Ma history of political thought and intellectual history

StructureProgramme structure

The MA in the History of Political Thought and Intellectual History is currently available for one year full-time study, or two years part-time study.

Students on the programme will take a core course together with a selection of individual course modules, and complete a Masters dissertation. The core course, which runs across two semesters, is taken by all students and taught by a selection of staff across both Queen Mary and UCL. In addition to the core module, students choose their preferred modules from a menu of specialist options. After the completion of coursework in semesters one and two, the dissertation is undertaken over the spring and summer months, under the supervision of an expert in the relevant subject area. The programme also offers optional language training in a modern European language, or in ancient or Medieval Latin.

All full-time students, in addition to the core course (60 credits) and the dissertation (60 credits), will take further units of study adding up to at least 60 credits spread over two semesters. Students taking the MA part-time over two years will take the core course in their first year and complete their dissertation in their second year. A further 30 credits must be taken in both years one and two. Each course is taught in two-hour weekly seminar blocks and is assessed through coursework.

Core module

• Method and Practice in the History of Political Thought and Intellectual History

The core course is convened each year by one of the MA programme directors, but several members of the MA's academic staff also make additional specialist contributions throughout the year. Specific topics and figures covered by the core course include: hermeneutics, ideology critique, the contextualist method in intellectual history, natural law, enlightenment, socialism, Aristotle, Hobbes, Marx, Nietzsche.

Optional modules that have run previously, include:

• Political thought in Renaissance Europe - Angus Gowland (UCL)
• Early-modern theories of the state - Quentin Skinner (QMUL)
• The Public Sphere in Britain, 1476-1800 - Jason Peacey (QMUL)
• Selfhood, sensibility and the politics of difference in the European Enlightenment - Adam Sutcliffe (KCL)
• From Hume to Darwin: God, man and nature in European thought - Niall O'Flaherty (KCL)
• In the shadow of the French Revolution - Gareth Steadman-Jones (QMUL)
• Theories of Empire: from Enlightenment to Liberalism - Maurizio Isabella (QMUL)
• Nationalism, patriotism and cosmopolitanism in political thought, 19th-20th centuries - Georgios Varouxakis (QMUL)
• Ideology and Propaganda in the Roman Republic - Valentina Arena (UCL)
• Commerce, Luxury and Enlightenment in the Eighteenth Century - Thomas Hopkins (QMUL)
• Adam Smith and the State - Julian Hoppit (UCL)
• Enlightenment Histories: Historical Represenation in Enlightenment Thought and Culture - Alexander Wragge-Morley (UCL)

A full list of optional modules will be circulated prior to the start of the programme.

In addition to the assessed portion of their course, you will be expected to attend the fortnightly research seminars in the History of Political Ideas at the Institute of Historical Research, at which papers are presented by academics from Britain, Europe, the United States and Asia. A faculty seminar organised by an academic convenership alternates with an early career seminar organised by research students.

Previous speakers

• David Runciman (Cambridge)
• Onora O&rsquo
• Neill (House of Lords)
• Iain Hampsher-Monk (Exeter)
• Eckhart Hellmuth (Munich)
• Jennifer Pitts (Princeton)
• Andrew Fitzmaurice (Sydney).

More information

Visit the History of Political Thought and Intellectual History website to find out more.

Contact

Admissions and Student Recruitment Officer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8370
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