Course description
Key facts
• The University of Nottingham has an outstanding reputation for local historical studies that is supported by extensive library and archive facilities, as well as the University’s Centre for Local History.
• The School of Education is one of the largest and most established education departments of any UK university, leading the way in research and teaching quality.
• Our academics are major national and international figures, in a wide variety of subject areas. As such we are proud to offer a wide range of courses from initial teacher training to the education of adults, from literacy and counselling studies to management and the use of ICT in education.
Course Content
The first year of the MA consists of three taught modules:
• Documentary Sources and Local History (involving documents, palaeography and methodologies)
• Beyond the Trent: Northern England, c1000-1600 (looking closely at the North of England with special reference to questions of regionalism)
• Historic Landscapes and Local History (focusing on buildings and the historic environment as a resource)
In the second year, the modules become more specific with two taught elements on specific aspects of local and regional history. These include, for example:
• Religion and the Local Community in England, 1520-1670
• Family Sources and Local History 1500-1900
• The Rural Community in England, 1700-1914
Please note that all module details are subject to change.
Over the summer period towards the end of the course, you will undertake a 20,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice. This provides you with the opportunity to undertake a major piece of independent research under the supervision of a suitable supervisor.
For most students, this is the most challenging part of the course and it paves the way for the possibility of further research at either MPhil or PhD level.
The MA has produced a wide range of fascinating topics - such as breweries, basket making, non-conformity, coal mining, and shopkeepers - to name but a few.
Course Structure
The MA in Local and Regional History is taught on a part-time basis over 2 years.
In addition to the 'formal' elements of the course list above, which are all taught on Wednesday evenings during University terms, the course includes some Saturday Schools or non-residential weekends, based at Nottingham.
There is also one residential weekend based in another part of the country; in 2008, we plan to visit Norwich.
Beyond the formal teaching of this course, there is a large amount of back-up support and information available to students anxious to make the most of their time at the University - for example, the seminar programme organised by the Centre for Local History in the School of Education, and an outstanding collection of books and archives held by the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University's King's Meadow Campus.
In all, the MA comprises 180 credits – 120 credits’ worth of taught modules and a 20,000-word dissertation worth 60 credits.
All modules are assessed by way of essays, project and documentary analysis.
We also offer a Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in Local and Regional History.
