
Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
This Early Modern History MA examines the history of Britain, Europe, and the wider world between 1500 and 1800, highlighting themes of political, cultural, religious, and social history. You’ll learn about the various approaches to writing the history of early modern Europe whilst developing the specific skills you’ll need to research early modern topics. This includes mastering archives and gaining the linguistic and palaeographic skills to work with early modern documents from Britain, Ireland, France, the German lands, Portugal, the Iberian world, and beyond. During your Early Modern History master’s, you will learn how to critically evaluate a range of theories, methods, and approaches in the field. You’ll learn from academics about their areas of expertise and you’ll enjoy visits to libraries, archives, and museums as part of your degree. Thanks to a wide range of optional modules, you can tailor your Early Modern History MA to specialise in the areas that interest you most. At the end of your postgraduate study, you will get to work on your own piece of research and produce a dissertation.
“Studying at King's not only helped me develop skills in discussing history in an enjoyable and accessible way, but also gave me the skillset to confront the more difficult sides of history, especially in modules such as Public History. ”
This Early Modern History MA looks at the ways in which cultural, political, and social themes stretch across the period c.1500–1800 while bridging the division between British and European history. You’ll learn from experts in the histories of the Reformation and the Enlightenment, gender, the material world of the Renaissance, race, and racism, covering Britain, Ireland, the German lands, France, Italy, and the Iberian world. The first required module in your master’s will introduce you to methodological and theoretical approaches to writing early modern history that you will then interrogate and deploy yourself. It’s taught by the entire early modern history team in rotation, which means you’ll get to know each of our academic experts early in your degree. You will test concepts such as identity, mentality, and religion by challenging models of change, including modernisation, state-building, the civilising process, Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, and revolution. You will also get the chance to try out different methodologies, such as cultural history, gender, thinking with material objects, global history, and using digital data. You will also become equipped with the essential skills you’ll need to study early modern history at an advanced level with a particular emphasis on research-specific skills to prepare you for your own independent research. Opportunities to study Latin or other languages, and to learn palaeographic skills to work with original materials, can usually also be provided. The second required module in this Early Modern History MA addresses the nature of historical practice. You will explore history as a discipline–and its interdisciplinarity–to empower you to use and critically evaluate a range of theories, methods, and approaches. You’ll also learn how to interrogate the archive by questioning its power structures and political implications, who controls access to it, how to read material against the grain, how to explore the history of underrepresented groups and more. You’ll do this alongside King’s historians, who are experts in, among other approaches, feminist history, decolonising curricula, histories of slavery and ‘race’, histories of sexuality, and disability history. Your research skills in quantitative approaches, visual and textual analysis, and oral presentation of materials will all be strengthened, preparing you to conduct your own research, whether diving into physical or digital archives. As you write your own essays, you’ll master the skill of critical synthesis, which is vital for further research and transferrable to many other fields of work and study. The rest of this MA in Early Modern History is comprised of optional modules. This flexibility allows you to craft your own curriculum and choose the topics that interest you most. You’ll delve into primary sources and analyse the most recent historiographical interpretations. For example, you could study the body and society in early modern Europe, learn about the public history of science, technology, and medicine, explore British moral and political thought in early modernity, and consider God, man, and nature in Europe. You can focus your optional modules on the study of early modern history or broaden your experience with interdisciplinary modules offered by a selection of other master’s programmes at King’s. For example, you could take modules in early modern English, French literature, the Iberian world, or Digital Humanities. You could also choose to learn or improve another language by taking a module at the King's Language Centre, and you can even take modules from the wide range of options elsewhere in the University of London. You may also be able to undertake an internship as part of your master’s. This exciting opportunity will see you work on a research project, either with someone at King’s or a participating institution, to boost your CV and enhance your research skills. This Early Modern History master’s culminates in a dissertation, where you’ll explore your own research question under the supervision of a member of the academic team. There are many opportunities to enhance your education through extracurricular activities. You will have the opportunity to join active programmes of academic seminars, small conferences and reading groups, including at the Centre for Early Modern Studies, the Institute of Historical Research, and more. If you wish, you can attend the undergraduate lecture series, called ‘Early Modern Worlds, 1500-1800’, to broaden your knowledge base. Thanks to your location in the heart of London, you’ll have leading archives, museums, collections, and historical organisations on your doorstep. Plus, you’ll have access to King’s own collection of archival and manuscript resources from the early modern period. This means you can sift through the British Library’s Manuscripts and Rare Books Collections one day, then dive into the Maughan Library at King’s the next, where you’ll find an extensive collection of early printed books. You will also find visual resources from the early modern era easily accessible at the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Courtauld Institute, Tate Britain, Wellcome Collection, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in History or a related humanities or social science subject. Students without a history degree may be required to show relevant research skills in order to be accepted.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal.
A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
We aim to process all complete applications within four to six weeks although this may take longer in February, March and over holiday periods.
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered
Personal Statement | Yes |
Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions: Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted. |
---|---|---|
Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
Writing Sample | Yes | You are required to submit an academic essay sample of 2000-4000 words as part of your application. |
Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
Teaching
We teach our modules through small seminar groups where we will debate and discuss ideas based on extensive reading.
If you are a full-time student, we will provide you with six to eight hours of teaching each week, and we will expect you to undertake 32 to 34 hours of independent study.
If you are a part-time student, we will provide you with two to four hours of teaching each week, and we will expect you to undertake 16 to 18 hours of independent study.
Please note: both part time and full time teaching takes place Monday through Friday, during core business hours.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus. Studying in central London provides you with a wealth of opportunities and exceptional access to the sources and material artefacts of the early modern period, including buildings, libraries, archives and exhibitions. We have many archival and manuscript resources for the early modern period, and the British Library’s Manuscripts and Rare Books Collections are enhanced by, for example, the extensive collection of early printed books at our own Maughan Library amongst others. Visual resources of the period are easily found at the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Courtauld Institute, Tate Britain and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
London also offers you access to a strong graduate community, where you can follow up almost any interest. We will strongly encourage you to participate in the seminars at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), where there are 10 regular seminars on the early modern period alone, many of them convened by members of our Department.
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment typically include essays and a dissertation. Coursework will contribute approximately 100% and examinations approximately 0% to your final mark.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
You are required to take:
In addition, you are required to take 60 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:
If you are a part-time student, you will take Advanced Skills for Historians in your first year, along with 30 credits of optional modules. In your second year you will take Approaches to Early Modern History and your dissertation module, along with 30 credits of optional modules.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Graduates of the MA in Early Modern History go on to careers in museums, journalism, finance and the cultural sector, as well as further study in History and related subjects.
Early Modern History MA graduates have found employment, for example, in the following roles:
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
This Early Modern History MA looks at the ways in which cultural, political, and social themes stretch across the period c.1500–1800 while bridging the division between British and European history. You’ll learn from experts in the histories of the Reformation and the Enlightenment, gender, the material world of the Renaissance, race, and racism, covering Britain, Ireland, the German lands, France, Italy, and the Iberian world. The first required module in your master’s will introduce you to methodological and theoretical approaches to writing early modern history that you will then interrogate and deploy yourself. It’s taught by the entire early modern history team in rotation, which means you’ll get to know each of our academic experts early in your degree. You will test concepts such as identity, mentality, and religion by challenging models of change, including modernisation, state-building, the civilising process, Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, and revolution. You will also get the chance to try out different methodologies, such as cultural history, gender, thinking with material objects, global history, and using digital data. You will also become equipped with the essential skills you’ll need to study early modern history at an advanced level with a particular emphasis on research-specific skills to prepare you for your own independent research. Opportunities to study Latin or other languages, and to learn palaeographic skills to work with original materials, can usually also be provided. The second required module in this Early Modern History MA addresses the nature of historical practice. You will explore history as a discipline–and its interdisciplinarity–to empower you to use and critically evaluate a range of theories, methods, and approaches. You’ll also learn how to interrogate the archive by questioning its power structures and political implications, who controls access to it, how to read material against the grain, how to explore the history of underrepresented groups and more. You’ll do this alongside King’s historians, who are experts in, among other approaches, feminist history, decolonising curricula, histories of slavery and ‘race’, histories of sexuality, and disability history. Your research skills in quantitative approaches, visual and textual analysis, and oral presentation of materials will all be strengthened, preparing you to conduct your own research, whether diving into physical or digital archives. As you write your own essays, you’ll master the skill of critical synthesis, which is vital for further research and transferrable to many other fields of work and study. The rest of this MA in Early Modern History is comprised of optional modules. This flexibility allows you to craft your own curriculum and choose the topics that interest you most. You’ll delve into primary sources and analyse the most recent historiographical interpretations. For example, you could study the body and society in early modern Europe, learn about the public history of science, technology, and medicine, explore British moral and political thought in early modernity, and consider God, man, and nature in Europe. You can focus your optional modules on the study of early modern history or broaden your experience with interdisciplinary modules offered by a selection of other master’s programmes at King’s. For example, you could take modules in early modern English, French literature, the Iberian world, or Digital Humanities. You could also choose to learn or improve another language by taking a module at the King's Language Centre, and you can even take modules from the wide range of options elsewhere in the University of London. You may also be able to undertake an internship as part of your master’s. This exciting opportunity will see you work on a research project, either with someone at King’s or a participating institution, to boost your CV and enhance your research skills. This Early Modern History master’s culminates in a dissertation, where you’ll explore your own research question under the supervision of a member of the academic team. There are many opportunities to enhance your education through extracurricular activities. You will have the opportunity to join active programmes of academic seminars, small conferences and reading groups, including at the Centre for Early Modern Studies, the Institute of Historical Research, and more. If you wish, you can attend the undergraduate lecture series, called ‘Early Modern Worlds, 1500-1800’, to broaden your knowledge base. Thanks to your location in the heart of London, you’ll have leading archives, museums, collections, and historical organisations on your doorstep. Plus, you’ll have access to King’s own collection of archival and manuscript resources from the early modern period. This means you can sift through the British Library’s Manuscripts and Rare Books Collections one day, then dive into the Maughan Library at King’s the next, where you’ll find an extensive collection of early printed books. You will also find visual resources from the early modern era easily accessible at the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Courtauld Institute, Tate Britain, Wellcome Collection, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in History or a related humanities or social science subject. Students without a history degree may be required to show relevant research skills in order to be accepted.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal.
A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
We aim to process all complete applications within four to six weeks although this may take longer in February, March and over holiday periods.
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered
Personal Statement | Yes |
Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions: Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted. |
---|---|---|
Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
Writing Sample | Yes | You are required to submit an academic essay sample of 2000-4000 words as part of your application. |
Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
Teaching
We teach our modules through small seminar groups where we will debate and discuss ideas based on extensive reading.
If you are a full-time student, we will provide you with six to eight hours of teaching each week, and we will expect you to undertake 32 to 34 hours of independent study.
If you are a part-time student, we will provide you with two to four hours of teaching each week, and we will expect you to undertake 16 to 18 hours of independent study.
Please note: both part time and full time teaching takes place Monday through Friday, during core business hours.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus. Studying in central London provides you with a wealth of opportunities and exceptional access to the sources and material artefacts of the early modern period, including buildings, libraries, archives and exhibitions. We have many archival and manuscript resources for the early modern period, and the British Library’s Manuscripts and Rare Books Collections are enhanced by, for example, the extensive collection of early printed books at our own Maughan Library amongst others. Visual resources of the period are easily found at the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Courtauld Institute, Tate Britain and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
London also offers you access to a strong graduate community, where you can follow up almost any interest. We will strongly encourage you to participate in the seminars at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), where there are 10 regular seminars on the early modern period alone, many of them convened by members of our Department.
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment typically include essays and a dissertation. Coursework will contribute approximately 100% and examinations approximately 0% to your final mark.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
You are required to take:
In addition, you are required to take 60 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:
If you are a part-time student, you will take Advanced Skills for Historians in your first year, along with 30 credits of optional modules. In your second year you will take Approaches to Early Modern History and your dissertation module, along with 30 credits of optional modules.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Graduates of the MA in Early Modern History go on to careers in museums, journalism, finance and the cultural sector, as well as further study in History and related subjects.
Early Modern History MA graduates have found employment, for example, in the following roles:
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process.
The final application deadlines for this programme are:
· Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
· Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
If the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications. Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.
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