Course Overview

• Friendly and supportive academic staff who produce world-class research: The Early Modern History MRes is run out of the Centre for Reformation and Early Modern Studies (CREMS), one of the most dynamic concentrations of early modern historians in the country. We have almost a dozen members of full time academic staff with expertise in the period c.1500-1800 in History alone, with geographical coverage including Tudor and Stuart England, Georgian Britain, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, the Americas, and the wider world. Times Higher Education ranked the Department of History first in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise.

• Fantastic resources to support your study: The West Midlands and Birmingham are rich in associations with the history of the early modern period, from cathedrals and parish churches to country houses and castles, all of which offer fascinating insights into its material culture. The library is particularly strong in early modern history, religious history and local history materials, and the university’s Special Collections contain a wide range of early printed books. We also provide students with access to a wide range of electronic resources, including Early English Books Online, State Papers Online, and the Cecil Papers. In addition, students have use of the Shakespeare Institute’s excellent research library in Stratford–upon-Avon, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust library and Record Office, and the on-campus resources of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.

• An emphasis on your research supported by training in key skills: The Early Modern History programme at University of Birmingham enables you to apply the intellectual insights of the taught modules to a sustained body of work, to learn period-specific techniques (such as palaeography) alongside transferable research skills, and develop the advanced interpretative skills necessary for doctoral work. Students can use this programme as a launch pad for doctoral research, obtaining a firm grounding in historical research methods, and a broad knowledge of relevant topics through course work and engaging with the academic community at Birmingham and beyond.

General Eligibility

For MRes and MA by Research programmes, entry to our programmes usually requires a good (normally a 2:1 or above) Honours degree, or an equivalent qualification if you were educated outside the UK, usually in a relevant area.

Applicants for a PhD will also need to hold a Masters qualification at Merit level or above (or its international equivalent), usually in a relevant area.

Part Time Work Details

20 Hours of Work permit weekly for international students.

Language Requirement

• English requirements

  IELTS - 6.5

  TOEFL - 88