History MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: History

Year of entry: 2027

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Part-time
  • MSc | 2 years | Start date: September 2027
Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2027

Key facts

School

School of History, Classics and Archaeology

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study location

Central Area

Apply now

17 to 19 November 2026: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days

Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply.

Browse sessions and register

About the degree programme

The MSc in History will challenge you to think critically about the past and the present, in one of the leading history departments in the world.

The programme is delivered by one of the largest groups of historians in any university, offering unparalleled expertise across time and space.

You will be taught by specialists who offer a global range of perspectives on the past - whether they be in the histories of the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe, or the study of Scotland and Britain. You can learn about historical periods from the Late Antique and Medieval to the Early Modern, Modern and Contemporary, and engage with cutting-edge themes and approaches, including global history, the histories of gender and sexuality, cultural heritage, medicine, intellectual history, genocide, slavery and race.

You will develop the necessary research skills through two compulsory courses, as well as having the flexibility to delve into a wide range of specialist options offered by staff. Towards the end of the programme, you will pursue your own specialist interests through a major research dissertation.

As a postgraduate, you will also be embedded in the academic and social life of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology. You will have the opportunity to attend seminars and events, meet visiting speakers from the UK and abroad, and be part of the numerous world-leading research centres and groups housed in the School and wider University, such as the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies and the Edinburgh Centre for Global History.

The programme will foster skills to analyse sources critically, engage with other disciplines, and confidently debate and present arguments, thus providing you with the tools to succeed in a number of different careers, from education and heritage, to regional, national and government institutions, and the private sector, as well as providing an excellent platform for further postgraduate study, such as the PhD.

This short video gives you an introduction to our MSc History programme from Dr Zubin Mistry

Study options

This degree is available to study either full-time or part-time. The full-time MSc lasts for 12 months, from September to the end of August in the following year. The part-time MSc lasts 24 months.

Programme benefits

  • With a range of courses to choose from, you can tailor your degree to your interests and ambitions.
  • Diverse staff interests and courses allow study across a wide range of themes, periods and geographical areas.
  • Taught by one of the largest groups of historians in any British university.
  • Our lecturers are an international group, with individuals hailing from Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, the USA and of course from Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The varied range of modules that were on offer was what mainly attracted me to the taught masters course and the opportunity to be taught by leading historians. 

Olivia MSc History, graduated 2023

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time
Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £18,504 each year (£1,542 each month) to live in Edinburgh as a postgraduate.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained 

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2027-28 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2028-29 academic year will be published in early Oct 2027.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, a minimum US 3.25 GPA or international equivalent, in History or another humanities or social science subject with a significant historical component.        

We will also consider an honours degree in another subject if you have relevant experience, or professional or other qualifications.

International equivalent qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test (restrictions apply)
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 100 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 5.0 with at least 4.0 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 6 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

You will complete two compulsory courses and select a further four courses from a wide range on offer, followed by independent research in the form of a supervised dissertation.

Compulsory courses

The compulsory courses will introduce you to graduate study in history and give you the opportunity to develop your research skills, moving from general research methods to specific research questions, helping prepare you for the dissertation.

The compulsory courses are:

  • Historical Methodology
  • Developing Historical Research

Typically pathways on Historical Methodology focus on themes such as Intellectual History, American Studies, Global History and Medieval History (e.g. manuscripts and palaeography), enabling you to focus on particular strands within the History programme.

Option courses

Our option courses offer breadth geographically, chronologically and thematically. We regularly offer options on the Americas, Asian, African, European, and Scottish/British history from the medieval to contemporary periods, which engage with themes including histories of gender and sexuality, medicine, genocide, slavery and race. Having some familiarity with a research language can be a prerequisite for more advanced study (PhD), and there will also be options to study a language such as Latin or Arabic.

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Part-time
Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will mostly be taught in seminar groups, which encourage debate and discussion amongst students. Dissertations are supervised through one-to-one meetings between supervisors and students.

Assessment

Most courses are assessed by means of an extended piece of written work. 

Some courses also assess non-written skills. 

Research dissertation

During the late spring and summer, you will undertake an independent research project, written up as a dissertation.

You will have the freedom to choose your research topic with the aid of the Programme Director and/or other tutors. Many students opt to pursue an interest that previously took shape during one of their taught courses.

The dissertation is your chance to apply your independent research skills and be creative. Our breadth of historical expertise means that we're open to almost any feasible area of interest.

The dissertation is submitted in mid-August, and is worth one-third of the assessment for the degree.

Example dissertation topics

Past dissertation topics have included:

  • The Repentant Sinner as Reformer: The Career of Bishop Herbert de Losinga (d.1119)
  • Masculinities, Identities, and Resistance in the Consistory Courts of Sussex, 1592-1617
  • The Church of Scotland in the Highlands: Presbyterian Approaches to the ‘Increase of Popery’ in the Early Eighteenth Century
  • Recovering the Voices of Chinese Migrants in Britain: An Analysis of Personal Testimonies in Post-War Immigration History
  • Avoiding Icarus: Constructing a Neoliberal Nation in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Where you will study

Study location

The majority of teaching will take place in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology.

The School of History, Classics and Archaeology is located in the heart of the city, in the University's Central Area. The Central Area is on the edge of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, surrounded by lots of green space.

Our building, the William Robertson Wing of the Old Medical School, is Grade A-listed. The building is in the Northern Italian Renaissance style, incorporating design influences from Venice and Bologna, including red-tiled roofs, a corbelled stair turret and palazzo frontages.

This short video introduces the facilities available to postgraduate students at the University of Edinburgh's School of History, Classics and Archaeology.

Academic facilities

Postgraduate students have access to a wide range of resources and facilities both within the William Robertson Wing of the historic Old Medical School, and nearby in the vibrant heart of the city of Edinburgh. 

Study spaces

Our location, right in the heart of Edinburgh, means you will be based close to the city’s cultural attractions and facilities, including a wealth of libraries, archives, museums and galleries, which provide uniquely rich support for the disciplines we teach.

A tour of our postgraduate spaces:
Scottish History Collection - Room 3.07

This small library houses the Scottish History Collection.  While the library itself is available for use by all students, the desk space within the room is reserved for the use of  PhD students.

Postgraduate Study Room – Room 2.35

This room is available to all postgraduate students and is intended to provide students with a quiet working environment. It is a dedicated study and computing lab overlooking the Meadows, one of the city’s best-loved green spaces.

Computer Teaching Lab - Room 2.36

Room 2.36 is a 24-seater computer lab on the second floor, which is available to HCA students at postgraduate and undergraduate Honours level when it isn't booked for teaching.  The computers in this room are of a high specification and are particularly suitable for work requiring intensive computation or graphical manipulation. They also have some specialist software and may be particularly useful to students who have lab sessions in the room, using specific pieces of software.

Student Research Room - Room 2M.25

The Student Reading Room (2M.25) is a quiet study facility and houses some of the School's book collections. The room also contains a small number of PCs. Please note that these rooms are not exclusively postgraduate resources, and access is shared with our Undergraduate student community. The Student Research Room contains nine collections of books from previous class libraries and special collections donated to the School over many years.

Career opportunities

Many students are attracted to the MSc in History as an advanced qualification that may be valued by a range of employers; a more specialised supplement to their undergraduate degrees that could set them apart in a crowded job market. 

Others are interested in pursuing academic careers and see the MSc as preparation for a PhD, while some are considering an academic career as a possibility and use the MSc to establish whether it is the right career choice.

The combination of skills training courses, specialised seminars, and independent research provides you with transferable skills that will be beneficial whatever path you choose.

Graduates pursue work in related areas, such as:

  • museums
  • education
  • policy think-tanks
  • national and international civil services
  • non-governmental organisations
  • galleries
  • libraries
  • historic trusts

Others build on the transferable skills gained and enter areas as diverse as:

  • business
  • media
  • public administration
  • marketing

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
13 September 2027 2 August 2027

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have sufficient time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. 

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. 

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete. 

We aim to issue decisions within 6-8 weeks of receiving your completed application. During peak times it may take us slightly longer to issue your decision but please be assured we will confirm a decision as soon as we can.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Have a question about postgraduate study?

Postgraduate enquiries

Academic contact

Dr Mike Carr (BA, MA, PhD, FRHS)

Programme Director

Contact details

Related degree programmes

Other degrees in History

You may also be interested in