Global and Imperial History

The MSt in Global and Imperial History can be taken either as a free-standing degree, or as the first step towards a DPhil.

The course will encourage you to develop intellectual and practical familiarity with advanced research in the global history of the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Australasia and the Americas (excluding the US). Global and imperial history in this context implies transoceanic and transcontinental connections, comparisons, and exchanges between cultures, polities and societies. It also examines broad patterns and systems in history, whether religious, political, economic, cultural or ecological.

Global history, in other words, is history with a global scope (often including European dimensions) that emphasises comparative perspectives. You are not expected to master the histories of multiple regions, but to use a global approach to cast light on your own research area.

Research training is combined with broad conceptual approaches that encourage students to learn from the recent historiographies of different periods and areas and with focused studies of periods or themes. This class work parallels supervised pursuit of a research project.

All students will be encouraged to attend some of the faculty’s many advanced research seminars. The admission of any candidate for further study at Oxford will depend on their overall performance in the master’s programme, together with the viability of any proposed research topic and the availability of appropriate supervision at Oxford.

You should indicate your region of interest from the start, so that an assessor can be allocated to your application.

Teaching and examination comprise:

• an extended essay of between 6,500 and 7,500 words based on an advanced option paper, a course dedicated to in-depth study of a one of the areas within the programmes scope. Teaching is usually arranged in small classes or tutorial groups in Hilary term;
• one paper in historical methodology. Teaching is in weekly classes in Michaelmas term. Assessment is through an extended essay of between 4,000 and 5,000 words, submitted at the start of Hilary term; and
• a dissertation of up to 15,000 words on an agreed topic. It is expected that you will write your extended essays and dissertations on different themes or periods. The dissertation is written up during the Easter vacation and the first five weeks of Trinity term, but it is essential that you begin to formulate and plan your dissertation in conjunction with your supervisor from the beginning of the course.

Please note that not every optional subject listed may be on offer every year, depending in part on levels of student demand. Full details of core and optional papers available are available on the course webpage.

If you wish to apply for the DPhil you will be encouraged to develop your doctoral proposal in consultation with your supervisor during the first few months of your course, so that you will be well placed to make a doctoral application.

The allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Faculty of History and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under some circumstances a supervisor outside the Faculty of History may be nominated.

An Oxford academic’s pre-application indication of willingness to supervise an enquiring applicant is not a guarantee that the applicant will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity in that particular year.

About a quarter of master’s students proceed to doctoral work at Oxford; others continue academic study at other institutions. Other career destinations are as diverse as, but broadly in line with, undergraduate history career destinations: law, finance, management consultancy, civil service etc.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of History

Economic and Social History MPhil

Economic and Social History MSc

Global and Imperial History MSt

History DPhil

History MSt

History MPhil

History (History of Science and Medicine & Economic and Social History) DPhil

History of Art DPhil

History of Art and Visual Culture MSt

History of Science, Medicine and Technology MPhil

History of Science, Medicine and Technology MSc

Late Antique and Byzantine Studies MSt

Late Antique and Byzantine Studies MPhil

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Entry requirements