Overview

MA in Contemporary History and International Politics

The world needs better politics, better ways of resolving conflicts and distributing resources more efficiently and equitably.  How do we improve policy and forge truly international politics when our traditions of political participation are local and national?  The politics of the future is encumbered by the problems of the past.  This new, interdisciplinary MA seeks to address these problems by bringing together the study of politics and contemporary politics and focusing on transnational ideas and institutions.  These have, as we shall explore, deep roots in the past. The evolution of international politics has long-lived, path-dependent effects. History must therefore affect national and international public policy choice. This MA investigates the immediacy of present day politics and the collective memory of politics in the past, its successes and failures.

Structure

Programme of Study
The programme consists of 180 credits, four taught modules (20 credits each) and a 20,000-word dissertation (100 credits). In the Autumn Term (mid-October to mid-December) you will take an interdisciplinary core module, Ideas and Institutions, and an single-discipline option from either department. In the Spring Term (January to mid-March) you take two single-disciplinary options, and undertake preliminary scoping work for your dissertation. In the Summer Term (April to the end of June) you attend Interdisciplinary Research Workshops on dissertation preparation and meet with your dissertation adviser. You will complete your dissertation in July and August with a submission date of late September.

Part-time students register for a two-year programme. Normally, in your first year, you take Ideas and Institutions plus one option module; and, in your second year, you take two further options, attend research workshops and complete your dissertation, planning, research and writing for which is spread over the two years of registration.

The MA Core Module, Ideas and Institutions, provides an interdisciplinary grounding. You will gain an appreciation the diverse range of historical contexts in which ideas about governance emerged and were used – examples will be drawn from a sample of countries in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia; a particular focus will be on the processes by which ideas have been transferred across national boundaries. You will gain an understanding of theoretical principles behind new forms of global governance – these will include empires; successor states to empire; international organisations (such as the United Nations); international law; social networks; and non-government organisations operating at a transnational level.
 
Option modules
The precise list of modules offered will vary from year to year – do correspond with the degree programme conveners on this subject. This is however an indicative list:

In History:
Ethical Colonialism
The Origins of the Global South
The End of Empire in the Caribbean
Conservatism in the United States since the Second World War
Cultural Decolonisation: post-colonial Britain and France
Modern History and the Moving Image
Evolution and Society, c.1800-c.1945
Patients, Consumers, Experimental Subjects: The Development of Modern Medicine
The Soviet Empire: From Creation to Collapse
The Legacy of the First World War

In Politics:
Contemporary Political Philosophy
Critical Issues in International Political Economy
Critical Theories of International Political Economy
Ethics and World Politics
Governing the Global Economy
New Security Challenges
Policy Analysis
Popular Movements: Debates and Methodologies
Reason and Power in Modern European Thought
Social and Political Issues in Development: Conflict, Identities, and Citizenship
Theories and Policies of Development Governance
Understanding Governance
Violence and International Intervention

Teaching

This MA offers a unique opportunity to study these very current and challenging issues through interdisciplinary study provided by experts from the Departments of History and Politics.  The MA offers a core module and dissertation preparation taught by staff from both departments and a wide range of single-discipline modules from which students can build their own programme of study.

In History, Henrice Altink, Richard Bessel, Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Liz Buettner, Sabine Clarke, David Clayton, Alex Goodall, Nick Guyatt, Gez McCann and Shane O’Rourke all engage in world-leading research in the field of international and transnational history. The Department has clusters of research excellence in the history of the British Empire, American History, and History and Policy.

In Politics, Sultan Barakat, Werner Bonefeld, Liam Clegg, Allison Drew, Matthew Festenstein, Louise Haagh, Alex Hall, Tony Heron, Nicole Lindstrom, Felicity Matthews, Audra Mitchell, Martin O’Neill, Simon Parker, Nick Ritchie, Chris Rogers, Carole Spary, Sofia Vasilopoulou, and Adam White engage in world-class research in fields which include international political economy, international political theory, the politics of development, comparative European politics, international security, Indian politics, African politics, and global governance.

These are, moreover, exciting times to be at York, a place where interdisciplinary research has been the norm for generations. There are, on campus, numerous centres and institutes that provide forums for seminars, workshops and conferences; these include the Centre for Global Health Histories, Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit, and the Centre for Applied Human Rights, and The Centre for the Evolution of Global Business and Institutions. The activities of these centres will inspire you and create new opportunities for advanced research after the MA programme.