MA Public History and Heritage

Studying history helps us to understand the reasons behind how we live our lives today and how we can use this to impact those around us. There has been a renewed interest in history, with historians uncovering untold stories locally, nationally and globally to bring communities together. Such cutting-edge research is taking place at Manchester Metropolitan and this study feeds directly into your learning with the chance to get involved with research projects as well.

Through your modules you'll concentrate on developing employability skills and industry-specific training. You'll also develop skills needed for advanced historical research, proposal writing and archival research, as well as skills specific to your own research interests. Option modules allow you to explore the areas of public history and heritage that interest you the most.

You will learn in lectures and seminars with varied coursework for each module. You will complete an independent project (dissertation or an alternative project based on a placement). This is an opportunity to work closely with an academic supervisor or local organisation in the field you wish to pursue. There’s also the opportunity to attend departmental seminars hosted by our academics and visiting historians.

Recent dissertation titles include:

• History in a Pandemic: An Investigation into Public History and Digital Heritage in the United Kingdom during the Coronavirus Pandemic 2020-2021.
• Justifying World War Three: Vladimir Putin and the Manipulative Omission of History.
• ‘We English Lie Beneath Spanish Grass’: Spanish Civil War Heritage in Greater Manchester.

The option modules below offer an example of the modules you can take, option module selection for each year of entry is confirmed in late summer.

The programme leader for this course is Professor Heather Shore.

Graduates with a 2.1 degree or higher in History or associated discipline would be automatically considered. Those who achieve a 2.2 in History, or who have a Masters from a non-Humanities field will be considered on the merits of their individual application, and might be asked to submit, for example, a piece of written work. Those without a History degree or equivalent qualification will be considered if they have compensating industry experience.

International students will be required to demonstrate a sufficiently high standard of English language ability. In order to enter most taught postgraduate courses, the English requirements are:
IELTS 6.5
TOEFL 575
TOEFL computer-based 230

International applicants who do not meet this criteria may be offered a place on an English language course at Manchester Metropolitan via our Centre for Academic English, before starting their taught MA programme. These courses vary in length from 8 to 30 weeks, depending on the language proficiency of the individual student.