About the Centre
The Centre for Modern and Contemporary Studies is a vibrant and interdisciplinary research centre, dedicated to studying the Modern and Contemporary periods, from 1830 to the present.
CMaCS supports a diversity of research across the Arts and Humanities, and beyond, focusing on culture and society of the modern and contemporary worlds. Its conceptual reach covers many areas of cultural activity, related to four overarching themes: Sound, Vision, Word, and Society.
Our innovative, world-class research currently includes the fields of literature, film, history, politics, philosophy, sociology, archaeology, heritage studies, music, media and performance studies, and the fine and applied arts.
CMaCS was launched in 2009 and is located in the Humanities Research Centre within Heslington Hall.
The Directors of CMaCS are Dr Liam Maloney and Professor John Schofield.
Postgraduate activities
A number of Arts and Humanities MA programmes are taught by members of the Centre. CMaCS is also home to a lively programme of events and our postgraduate forum, that bring together postgraduate students and staff working in different disciplines.
English
MA in Film and Literature
MA Literature in the Creative and Cultural Industries
MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture
MA in Victorian Literature and Culture
MA in Queer Studies
History
Modern History
Public History
Contemporary History and International Politics
Women's Studies & Gender Studies
Philosophy
MA Applied Ethics and Governance of Data Privacy
MA Political and Legal Philosophy
MA Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
School of Arts and Creative Technologies
Masters degrees in music
Masters degrees in creative technologies
Masters degrees in film and television production
Masters degrees in theatre
Modern MAs with crossover:
Management in the Creative and Cultural Industries (ACT – Theatre)
Music, Management and Marketing (ACT- Music)
Literature in the Creative and Cultural Industries (English)
MSc Artificial Intelligence for the Creative Industries (ACT)
MA Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (Philosophy)
In addition, Modern Studies MAs are offered in the following Social Sciences
Centre for Women’s Studies
Sociology
Politics and International Relations
Research funding
Each year, CMaCS funds research strands directed by staff from participating departments, which provide a basis for developing interdisciplinary initiatives and the potential for large-scale external funding bids. The Centre also offers a number of small project grants each year to postgraduate students and to staff who wish to develop interdisciplinary research connections. There is also a small amount reserved for Rapid Response Funding.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
The Centre is funded directly by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and receives particular support from the departments of History, English and History of Art, but has a desire to foster collaborations across the humanities and with the social sciences and natural sciences.
The postgraduate activities and the research developed at CMaCS promote a wide variety of theoretical, methodological and historiographical perspectives, and connect Victorianists, Modernists, Post-Modernists and scholars of the contemporary.