Application deadline
Thursday 7 August 2025
Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships.
Entry requirements
- A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in History or a related subject. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
- English language proficiency. See English language tests and qualifications.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Application requirements
- CV or résumé. This should include your personal details with a history of your education and employment to date.
- a personal statement
- a sample of your own, single-authored academic written work (2,000 words)
- two original signed academic references
- academic transcripts and degree certificates
For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.
English language proficiency
If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. See approved English language tests and scores for this course.
Course details
The MLitt in Modern History is a taught postgraduate programme run by the School of History.
Highlights
- The course provides an introduction to history and historiography for students interested in all branches of historical study.
- Students can both specialise in a particular area (for example, British history, German history, American history) and gain a broader introduction to the study of history at postgraduate level.
- Students will explore the literature on a topic of individual interest under the guidance of an expert.
Modules
The modules published below are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your programme. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the module catalogue.
Each module typically comprises:
- 1.5 to 2-hour weekly seminars
- fortnightly tutorials for the 'Directed Reading in Modern History' module
- 100% coursework assessment.
- History in the Making: Theories, Approaches and Practice 1: examines the development of modern history writing and historical research, and the emergence of fields, trends and new approaches in current historiography.
- History in the Making: Theories, Approaches and Practice 2: places emphasis on particular types of historical sources, such as travel accounts, maps, music, media, and interviews, and the ways in which historians may approach and work with these sources.
Students choose two optional modules. Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered.
- Building Britain: The Construction and Deconstruction of Britishness since 1707: explores the concept of ‘Britishness’ and its construction and deconstruction, from 1707 to 2000.
- Central and Eastern Europe since 1945: examines nations' common and individual responses to Soviet domination from the end of the Second World War to 1989 and after.
- Global Capitalism: Origins and Development from a Political Economy Perspective: explores some of the most fundamental economic phenomena that have shaped the modern world.
- Key Issues in German Historiography: engages with some of the most hotly disputed issues in German history.
- Perceptions of Central and Eastern Europe: examines perceptions of Central and Eastern Europe which have undergone significant transformation since the emergence of modern nationalism in the mid-19th century.
- Skills in Digital History: Maps and Text: leads to the acquisition and development of skills in the digital humanities and skills required for using specific historical sources.
- Themes in American History: examines a selection of the most important issues in the history of North America, from its foundations as European colonies onwards.
Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered. Some modules may only allow a limited number of students. See the University’s position on curriculum development.
Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.
If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.
Teaching
Teaching methods include seminars and fortnightly tutorials. Class sizes range from individual supervision up to 12 students.
Students will spend the final three months of the course focusing on researching and writing the final assessment piece for the MLitt, a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words.
The modules are assessed by coursework only. There is no final exam.
Events
The School of History hosts a modern history research seminar programme covering a wide variety of topics from home and guest lecturers in a welcoming environment.
The School also runs the Postgraduate (Early Modern and Modern History) Forum which runs once a fortnight during term-time and is intended to provide a space for postgraduates at all stages to present ideas, discuss research issues and find out what their fellow historians are up to.
Fees
Home
£12,030
Overseas
£25,900
Application fee
Before we can begin processing your application, a payment of an application fee of £50 is required. In some instances, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. Details of this, along with information on our tuition fees, can be found on the postgraduate fees and funding page.
Funding and scholarships
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
The School of History is pleased to offer a number of competitive scholarships which contribute to the fees and maintenance for postgraduate study.
School of History MLitt Awards
Offer the cash equivalent of one year's home fees and cannot be held in conjunction with other awards offering full fees and maintenance.
Whenever it is relevant to your programme and possible, the School makes available competitive language bursaries for training prior to the start of an MLitt programme. To find out more, please contact pghist@st-andrews.ac.uk as early as possible. Note that, when available, the application deadline is normally in the early Spring.
15% Recent Graduate Discount
If you have graduated from the University within the last three academic years, you may be eligible for a 15% discount on postgraduate taught tuition fees. Terms and conditions apply.
After your degree
Careers
History postgraduates go on to pursue careers in a range of sectors including:
- journalism
- publishing
- think tanks
- government
- law
- teaching.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.
Further study
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews.
Postgraduate researchWhat to do next
Information sessions
Meet our staff, learn more, and ask questions about how our courses can work for you.
Contact us
- Phone
- +44 (0)1334 46 2900
- pghist@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Address
- School of History
St Katharine's Lodge
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9BA