About the course

The MSt in Global and Imperial History offers a nine month introduction to graduate research. It is open to all students who have the desire to explore the history of the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Australasia or the Americas (excluding the US) in a global perspective.

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.

Assessment

In addition to a dissertation of up to 15,000 words submitted in Trinity term, assessment is through an extended essay of between 4,000 and 5,000 words for the paper in historical methodology, submitted at the start of Hilary term; and an extended essay of between 6,500 and 7,500 words based on the advanced option paper.

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.

Graduate destinations

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.