Postgraduate Study
Introduction
There can be few better places in to undertake graduate-level research in history than the University of Aberdeen. One of the oldest Universities in the English-speaking world, situated on an inspiring medieval campus, Aberdeen also proved its place at the forefront of current research by being ranked the leading Scottish University in the discipline of History in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. A young and vibrant department, which has invested heavily in bringing leading scholars from around the world, Aberdeen enjoys a strong reputation in a number of fields: Scottish and Irish History of all periods in a world-wide context; Imperial History; the History of Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Baltic; the History of Science and Medicine; Cultural History; Oral History and Church History.
Academic research flourishes when there is a culture of collaboration. The History Department is situated within the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy, but is also central to several important research centres: the interdisciplinary Centre for Early Modern Studies (CEMS); the Aberdeen Centre for Russian and Eastern-European History (ACREEH); the AHRC-sponsored Research Institute for Irish and Scottish Studies (RIISS); and the Centre for Scandinavian Studies.
Postgraduates enjoy a supportive and dynamic postgraduate community, including a dedicated postgraduate research supervisor for general help and advice in addition to the normal academic supervision. Aberdeen’s postgraduate community was central to the department’s success in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. The History Department not only promotes academic work of a high standard, it also encourages postgraduate students in developing all aspects of a future career, whether that is in academic life, the heritage or cultural sector, or any of the other diverse areas in which a humanities background is valued. Students run their own weekly research seminars, which gives a stimulating and friendly forum for airing theories and presenting new findings, and there are at least two larger events each year, including a weekend trip to The Burn House (which in recent years has been held jointly with postgraduates from Trinity College Dublin), and an annual seminar in collaboration with the University of St Andrews.
Impressive resources are also available outside of the department. With holdings from over five centuries, the Library's Department of Historic Collections, is of particular importance, and contains thousands of documents, from medieval manuscripts and incunabula to recently acquired archives relating to the University, the city of Aberdeen (including the oil industry), Scotland and the wider world. Research materials are also to be found at Aberdeen City Archives (the most complete for the medieval and early modern periods in Scotland) and Marischal Museum, which holds thousands of artifacts relating to Aberdeen’s European and Imperial connections. The year 2011 will see the opening of the striking new University Library. Alongside considerable investment in online historical databases and resources, backed up by one of Europe’s largest wireless campus computer network, financial support is available for postgraduates whose research takes them away from Aberdeen.
Taught Programmes
- MLitt in Medieval Studies
- MLitt in Early Modern Studies
(in collaboration with Centre for Early Modern Studies) - MLitt in Modern Historical Studies
- MLitt
Irish & Scottish Studies
(in collaboration with Research Institute of Irish & Scottish Studies) - MLitt in Cultural History
- MLitt in Scandinavian Studies
- MLitt
Social Anthropology, Ethnology & Cultural History
Contact
Dr Tarrin Wills
Co-ordinator of History Taught Postgraduate Programmes
Room CB502
50-52 College Bounds
email: t.wills@abdn.ac.uk
Research Degrees
- MLitt, MPhil, PhD
The students' perspective!
Hi, I’m Chris Langley, PhD student in History. If you have any further questions regarding postgraduate studies, postgraduate life or the postgraduate community in Aberdeen, please get in touch.
Personnel
- Academic Staff: 30
- Research Fellows: 2
- Teaching Fellows: 4
- Research Students: 35
Making an Application
Applicants must submit the following supporting documents alongside their application form:
- Copies of degree certificates from their previous academic studies
- Academic transcripts - The transcript, which lists all of the classes taken and marks gained, must be requested by the student and sent to us. You should therefore get in touch with the University where you gained your degree, and they will tell you what you need to do and will arrange to produce and send us the transcript.
- References - One academic reference for taught programmes or two academic references for research programmes; either submitted online with your application form, scanned and sent to dhp-pgs@abdn.ac.uk by your referees or please provide the details of the referees on the application form. Applicants may also send the reference letter, in a signed sealed envelope, directly to the school at the address below.
- Your research proposal - for research applicants only.
If you have any queries about making your application, please contact the Postgraduate Secretary
Postgraduate Applications Secretary
School of Divinity, History and Philosophy
50/52 College Bounds
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen AB24 3DS
Scotland, UK
Email dhp-pgs@abdn.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1224 272890
Fax: +44 (0)1224 273750
International Research students should note that there is an application deadline at the end of June, so that visa applications can be completed in time for Autumn arrival; EU students may apply later.
For more information about areas of supervision and staff research interests please contact Professor Andrew Blaikie
Professor Andrew Blaikie
Chair in Historical Sociology
Co-ordinator of Postgraduate Research
School of Divinity, History & Philosophy
Room 101, Crombie Annexe
email: a.blaikie@abdn.ac.uk