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Global History: Empires, States and Cultures

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:

October 2026 | January 2027

Study route:

October start:

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

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 Global History: Empires, States and Cultures will expand and deepen your understanding of world history as you explore diverse interconnections across geographical and national boundaries. 

  • Why choose this course?
    • Taught by experts in African, Asian, Atlantic, European and Middle Eastern histories, societies and cultures, this course offers you the opportunity to examine theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of global interactions across history.
    • You will be able to explore fascinating themes such as empires and imperialism; nations and nationalisms; decolonisation, migrations and diasporas; environmental history; the transnational history of ideas.
    • The course offers you valuable preparation for a range of academic and non-academic careers by providing you with training in research methods and the use of primary sources, while also nurturing your own specialised research interests.

  • What will I learn?

    You will study a compulsory module that explores specific topics in global history and highlights the advantages as well as the challenges of this approach.  

    Following your interests, you will then be able to choose from option modules that cover a wide variety of subject areas. These include history, classics and archaeology and allow you to specialise in the history of particular regions or time periods and deepen your knowledge further by original research for your dissertation.

  • How will I learn?

    This course is available to study full- or part-time and follows an evening timetable. It is taught via a combination of lectures and seminars, with a strong emphasis on your analysis and discussion of pre-assigned readings.  

  • How often will I attend classes?

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

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

    Part-time October start: One to two evenings a week, October to July.

    Part-time January start: One to two evenings 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 was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • Our research is unique in its range across geographical and chronological boundaries. We are the only university in London to include historians, classicists and archaeologists in the same team of academics investigating every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century. We see the study of the past as crucial for our understanding of present-day society, culture and politics.
  • MA students are eligible to apply for our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Scholarships, subject to availability. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement.
  • 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

A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above and references.

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 October 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: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, online, starting in October 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: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, flexible learning, starting in October 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: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 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: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 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 Global History: Empires, States and Cultures, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including in:

  • historically sensitive research skills
  • constructing complex arguments, especially those requiring a long-term perspective
  • understanding how the industry has changed over time and is continuing to evolve
  • assessing the impact of globalisation on societies
  • approaching political, cultural and economic issues from a global perspective.

Graduates can pursue career paths in research and archiving, education, the heritage industry, publishing, journalism and the media, and the charity sector. Possible professions include:

  • historian
  • higher education lecturer
  • archivist
  • journalist
  • heritage manager
  • politician’s assistant
  • academic librarian
  • museum/gallery curator.

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.

  • When should I apply?

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places left, and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

Related courses

Study routes for Global History: Empires, States and Cultures (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 October 2026

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in January 2027

Full-time

Part-time