Historical Research

University of Stirling

United Kingdom, Stirling

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University of Stirling

United Kingdom , Stirling

Key Facts

Program Level

Graduate Certificate

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

on campus

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 6 month(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 21,800 / year(s)

Next Intake September-2026

Historical Research

About

The Master of Research in Historical Research is a one-year research preparation master's intended to prepare postgraduates for a research-based career and enable specialisation in particular historical topics.

The MRes is designed to:

train historians;
demonstrate your ability to undertake research to doctoral level at Stirling or other universities in Britain and overseas;
provide a foundation for applications to research councils (AHRC, ESRC) and doctoral training partnerships (including SGSAH) that fund PhD research;
prepare you for a research-based career;
enhance career prospects and career development.

These aims are achieved through the completion of independent study modules and skills training conducted under supervision. You’ll be allocated an individual supervisor to direct your study and plan the curriculum to reflect your interests and requirements.

Our course prepares you for further research by:

undertaking project design, identifying research questions, and presenting research findings;
enabling qualitative and quantitative data analysis;
practical experience in applying research methods to interrogate primary sources;
skills development in applying bibliographical software and database management;
developing written and verbal critical analysis.

Top reasons to study with us

You can tailor the course to your interests, needs and aspirations

Enhance continuing professional development and prepare you for a research-based career, particularly in academic research, teaching, journalism, marketing, government, and management

Recognised by the UK research funding councils

Professional accreditation

The course is recognised by both the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council. Both have given PhD funding to outstanding Stirling graduates of the MRes some of whom are now in academic positions and pursuing research careers.

Work placements

Work placements can be arranged as training activities.

Flexible learning

If you’re interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.

Research overview

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), Stirling History was 3rd in Scotland for quality of research outputs and impact, and 15th in the UK for impact. External Examiners regularly praise our postgraduate research supervision and our dedication to nurturing the career development of postgraduate researchers.

All our staff are research active, and, with postgraduates, sustain a vibrant and inclusive research environment.

History staff offer particular strengths in African, American, British, environmental, European and Scottish history.

History staff publish widely in their fields, writing books, essays, and articles in leading academic journals, historical documentary editions, and online resources. Several have won awards for their work. Current and recent research projects have been funded by:

Arts and Humanities Research Council
Economic and Social Research Council
Historic Environment Scotland
The Carnegie Trust
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Colonial Society of Massachusetts
The British Academy
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Leverhulme Trust

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Academic requirements

A minimum of a Second Class Honours degree (2:1 preferred) in a relevant subject or equivalent is required. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.

A research proposal is required along with your application. It should be a maximum of 1,500 words.

International entry requirements

View the entry requirements for your country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill.
Pearson Test of English (Academic) 62 overall with 60 in each sub-skill.
IBT TOEFL 80 overall with 18 in reading, 23 in writing, 19 in listening and 21 in speaking.

See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.

Pre-sessional English language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.

Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.

English Program Requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill.
Pearson Test of English (Academic) 62 overall with 60 in each sub-skill.
IBT TOEFL 80 overall with 18 in reading, 23 in writing, 19 in listening and 21 in speaking.

See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.

Career

The MRes Historical Research has been designed with three career destinations in mind:

to prepare graduate students for further research at doctoral level
as a route to an academic career
as a higher degree in its own right

Taking the MRes can also enhance your continuing professional development and prepare you for a research-based career, particularly in academic research, teaching, journalism, marketing, government, and heritage management. By helping you develop critical analytical skills and research techniques, the course provides preparation for a wide variety of research-based careers in the public and private sectors.

Where are our graduates now?

Many of our graduates go on to study for a PhD – either by continuing at Stirling or at another university in the UK, Europe or North America. Recent graduates have secured posts in teaching, Historic Scotland, Falkirk Council, the Scottish Government, Sea World, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and the UK Civil Service.

MRes Historical Research graduates have been successful in securing external funding to help their research abroad. Dr Christopher Minty, who graduated MRes in 2011, pursued doctoral research on the American Revolution for his Stirling PhD (2015) and was awarded several grants for research in the United States including the prestigious William A Dearborn Fellowship in American History, Houghton Library, Harvard University; the Robert L. Middlekauff Fellowship at the Huntington Library, California; and the Larry J Hackman Research Residency, New York State Archives. He is currently an editor and historian at The Center for Digital Editing, University of Virginia. Dr Shaun Wallace, who took the MRes in 2011-12, secured ESRC funding for a PhD and other support to conduct research in the United States. He is now a member of faculty at the University of Bristol. Both are publishing their first books. Recent graduate Ross Miller (2020) is now a school teacher, while Rebecca Main (2020) is researching historical plagues for her PhD; several graduates from 2022 are presently pursuing PhDs in Scottish history.

Testimonial quotes

“I knew I would enjoy having the flexibility to research what I wanted. I found this to be the best feature of the degree because I find it stimulating when incorporating different fields into my research.”

Rebecca Main, MRes Historical Research

“The year I spent undertaking the MRes Historical Research course at Stirling University was by far the most rewarding I have experienced throughout my time at University. The support from the faculty and supervisor was of the highest calibre, with their knowledge and expertise second to none. The skills and attributes I have gained as a result of this course will be crucial tools for anyone wishing to pursue a future career in academia or research.”

Ross Miller, MRes Historical Research

Employability skills

We offer a comprehensive employability and skills programme to help you maximise your time at university and develop the attributes that employers look for. In the Faculty of Arts and Humanities we have a dedicated Employability and Skills Officer. The University of Stirling’s Career and Employability Service also works in partnership with academic staff to ensure you get the most out of your University experience and are ready for the employment market.

Skills you can develop through this course include:

a command of a substantial body of historical knowledge
understand how people have existed, acted and thought in the context of the past
read and use texts and other source materials critically and empathetically
appreciate the complexity and diversity of situations, events and past mentalities
recognise there are ways of testing statements and that there are rules of evidence which require integrity and maturity
reflect critically on the nature and theoretical underpinnings of the discipline
marshal an argument, be self-disciplined and independent intellectually
express themselves orally and in writing with coherence, clarity and fluency
gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information
analyse and solve problems
effectively use ICT, information retrieval
presentation skills
exercise self-discipline, self-direction and initiative
work with others and have respect for others’ reasoned views
show empathy and imaginative insight

Our students also have the opportunity to further develop their transferable skills through voluntary internships working on collections of material held within the Faculty - The Scottish Political Archive and the University's own archive.