Hi! Thanks for your question. The scheme allows you to choose to learn a foreign language for one module, and you can either choose a language you already have some proficiency at, and enter at a higher level, or choose a new language and enter as a beginner. For instance, I chose to take Level 1 Italian! Thanks, Rose

Hi, thank you for your question! You will usually be asked to select your modules during Welcome Week which starts on the 20th. You will receive an email from your course with more information and a way to select your chosen optional modules, and your final timetable will then be available for you on the MyUOB app. I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question and sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Yes so we have the History MA by DL (taught course, part time 2 years) or the History MA by Research by DL (research course, 1 year). The taught course consist of two core modules which are specific to the pathway you are studying, two modules which are core to all pathways and two optional modules before completing your dissertation. The research programme however would consist of no taught modules (although perhaps a research methods module) and just you conducting your own larger research project, with assessment via one larger thesis. So it depends on whether you want to still continue with taught modules, or you have a formed research project which you'd be interested in researching. In terms of your second question, you would get the original certificate mailed to you! And finally, in terms of my experience in the History department, I really enjoyed it. I really loved that as a postgraduate you could get involved in the research community, going to seminars and special lectures led by experts. They also offered great careers support as well as support for essay writing, through the service AWAS which I used frequently to help improve my writing. Overall I felt really supported and really enjoyed the sense of community! Thank you, Rose

Hi, thanks for your question! Distance learning does take place online so you would be able to do it remotely. You would be able to access support, and the University's Birmingham International Academy (BIA) provides free English language services to international students who are currently studying on postgraduate courses at the University of Birmingham. I hope that helps!

Hi! Congratulations on your offer - I absolutely loved the course and would love to be back where you are now! Yes you can - it does depend on availability and also the exact list of what will be running might not be confirmed until just before you start (so some modules you've seen might not be available) but you can definitely pick these as your optional modules. I picked a module on SE Asia in the 20th century for one of mine, and a module about Film in Latin America for another, both of which were third year modules! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question and sorry for the delay in getting back to you. The best thing to do if you're interested in a funded scholarship for PhD is to look at our funding datbaase: www.birmingham.ac.uk/pgfunding or also look at our Find A PhD database and see if any relevant projects have funded attached: www.birmingham.ac.uk/findaphd I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hello and thanks for your question! Alongside your studies you'll have access to lots of careers support which can help you find a job in an area you're interested in! The University's Careers Network provides expert guidance and activities especially for postgraduates, which will help you achieve your career goals. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team who offer tailored advice and a programme of College-specific careers events.

You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:

Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV

I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. It's great that you're interested in joining our Theology and Religion department as a PhD student. You can find lots of materials and guidance for writing your research proposal here https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgr/application-support/writing-proposal.aspx In regards to scholarships for this course, there is guidance on scholarships that you can apply for here https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/calgs/scholarships/index.aspx I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Thanks for your question. The entry requirements are a good Honours degree or its equivalent. For those whose first language is not English, an IELTS Certificate is required. You can find information on international equivalencies here https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/govsoc/international-relations.aspx#EntryRequirementsTab In terms of funding opportunities, this will depend on your fee status (Home or Overseas), but there are a few scholarship opportunities such as our Birmingham Masters Scholarship. You can see the full range of scholarships we're offering at www.birmingham.ac.uk/pgfunding If you're classed as a Home student for fee status there is also the option of the Government Masters Loan to help fund your degree, which is a non-means tested loan of about £11,500 paid directly to you. I hope that helps - feel free to ask any further questions! Thanks, Rose

Hi, Thanks so much for your question. I can certainly try to help. My MA was in Global History and I imagine some of the course structures etc are relatively similar – however disclaimer I didn’t do MA History or Holocaust and Genocide Studies! I think I was the only Birmingham alumni on my specific course, and the rest of my cohort all did their undergraduate degrees at another University so you certainly wouldn’t feel like an outsider. Both the course, department and the whole uni offers loads of support for continuing and new Masters students and gives loads of opportunities to mix with your cohort and meet people. On the history courses, you share some core modules with all students doing some kind of History Masters (so no matter if you’re on the Contemporary History, Global History, Modern British History course etc., you have a chance to meet loads of people in these joint sessions!). For these degrees you’ll have a range of core modules and then some optional modules which you can pick from and although they vary every year, it’s worth looking at the suggested modules to give you an idea of what you could pick and see what you’d be interested in! In terms of a day in the life, I found that I’d typically have around 6-8 teaching hours a week, spread out over the week. So I might for instance have a 2 hour seminar one afternoon, and I’d typically head to the library in the morning to do the prepared reading and any tasks for that seminar. I think each module expects you to be doing a good 5/6 hours prep per week, so it is like doing a full time job in the week, and I’d try to do this roughly between 9-5 so then you don’t need to work at weekends/evenings. In essay season it all gets a bit hectic and you do have some hefty essays which means lots of time spent in the library! In terms of the application process I’d just really recommend tailoring it specifically to the course and showing interest in the specific course – talking about modules that interest you and why etc. I’d also mention your motivations for doing the course and what you’d love to do afterwards, and of course what past experience you have that has prepared you for the course the work involved! I hope that helps! Also don’t forget to check out and apply for scholarships – Arts and Law have some and then there is also the Birmingham Masters Scholarship which you’d probably be eligible for! Feel free to ask any other questions! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. I think you could definitely study those areas as a History MA by distance learning. You’d be able to pursue one of four pathways through that MA and I think in particular that the contemporary History pathway would be really great for your interest in economics and energy resources. You can read about the core modules on the Contemporary pathway via this page https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/distance/history/history.aspx but I did one of these during my studies and think it would definitely tie in nicely with economics and energy resources in the c20th. Dr Frank Uekotter who is the admissions tutor for the contemporary history course actually specialises in environmental humanities and looks at history of environment and resources. I'd recommend getting in touch with him for further information and to chat about dissertation possibilities you could explore! I think that doing a Masters first and undertaking the dissertation element that will be needed as part of this would be really beneficial before you go onto a PhD. I hope that helps – feel free to ask any other questions. Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. I think what I loved about the Global History course was that the course content and module content was all so different from what I’d previously studied. It explores really interesting areas of history and approaches history from a really interesting angle. You can see the type of thing covered in the core modules on the course page, and you’ll see that the seminar topics of the core modules cover a vast range of history – from ancient empires to the contemporary. You’ll also see that the themes used to approach these topics is really interesting – looking at gender, religion, history of environment, space and time. This is what I really liked about the programme – each week was so varied and different and kept it really interesting. It also let you work with a really wide range of academics and so you could experience lots of different styles of teaching and readings which really opened my eyes! Let me know if you have any other questions – I’d be happy to help! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. Absolutely. Applications for 2021 are open now, and you can still upload all the other required documents and your personal statement, and then when you have your undergraduate degree certificate and transcript in June or July you can add this. Please note we won't be able to make you an unconditional offer until we have seen that your degree meets the entry requirements, however we may be able to make you a conditional offer! I hope that helps! I did a few of the contemporary history core modules as part of my MA Global History and absolutely loved it! Rose

Hi! You are definitely able to choose modules from other History courses however as Classics sits in a separate School in the History department I'm not certain if you'd be able to. I recommend getting in touch with the course via this form https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-ma-global-history.aspx and they'll be able to confirm for you! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Applications are now open for 2021 entry! I think that would most likely be considered acceptable as a relevant subject - especially if you can just show in your personal statement why you're interested in the topic. In regards to references, typically we suggest that two academic are better, however if that isn't possible, one academic and one professional would be absolutely fine! In terms of advance reading, you aren't expected to do any as the first few weeks of the course are meant to get everyone up to speed, even if you've had a long gap since your previous degree, but if you're keen, I would recommend getting in touch with the course via this form https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/distance/history/history.aspx and they can recommend some, but also you can perhaps just find some general article and journals or books from some quick Google searches to get some background knowledge! I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hi, thanks for your question. In terms of timetables, it's likely that this won't be published until early/mid September. In terms of recommended course reading, the best thing to do is to get in touch with the Admissions Tutor Dr Courtney Campbell via email or via this form https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-ma-global-history.aspx However you aren't expected to have to do any reading before your course begins. The first few weeks will get you up to speed and settled, and provide some general overview reading about Global History. If you're keen to get started, I'd recommend just having a browse of some of the academic journal articles related to Global History that are available via Google. I hope that helps! Best wishes, Rose

Glad I could be of help! And sorry for the delay in getting back to you. You can write about a huge array of topics - which I realise doesn't help here very much! It is a 12,000 word piece and original research is expected. This could mean looking at a new topic, or approaching something that has been studied, using the tools you've learnt during the MA Global History, search as understanding different temporalities or approaches to a topic! I really enjoyed the core modules. They stretched from ancient empires right up to the present day. The topics ranged in focus on different geographical areas, and different approaches to history. They are structured chronologically, moving forward in time looking at topics I'd never covered before like the Haitian Revolution and the Caliphates and the East. The course really changed how I think about history, particularly due to the vast range of methodologies we used. We used angles like geography, time, materials, gender, and language, to look at history through a different lens and explore totally different perspectives and approaches. It was really a fantastic course! I hope that helps! Best wishes, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question.

For my Global History MA course, I had around 6-8 contact hours a week, which tended to be spread out over 3 or so days. This can vary though between different years and courses, due to timetabling. Timetables tend to be released in early September so you should get a more accurate idea then. Public transport is actually really good around Birmingham and the University. We're unique in having our own train station on campus (called 'University station') which links to Birmingham New Street in 7 minutes, as well as other parts of the city. There are also regular buses from campus into the city and surrounding areas, and students can use the Student Hop ticket to get into the city centre on the bus for just £1. The train is equally quite cheap, a single being around £2-3.

I hope that helps! Rose

Hi! The best place to start is probably to email the course via their Enquiry Form (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-ma-military-history-by-dl.aspx), with some brief information about the research you're interested in undertaking. They should then be able to point you in some useful directions. You can also start browsing our staff pages (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/historycultures/departments/history/staff/index.aspx), to explore what topics our academic staff are working on. If there are any working in areas of particular interest to you and your ideas, then feel free to drop them an email! In terms of what time will be needed, for the full time MA History there tend to be around 2/3 teaching hours per module, and then there is preparation and assignments that will take up further time outside of this. I'd suggest it would take up around 4 full days a week. It might be worth asking about this when you get in touch with the course aswell as it may vary slightly from when I did the course, and for the DL method.

Thanks, Rose

Hi, thanks for your question!

I loved the Global History course so I really encourage you to do it if you're keen on learning more about history. It's approach is really interesting and explores topics I'd never encountered before. To apply for the PGCE in Secondary History, applicants must hold a degree from a UK Higher Education Institution or an equivalent qualification. This will normally be a minimum 2:2 classification and this will be a condition of any offer where the degree has not already been awarded. To apply for our course you normally need 50% of your degree to be history or a closely related subject. For example; Politics, International Relations, Archaeology, Economics, American and Canadian Studies and Art History are acceptable subjects. So undertaking the MA should fulfil this, but to double check, you could email the Teacher Training admissions team on ITEadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk

In terms of making you overqualified, I don't think that would be a problem!

To get in touch with the School of Education, perhaps try their enquiry form (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-secondary-history.aspx) or the email I shared above. Simon should get back to you shortly though!

Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. Our teaching hours are all within Monday-Friday so there wouldn't be any teaching on Saturdays, however I'm unsure about the teaching hours for this specific course. The part-time course will be half the hours of the full time programme, as they split the modules across the two years, however for a better idea of the hours, I'll have to recommend you get in touch with the course directly via the following enquiry form: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-international-relations.aspx

I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. For the MA Military History by Distance Learning course, all the resources will be available online in the form of eBooks or journal articles which you'll be able to access for free or you'll be able to come to the university to borrow books if needed. In terms of hours per week, this does vary, however during my 1 year full time Masters I had around 6-8 contact hours so it would probably be around half this for your course at it's taught over 2 years. For you obviously in the form of pre-recorded lectures or skype sessions. You'll need additional time on top of this to prepare and then additional time for writing essays etc, but I think you'd be able to fit this in around 3/4 days work. I'd recommend getting in touch with the admissions tutor Jonathan Boff via this form https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-ma-military-history-by-dl.aspx if you wanted a more accurate idea of how many hours per week you'd be expected to be working! Occasionally some of our distance learning course require you to come to campus for a few days a year, however this will be clearly outlined on the course page. If it doesn't, then there is expectation for you to attend the University, however you are welcome to visit and use our facilities etc. I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hi! I think that will very likely be seen as a very relevant subject. As you've probably seen you will pick a specific pathway for this MA, and particularly the Contemporary History pathway has modules that focus on international relations, therefore I think your previous studies will be highly relevant. I'd just recommend you outlined in your application why you have experience that would make you a suitable candidate - as you have here! I hope that helps!

Hi, thanks for your question and congratulations on getting a place on the MA Global History. I had such a good time on the course and learnt so much. The University has a range of language courses, and currently these are offered free to UG students and the College of Arts and Law currently extends this opportunity to its campus-based postgraduate students, where availability permits. You can find out more about free language courses here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/lcahm/departments/languages/sections/lfa/iwlp/free/index.aspx The Careers Network also offers wider personal development opportunities and chances to train in careers related skills. I hope that helps!

Hi, thanks for your question! You are allowed to apply for more than one course! Only some courses have application fees, but if those courses all do then you will need to pay fees for each course. Thanks, Rose

Hi! Thanks for your question. I do think you'll be able to do it by the 23rd deadline if you act fast. The main things to remember are that you are responsible for making sure your references submit it on time, so I'd get in touch with them asap and stress the importance - people usually act fast though when they understand that potential funding is involved! You also need to have made your application fro the Medieval Studies course by the time you submit your scholarship application. You don't need to have a response but you need to have submitted it, so you have an Applicant ID number. The rest of the application is a standard statement and form I believe which you'll be able to do, but yes definitely just stay on top of the references. I applied for this scholarship and I sent a couple of reminder emails to my references to make sure they got it submitted! Thanks!

Thanks for your question! Our graduates from that course go onto designing, building and managing railway networks and having roles in the railway industry. The course is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators which helps with employability. We also have a wide range of career services that support our students on this course in applying to jobs and internships.

Hi, thanks for your question! Currently for 2020 entry, the tuition fee is £9250 for for full time UK/EU students of £19170 for International full time students. Feel free to ask me any other questions you may have! The best place to look for funding opportunities is our Postgraduate Funding database available here www.birmingham.ac.uk/pgfunding however for your specific course, it would be particularly worth looking at our College of Arts and Law Masters Scholarship, which is open to international students: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/College-of-Arts-and-Law-Masters-Scholarships.aspx Thanks, Rose

Hi, thanks for your question. I presume you've tried using the contact form on the MA Medieval Studies page? If not you could first try that using this form https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgt/register-ma-medieval-studies.aspx If no-one has got back to you from that form you could drop d.k.reynolds@bham.ac.uk an email! If you have any other questions feel free to drop us an email at pg@contacts.bham.ac.uk Thanks! Rose

Hi, thanks for your email! There isn't a formal internship period within the programme, however students will benefit from our established links with industry, which can be utilised during the dissertation projects and form a solid networking base for prospective careers. There is a possibility to study part time basis over a duration of up to five years, allowing you to work alongside your study. Modules will be studied over a two-week period, therefore you can undertake one module per term or complete more if you would like to finish the course sooner. Module dates and times are yet to be confirmed, but if you have any queries about studying part-time you can contact mscadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk. I hope that helps! Thanks, Rose

Hi, thanks for your question! For my Global History Masters the contact hours were around 7 hours per week for Semester 1 and 2, all in the form of seminars. Over summer in Semester 3 you don't have any teaching hours as you're just doing your dissertation project, and you have meetings with your supervisor and then independent study and research time.

In terms of the teaching hours, currently our standard teaching days are as follows: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday: 0900-1900 Wednesday: 0900-1300 Friday: 0900-1800 So all your classes will take place within those hours! The latest I had anything scheduled was until 6pm on one day in my first semester.

I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions! I took the Globalisation since 1945 module which is one of the core modules from from MA Contemporary History course, and I also took the Historical Methods course which all MA History students take, so I can try to answer any more specific questions you have.

Thanks, Rose

Hi,

Sorry our mentor has not replied. Please contact Dr Steffen Prauser who is a lecturer on the course and may be able to advise further. His email address is s.prauser@bham.ac.uk.

Best wishes, Tom

Hi! Thanks for your question! I'd love to chat with you at an upcoming event. We attend a whole range of events throughout the year, both on and off campus and in the EU. I'll be at the Russell Group Roadshow, London events, PostgradLIVE in January and a range of the EU events. To see the whole list please go here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit/events and you can then double check with me about which one's I'll be attending! Thanks, Rose.

I was successful in being awarded a College of Arts and Law scholarship, funded by the Birmingham Research Institute for History and Cultures. When applying for scholarships and postgraduate funding, it is important to apply early and ask your referees in plenty of time for them to write supporting statements. The deadlines are often in March/April, so you need to be preparing by January. In addition I was awarded a £2000 Distinguished Alumni Scholarship from the University, which is directly taken off your fees. If I hadn’t have been successful in receiving scholarships, my plan was to take out the postgraduate loan, recently made available by the government.

The highlight of my time at Birmingham has been getting involved in the extracurricular elements of the department. The School of History and Cultures (and College of Arts and Law as a whole) host’s workshops and seminars throughout the year, in which students are actively encouraged to come and listen to the leading experts in respective fields discussing their work. Additionally, as a Birmingham Research Institute of History and Cultures (BRIHC) scholar, I also participate in assisting research, and writing contributions for the BRIHC blog about events and research going on in the department. This is really interesting work and also valuable experience, and the department actively encourages people to get involved beyond their teaching hours and research.

I undertook postgraduate study with the aim of continuing on to a PhD. I think particularly for Arts students this is often a common motivating factor and pathway. However what I have found interesting is the range of career options that I am now considering, in part due to the promotion of opportunities by the history department and Careers Network. This service is provided to all students - undergraduates, postgraduates, and recent alumni – and offers a wide range of support. In my case, it has opened my eyes to the idea of pursuing a career in Higher Education administration and management, as well as offering help through my journey of considering applying for further postgraduate study.

I chose Birmingham primarily because of the quality of the course and the extent to which it matched with my specific research areas and historical interests. As I undertook an undergraduate BA in History at Birmingham from 2014-2017, I was familiar with the department and was impressed with the quality of teaching and research. I also chose to stay on at the university due to my sense of involvement in the academic community here. The college actively encourages student engagement, which creates a lovely sense of participation and contribution.

Hello!

Thank you for your question!

I had a really great time as a student within the University of Birmingham History Department. One of my favourite things was the great calendar of events put on, which students, staff and the public were strongly encouraged to come along to. To see the kind of seminars, lectures and workshops the department puts on you can have a look through the events page:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/historycultures/departments/history/events/index.aspx

I think this encouraged a real atmosphere of learning and you feel like you are part of the thriving research community.

As well as research, the department puts on lots of events to help with personal development and career progression which I found really useful!

Hope this helps!

Rose

Hello!

Firstly to address you query about MA Islamic Studies, the best place to look is at the course page, here. The entry requirements for the course are an Honours degree in a relevant subject, normally of an upper second-class standard. There are also certain academic and English language requirements which are stated in the 'Entry requirements' section of the web page.

This page will give you more information about modules, fees, teaching methods, student life and more.

To address your second query, there is a great way that you can assist the Postgraduate Recruitment team and that is by applying to be a Postgraduate Ambassador. This is a chance for students to get involved with the events we run such as the Open Day, Cafe Masters/PhD, external fairs, as well as helping as with other tasks such as office work, blogging, this platform and filming. You will be able to apply for this role from September next year if you end up joining us here at Birmingham!

I hope that helps!

Hi,

Thanks for your question!

On your application, you will be asked to supply contact details of two academic referees (or one academic reference if applicable to the course/programme applied for). Employment references may be acceptable for certain courses which require them.

Please make sure you tell your referee(s) to expect an email from the University of Birmingham, requesting them to write a reference. We recommend that the referee sends back the reference in a PDF format as it is preferred that:

• The reference is on official headed paper with the organisation or institution’s logo and address
• It includes the date, your details and the details of the referee
• A summary of how they know you and confirm your suitability for studying on the course you have applied for
• It should be signed by the referee with their official contact details.

The best place to ask about the deadlines for submitting references would be to email: directapplicationsystem@contacts.bham.ac.uk who will be able to help you!

Your referees should expect an email from the University of Birmingham, requesting them to write a reference, however I am not entirely sure of the timescale for this. If they haven't received anything yet, I would recommend contacting directapplicationsystem@contacts.bham.ac.uk to enquire, just to make sure that there aren't any technical issues!

I hope that helps!

Hi!

I completed my dissertation in modern Indian history, supervised by Dr Manu Sehgal. I specifically looked at health care and gender in the city of Bombay, looking at how it was funded, and the gender dynamics which shaped health care policy.

I really enjoyed the two core modules of the course, which covered a huge time span and allowed us to explore topics I'd never covered in my undergraduate degree. The course approaches history from a really different angle to what I was used to, and it really changed my perceptions of notions and concepts that I thought were certain like our understanding of historical time and geography!

I also really loved one of my optional modules I took, called Latin America through Film. This looked at Latin American history in the 20th and 21st centuries through cultural history and films and was amazing because I'd never done any Latin American history before.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any other questions about the course!

Hello,

Thank you for your question!

I would say don't be put off by the thought of commuting, as lots of postgraduate students opt to live at home or with family and commute in for classes and study. Postgraduate study can be expensive, so this could be a great way to save some money. The Guild of Students has a dedicated Postgraduate society, which puts on events for postgraduate students and some events for commuting students specifically, which means that there are tonnes of opportunities to meet people. This is really useful especially if you're worried about the community aspect of postgraduate study as a commuter. The University has great transport links with a train station on campus, which makes it very easy to get to us for your classes and study.

If you do wish to find out more about University accommodation, you can contact Living, the University's Accommodation service, or also have a read through of their accommodation brochure which outlines the different postgraduate halls. Accommodation in our postgraduate halls is not guaranteed, however there are also options to live in private rented accommodation in Selly Oak or Harborne, which are nearby to the Edgbaston campus.

I hope that helps!