Eighteenth-Century Studies

Course detail Description

Our Eighteenth-Century Studies MA is offered jointly by King’s and the British Museum. This collaboration means that we can draw on the expertise of scholars from eight departments in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at King’s and senior staff at the British Museum to offer exciting opportunities to explore 18th-century textual, material and visual cultures.

This MA consists of a required module, a dissertation and (normally) four modules chosen from a wide range of options, including modules taught by the Departments of English, History, Comparative Literature, French, German, Music and Philosophy. The required module is taught in part by experts from the British Museum, with special reference to the Enlightenment Gallery and its history.

The required module Representing the Eighteenth Century explores constructions of Enlightenment, then and now, through frameworks such as race, gender, class, the body and intellectual networks. You will learn about the ideas of the Enlightenment and how it has been regarded subsequently. We will teach you how to analyse ideas, objects, texts and arts of the 18th century and, thanks to our unique collaboration with the British Museum, you will have the opportunity to research a wealth of 18th-century materials under the guidance of world-leading curators and experts.

If you are considering continuing to a PhD, or if you are looking to deepen your understanding of the 18th century through creative, interdisciplinary study, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Further literature

Course format and assessment

Teaching
If you are a full-time student, we will provide you with six to eight hours of teaching through seminars each week. We expect you to undertake an additional 34 hours of self-study each week.

If you are a part-time student, we will provide you with four hours of teaching through seminars each week in your first year, and two to four hours per week in your second year. We will expect you to undertake 23 hours of independent study each week in your first year and 11 hours in your second.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment
We assess our modules entirely through coursework, normally in the form of a 4,000-word essay. Your dissertation will consist of a 15,000-word essay.

Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.

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Structure

Year 1 Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. Required Modules

You are required to take:

• Representing the Eighteenth Century (40 credits)
• Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional Modules In addition, you are required to take 80 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

• The Body & Society in Early Modern Europe (20 Credits)
• Ritual in Early Modern Society (20 credits)
• The World Novel (20 credits)
• London: Great Fire to Great Exhibition (20 credits)
• Poetic Movements, Poetics Moods 1660–1800 (20 credits)
• Rights before Human Rights: Eighteenth Century Theories & Representations (20 credits)

If you are a part-time student, you will take Representing the Eighteenth Century in your first year, along with 40 credits of optional modules. In your second year you will take your dissertation module, along with a further 40 credits of optional modules.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.