Overview

The MA in Economic and Social History of Wales begins with a foundational study of the methodological and interpretative techniques available to the historian for unpicking common problems in historical enquiry.  There is also a significant proportion of this course given to personal development towards making you confident in a wealth of professional abilities: networking, teaching, reporting, presenting and much more. 

The course is a full-time programme, taught over one year, and is divided into two parts over three semesters.  In part one, you will study a selection of core and optional modules worth 120 credits.  In part two, you will demonstrate your learning in a written dissertation of less than 20,000 words, worth an additional 60 credits.   By engaging with your dissertation topic, you will play a part in advancing the boundaries of departmental knowledge through research and the production of academically appropriate pieces of written work.  The full descriptions relating to all the study modules can be found on the At a Glance tab.

This course is designed for you to direct your own study in historical practise, choosing from a range of fascinating modules.  These modules, designed to develop your abilities and skills, include the inclusion of IT in historical investigation and source work.  This self-determination within your study will allow you to specialise and direct your future engagement with the subject, be it through further study, lecturing or researching, or in related forms of work such as teaching.  

All the modules you will study are designed to push you to better all of your academic skills and practices.  For instance, your written communication will be enhanced through the need for precision and adherence to editorial conventions.  Though the subject is highly specific, the skills you will learn are deployable across a range of employment situations.  Employers in every industry value creativity, research skills and discursive competence that you will secure in the course of your studies. 

Upon graduation from the MA in Economic and Social History of Wales, you will have demonstrated personal motivation, academic professionalism and historical mastery of this fascinating period in Welsh history.  The breadth of newly-sharpened skills you will have obtained on this course will ensure you are well-prepared for immediate advancement in further study or employment as a professional, widely competent and dynamic historian.

Fact file

Duration:	One year full-time. The academic year is divided into three semesters, but this course is administered in two parts: Part One runs from October to May; Part Two runs from June to September.
Contact Time:	Approximately 10-14 hours a week in the first two semesters.  During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned supervisor.
Assessment:	Part 1 of the course is delivered and assessed through lectures, tutorials and essay projects. In Part 2, the successful acceptance of your dissertation (up to 20,000 words) leads to the award of an MA.
Entry Requirements:	BA honours degree (2:1) in a related subject at undergraduate level and accompanying references.  We will consider applicants with other experience which gives an equivalent basis for entry
English Language Requirements:	If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a UK University, you do not need to take an English proficiency test. Non-native English speakers who do not meet this requirement must take a University-recognised test of academic English language proficiency: IELTS or TOEFL.  The required IELTS minimum proficiency level is 6.5.  For TOEFL, the minimum scores are as follows: 580 for the paper-based test; 237 for the computer-based test (with an essay rating of 5.0); and a score of 93 for the internet-based test.  More information on IELTS can be found here [Link: www.ielts.org] and, for TOEFL, here [Link: www.ets.org/toefl/]
Course Fees:	For details of fees, please view this page. [Link: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/eu-taught/tuitonfees/ There are a number of Aberystwyth Scholarships and International Excellence Scholarships (AIES) to help fund the studies of students who meet specific criteria.  In addition, accommodation is guaranteed to all international students.



At a Glance (V193r)

Career Development

Qualification:             MA in the Economic and Social History of Wales

This degree will suit you:

• If you wish to study the Economic and Social History of Wales at an advanced academic level;
• If you desire a strengthen your critical and scholarly abilities through engagement with historical sources;
• If you wish explore your enthusiasm for this exciting and highly satisfying subject;
• If you aim to foster transferable skills and engage in professional and personal development for entering employment.

Employability

Every element of the Aberystwyth Master’s in Economic and Social History of Wales enhances your employability.  Alongside the development of your subject-specific knowledge and experience, an especially noteworthy strength of this course is the emphasis on personal development.  As an emerging Master historian, your strengthened research and critical faculties will make you a strong candidate for any post where ideas and topics need research, analysis, discussion, expansion and classification.

Throughout the course you will demonstrate initiative and self-motivated learning, supported by the crucial self-awareness to be flexible and independently-minded.  Allied with strengthened skills in communication, you will be fully confident in framing coherent and insightful questions and expressing them in oral and written form. 

As the assessment for this Master’s course is done through essay-writing, tutorial and seminar presentation, culminating in the 20,000 word dissertation, you will receive much practise in writing and reporting, as well as rigorous feedback on your submissions.  This will develop in you a thorough knowledge of the structure, conventions and development of written communications, which will make your writing clear, accurate and authoritative.  These skills will stand you in good stead for your future progression into employed and academic environments. 

A host of employers look for accuracy, thoroughness, an eye for detail and the ability to find and prove connections across broad subject matter, and you certainly will have proven yourself, simply by graduating from this prestigious MA course. 

Personal, Professional and Project Management Skills

The MA includes the Research Skills and Personal Development module, which is designed to give you a broad knowledge of a range of transferable skills that you can apply in a variety of research interests, specifically in your Master’s dissertation.  This module will also help you develop skills in networking, teaching skills and presentation skills, which will support your progression into further study and professional employment beyond.

Thus equipped, you will be ready to tackle the Master’s dissertation which requires you to work independently and pursue your own individual dissertation topic.  You will have access to the support and expertise of the Department of History & Welsh History, but you are required to cultivate a professional work ethic to deliver the combination of research, analysis, communication and presentation demanded by your dissertation.  This rigorous part of the MA will require you to employ project management skills which are entirely transferrable to almost any work context that Master’s graduates apply for.

Studying for this Master’s degree will allow you to sharpen up all your core historical disciplines, your professional work ethos and your presentation and communication skills.  Once secured by obtaining your Masters Degree, you will have gained confidence in the level of your academic expertise and practical field skills, which in turn will enhance your employability in both highly specialised related professions and also on broader, unrelated professional paths. 

Contacts

The Programme Leader for this course is Dr David Ceri Jones

Tel: 01970 622662

Fax: 01970 622676

Email: history-enquiries@aber.ac.uk

Department of History & Welsh History

Aberystwyth University
Hugh Owen Building
Penglais
Aberystwyth
SY23 3DY

Department of History and Welsh History website

 

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