provides students with the skills and awareness to construct and execute a convincing advanced research project at PhD level, and an experience and understanding of research and publishing environments to disseminate their research findings in academic and non-academic arenas.

• explore their own personal interests in history at any stage in life - the programme is also designed for those who wish to pursue personal research interests through a taught programme of study. There is plenty of space for individuals to acquire skills to help them realise their personal research ambitions or to explore a diverse programme of study that seeks to ignite new thoughts and ideas.

The SAS Careers Service works with students and graduates of all ages and at all stages of career development across all the institutes. Our mission is to provide high-quality information about careers and skills, and professional advice and guidance. We help students with their career development, either within their current field of work or in something completely new. 

SAS students can access 1-2-1 guidance appointments throughout their studies and for up to 2 years after graduating, to help them plan their next steps, whatever they might be. We also offer CV, cover letter, and application advice as well as mock interviews with the SAS Careers Consultant who will empower you to feel more confident in your interview performance.