MA intended learning outcomes

By graduation, students completing a Diploma or a MA in History will have developed:

• A critical understanding of the significance of historiographical developments since the professionalisation of the discipline and their relevance to a student's specialist area of study.

• A comprehensive understanding of the epistemological and methodological distinctiveness of history as a discipline, and an ability to reflect on the significance of the influence of other disciplines on the development of historical method.

• A conceptual understanding that enables the student to evaluate critically scholarly writing in history and to undertake informed source-criticism.

In addition, students achieving the award of MA will have:

• Achieved a personal understanding of whether or not they possess the ability, motivation and interest to pursue further postgraduate study in History

Students achieving both awards will have developed:

• The ability to reflect deeply on historical knowledge and to demonstrate an awareness of current historical debates.

• The ability to write and speak about the past in good English, showing an awareness of History as a literary discipline and a developing sense of literary style.

• The ability to use a wide range of bibliographical tools (on paper and in electronic form) to locate and critically evaluate appropriate sources and materials for the advanced study of history.

• The ability to locate and critically evaluate archival, printed or electronic source-material for the investigation of specific historical questions.

• The ability to formulate and sustain independent historical arguments, to provide appropriate evidence to support them, including quantitative and visual evidence, and to reference the sources of the evidence used.

• The ability to respond constructively to debate and criticism.

• Effective skills in oral communication to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

• Skills in effective time management, including the ability to work productively alone.

• Familiarity with a variety of ICT skills, encompassing a range of bibliographical, statistical and other computer programmes and their application, as well as electronic sources for research.

In addition, students achieving the award of MA will have developed:

• The ability to identify an area of historical enquiry and engage in independent historical research.

• The ability to engage in independent and extended research within a defined area of historical enquiry, to construct and sustain a logical and where possible original argument based on information collected, and to present the findings in dissertation form, with a recognised historical apparatus.