📖Program Curriculum
The Master of Science in Historical Research is a one-year research and skills-oriented course that and allows specialisation in particular historical areas as well as development of social science skills and methodologies. You will be allocated an individual supervisor to direct your independent study and plan the curriculum to reflect your interests and training needs. You should maintain regular contact with supervisors and agree a schedule of meetings to discuss your work and review draft submissions.
The course is split into four sections:
Social science research methods
You will take compulsory modules in Research Design and Process Quantitative Data Analysis and Qualitative Data Analysis. These core modules will teach you data analysis (e.g. providing training in STATA software) and you will be encouraged to apply quantitative and qualitative analysis to historical evidence in History modules.
Discipline-specific training module in Historiography
You will take an additional compulsory module in Historiography which involves independent study of the literature of a chosen historical field. Coursework comprises a 10 000-word paper that critically reviews historians' works and identifies a topic suitable for original research in a dissertation. There are no classes. One-to-one supervisory sessions are scheduled at mutually convenient times.
Additional optional modules
You will be able to tailor the curriculum according to your own field of study and training needs and in consultation with your supervisor and Programme Director. You will be able to choose from additional research skills training which involves planning (with direction) a personal itinerary of specific activities to support your research project. Activities cover generic skills employability skills breadth of knowledge and subject skills. There are opportunities for workshops in historical research methodology and classes in Latin and palaeography. You may choose further modules in Sources and Methods where you will discuss with your supervisor how to apply research skills to historical evidence. You will examine a body of sources related to your research topic and practice the methods you have been learning. Alternatively you may also choose from a wide range of taught modules offered across various faculties appropriate to your field of study and in discussion with your supervisor. These range from The Nature of Social Enquiry to Social Network Analysis or Theories and Methods of Digital Social Research.
Dissertation
Having researched the existing secondary literature and the primary sources and having received training in appropriate research skills you will then go on to complete a dissertation of up to 15 000 words.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the current academic year (September 2022). Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
There are two options for this course:
Starting September full time (Stirling Campus)
Year 1 Autumn semester
Compulsory module
Module Credits
Research Design and Process (ASRP002) 20 credits
Compulsory module
Module Credits
Quantitative Data Analysis (ASRP004) 20 credits
Option module
Select 20 credits from Historical Research options 7 list
Module Credits
Training for Masters in the Arts and Humanities 1 (ARTP001) 20 credits
Historiography for Masters of Research (HTRPP11) 20 credits
