Program Overview
The Contemporary History at The University of Edinburgh is a MSc programme in Humanities over 12 months, delivered On-campus. This programme equips graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skills for professional and academic careers in the field.
Students gain a rigorous grounding in both the theoretical foundations and applied dimensions of humanities. The programme combines coursework, research components, and practical projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and specialist expertise relevant to industry and research needs.
Graduates of the Contemporary History programme are well-prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and the private sector across United Kingdom and internationally. The programme provides an internationally recognised qualification within the Bologna higher education framework.
Key Program Features
- Duration: 12 months
- Language of instruction: English
- Study mode: On-campus
- English requirement: IELTS 7
- Tuition: GBP 19,300 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 9,500 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
- Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Contemporary History programme are prepared for diverse careers in humanities:
- Researcher / Academic
- Cultural Programme Manager
- Editor / Writer
- Translator / Interpreter
- Museum Curator
- Communications Specialist
Program Curriculum
You will complete two compulsory (core) courses and select a further four options from a wide range on offer, followed by independent research in the form of a supervised dissertation.
Compulsory courses
The compulsory (core) courses will provide a general introduction to graduate study in history and give you the opportunity to develop your research skills.
The compulsory courses are:
- Historical Methodology
- Developing Historical Research
Option courses
Option courses previously offered include those listed below:
- A Modern History of Demographic Angst and Population Control
- An uncertain world: the West since the 1970s
- Cinema and Society in England and Scotland
- Ethnographies of the United States
- Genocide in Contemporary History
- Islamic Africa
- Modern and Contemporary Art of the Black Atlantic
- Muslims in Europe
- The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Nations in Collision
- The Civil Rights Movement
- The Cold War in Latin America
- The 'Dark Side': Dark Tourism and Difficult Heritages
- The Holocaust in History and Culture
- The Politics of History in the Arabic-Speaking World (c.1750-Present)
- War and Identities in Twentieth-Century Britain and Ireland
Find courses for this programme
Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.
The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.
Full-time
We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
Disclaimer
Option courses change from year to year and those available when you start your studies may be different from those shown in the list.
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
You need the following GPA score:
Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to Upper Second Class on the UK Honour scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on the UK Honour scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).
A UK 2:1 honours degree, US GPA 3.4 or other international equivalent in a subject related to this programme
English Proficiency: IELTS 7 or equivalent.
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 19,300 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 9,500 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Tuition fees: GBP 19,300 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 9,500 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
IELTS requirement: 7
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact The University of Edinburgh directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.
About The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
University of Edinburgh (Universitas Academica Edinburgensis) is a historic and globally respected public research university in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, founded in 1583, making it one of the...
University Profile- Application Deadline 14 September 2026
- Start Date 2017-09-11
- Language English
- Duration 12 months
- Credits 120