Spanning the early modern period to the present day and covering Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, our MA Modern History offers unparalleled range of study, not only chronologically and geographically but thematically too. We are one of the largest History departments in the country and the staff who teach on the course have a diverse range of expertise.

With a wide range of optional modules, you can tailor the course to suit your interests, but we also encourage you to develop how you think as a historian: you’ll have the chance to encounter new ways of ‘doing’ modern history, from the study of state archives to popular culture and everyday life. Crucially, we don’t prioritise any one approach so you’ll get to work with historians who ask different kinds of questions, use different kinds of sources and who understand the past in different ways.

Core modules (‘Practicing Modern History’ and ‘Communicating History’) help you understand these different approaches and give you the critical skills to contribute to current historiographical debates. A 15,000-word research dissertation, closely supervised by a leading historian in their field, allows you to apply the knowledge and skills you have gained.

The School of History at Leeds has more than thirty members of staff currently working in the field of Modern History. We have long-standing strengths in British, European, American and colonial history but we also have experts working on East and South-East Asia, India, Africa, Latin America, Australia and the Middle East. Thematically, we also can offer a tremendous range of Modern History. We have specialists in medical history and the history of psychiatry, histories of race and gender, military history, the histories of childhood and the family, histories of protest and resistance, political, transnational and international history.

Career opportunities

This course will enable you to gain high-level research, analysis and communication skills, which will prove valuable in a wide range of careers.

History MA graduates have found success in a wide range of careers in journalism, policy making, research, and the private sector. Many others have continued with their studies at PhD level.

We offer different forms of support to help you reach your career goals. You’ll have the chance to attend our career groups, meeting students with similar plans, or you could become a paid academic mentor to an undergraduate completing their final-year dissertation. You could also apply for one of the internships we offer each year.