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Contemporary History and Politics

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:

September 2026 | January 2027

Study route:

September start:

  • One year full-time on campus
  • One year full-time flexible learning
  • One year full-time online
  • Two years part-time on campus
  • Two years part-time flexible learning
  • Two years part-time online

January start:

  • One year full-time on campus
  • Two years part-time on campus
Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:

Full-time | Part-time | Flexible learning | On campus | Online

Course overview

This MA Contemporary History and Politics combines a rich and varied study of the recent past and politics allowing you to explore how the two disciplines intersect and integrate. We cover a wide geographic range of content so you can choose to focus on Europe, Britain, China, Africa, South Asia or the Middle East.

  • Why choose this course?
    • You will be taught by internationally acclaimed scholars, so you have the opportunity to critically reflect with them on key historical events, methodologies and ideas. You will also develop a rigorous understanding of political theory, concepts and research methods, applying this knowledge to understand complex political questions.
    • Drawing on the expertise of our historians and social scientists, you can enjoy the choice of an impressive range of option modules covering a wide sweep of political ideas and systems, historical periods and regions of the world.
    • As our campus is based in the heart of academic London, you will have unrivalled access to archives and libraries, ideal for the study of contemporary history and politics.

  • What will I learn?

    You will gain a thorough grounding in research methodologies, approaches and techniques for both disciplines and learn how to apply them critically and creatively to your own research and writing. You will also develop a sophisticated appreciation of the complex interplay between national, international, political, social and historical forces that have produced the contemporary world.

    You will focus on topics ranging from histories of decolonisation, international organisations, global feminism and Mediterranean cities to the politics of environment, and American foreign policy. These will equip you for further research or careers in education, or in the public, private or third sector.

  • How will I learn?

    This MA in Contemporary History and Politics is available to study in the evening, either full- or part-time, so you can fit your studies around other commitments. Classes consist of a combination of short lectures, seminars and small-group discussions. Some option modules may also include visits to museums, archives and heritage sites.

    We foster vibrant intellectual debate on this course, which is enlivened by the diverse perspectives and experience of our students, some of whom already work in the public or education sector. In your final year, you will apply the skills and knowledge you have developed in devising your own research project, supervised by one of our specialists.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time September start: Two evenings a week, September to July.

    Full-time January start: Two evenings a week, January to December.

    Part-time September start: One evening a week September to July.

    Part-time January start: One evening a week, January to December.

  • Flexible Master's

    This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.

    If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.

    Please note, courses starting in January are not part of the Flexible Master's UK and will take place on campus.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • Birkbeck’s School of Historical Studies is one of the few schools in the UK to include historians working on every period from prehistoric humans, Ancient Greece and Rome, to medieval, early modern and modern societies. Our expertise encompasses much of the globe, with specialists in, for example, medieval Armenia, early modern England, colonial India, modern China and Nazi Germany.
  • Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History, Classics and Archaeology research in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.
  • Our academic staff in the School of Social Sciences are international authorities, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching on a wide range of political topics including public policy, foreign policy, international security and terrorism, gender and the welfare state, British politics, and the politics of Asia and the Middle East. Birkbeck was also host to the Jean Monnet Chair in Parliamentary Democracy and European Integration (2020-23).
  • All MA students are eligible to apply for our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Postgraduate Scholarships, subject to availability. If you are taking the course part time, you may be eligible for a Bonnart Trust Masters Studentship which will cover the cost of your tuition fees.
  • We are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources. Situated very close by are: the Institute of Classical Studies, with its library, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum, with its extensive collection of classical antiquities; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.

Modules and Teaching

School of Historical Studies

The school is intensively interdisciplinary and its research and teaching covers every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century.

Visit the school

Entry requirements

Our standard entry requirements for postgraduate courses are a second-class honours degree (2:2), or equivalent, in any area of study.

We offer a one-year Graduate Certificate in History, which can be used as a conversion course if you want to study history at postgraduate level but have a degree in a significantly different discipline.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in September 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £11,115 per year
Full-time international students: £22,230 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, online, starting in September 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £11,115 per year
Full-time international students: £22,230 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, flexible learning, starting in September 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £11,115 per year
Full-time international students: £22,230 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in January 2027

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £11,115 per year
Full-time international students: £22,230 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this MA Contemporary History and Politics, you will have gained in-depth research skills valuable for application in a range of independent research roles in the public, private, third and education sectors, as well as in progressing your studies further at PhD level.

You will have also gained important transferable skills in:

  • rigorous analytical, interpretive and writing skills at an advanced level
  • presentation and debating skills.

Studying this course will prepare you for a career path in a range of fields and professions including:

  • education
  • journalism and broadcasting
  • museums and curatorial roles
  • politics and the Civil Service.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for Contemporary History and Politics (MA)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in September 2026

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in January 2027

Full-time

Part-time