MScR in Economic & Social History

The MSc by Research in Economic and Social History offers you the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of supervised independent research.

The MSc by Research in Economic and Social History is aimed at students who have a specific topic of interest into which they wish to conduct their own research.

The programme provides structured research training while at the same time enabling you to pursue a research project that you design yourself, in consultation with supervisors. It serves as both a self-contained research degree and as preparation for further study for the PhD degree.

Economic and social history addresses the historical processes underlying the evolution of modern society by employing a range of insights and approaches from the social sciences, including economics, sociology and social anthropology. The programme focuses on civil society, material culture, youth, gender, crime, cinema, economic growth and energy policy in a variety of historical contexts.

Edinburgh has a large and distinguished group of academics in this research area. Their specialist fields provide students with an outstanding range of options, both in terms of historical period and areas of the world.

Programme structure

The programme aims to introduce you to independent research. You will be examined through coursework and a 15,000-word dissertation.

The programme combines lectures, seminars, tutorials, and computer-lab sessions. The skills and theory imparted in the research-training courses, along with many of the assignments, are designed to feed directly into the final dissertation work.

You complete three compulsory courses (60 credits in total), two skills courses (40 credits in total) and will select a further option course of your choice (20 credits) from a variety on offer, subject to availability. You will also work towards an independently researched dissertation (60 credits) of 15,000 words.

This programme includes ESRC-recognised research training courses in research design and methodology skills.

Training in transferable skills is also available, both within the School of History, Classics and Archaeology and through the Institute for Academic Development (IAD).

Taught courses

You will take several courses across two semesters of teaching.

Dissertation

You will undertake a piece of independent research which results in a 15,000-word dissertation which is submitted on an assigned date in mid-August.

Entry requirements

Find out about the admission criteria and required qualifications for the MSc (by Research) in Economic and Social History.

Degree Requirements

You will need a UK 2:1 honours degree, US GPA 3.4 or another international equivalent, in a subject related to your programme.

Relevant experience or professional or other qualifications will also be considered.

Guidance on the equivalency of international qualifications is provided by Edinburgh Global (see link below). If you are unsure of the equivalency of your degree, Edinburgh Global provides information by country.

English language requirements

If you do not come from a majority English-speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration, you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your spoken and written English.

• IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each module)
• TOEFL-iBT: total 100 (at least 20 in each module)
• PTE(A): total 67 (at least 56 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)
• CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 169 in each module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old at the beginning of your degree programme.

Alternatively, we may also be able to accept a degree  that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country for entry (as defined by UK Visas & Immigration), provided the degree is no more than three years old at the beginning of your degree programme. In such cases, we may additionally require you to take the University’s Test of English at Matriculation (TEAM). This test is designed to highlight any weaknesses you may have with your English and tuition will be provided for you free of charge.

Careers

This degree can form the stepping stone to many career options.

This programme is specifically designed for students who anticipate progressing to a doctoral programme, but it can also function as excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers.

Visit our Careers Service for advice on options with a master, moving on to a PhD, plus job search and application advice.