The University of Sheffield
Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Interdisciplinary study at postgraduate levelInterdisciplinary MA Programmes

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is home to a suite of innovative interdisciplinary MA programmes which build on established research specialisms to map out new connections across disciplinary boundaries.

These courses combine cross-cutting, flexible approaches with a coherent and clearly-defined thematic focus of study to provide a dynamic framework through which to address complex issues and emerging fields of study.

Interdisciplinary study fosters enhanced critical thinking, relational approaches - skills which are highly valued by research funders and employers alike.

Whether you are seeking an innovative bridge to extended postgraduate research opportunities, a further boost to employability or the chance to pursue a long-held passion these courses are designed to meet your needs.

 

MA Cultures of the British Isles

This is an interdisciplinary MA programme which draws on expertise from a range of disciplines in the Faculties of Arts and Humanities, and Social Science. The programme is designed to broaden and deepen your knowledge and experience of the British Isles, emphasising the plurality of cultures and heritages within these islands.The interdisciplinary nature of the programme enables access to modules from a wide list, including literary and linguistic studies, archaeology and history. You will undertake a dissertation that will develop your own research focus and have the opportunity to undertake work experience in museums, galleries or heritage sites.

MA Classical and Ancient Worlds

This interdisciplinary programme is distinctive in the UK and draws together expertise from across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in the fields of history, archaeology, religion, philosophy and literature of the ancient, classical and late antique Mediterranean world. By engaging in this truly interdisciplinary approach to the classical and ancient worlds, students are encouraged to explore, transcend and challenge boundaries between material and text, succeeding chronological periods, and between the Greco-Roman World and the Ancient Near East.

 

MA Eighteenth Century Studies (English)

This MA provides one of the country´s finest platforms for advanced and interdisciplinary study of eighteenth-century culture. Delivered by research specialists in both the English and History departments, the MA introduces current academic debates and research methods by focussing on the interface between historical and literary approaches to the subject. Members of the School of Modern Languages and Music also contribute to the core module. The aim of the programme is to deliver advanced skills training across the board, applicable to many varied career paths, and many of our students proceed to work at PhD level in the field.

MA Eighteenth Century Studies (History)

This MA provides an opportunity to study one of the most exciting fields of interdisciplinary historical research in Britain and North America, the period c.1650-1850 in which, for many, the modern world came into being.

The course focuses on the interface between historical and literary approaches to text, culture and society and aims to explore new modes of analyzing this period using a range of approaches.

The MA meets the research and training needs of those intending to progress to doctoral study, but is also appropriate for those with a general enthusiasm for the eighteenth century.

 

MA Nineteenth Century Studies (English)

This MA is run in conjunction with colleagues in History, Modern Languages and Philosophy and the Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies. The MA and the Centre draw together scholars from a wide range of disciplines across the University to promote interdisciplinary postgraduate courses and research degrees. The MA offers readings of texts and contexts across the entire breadth of the long nineteenth century, from 1789 to about 1914. Modules encompass the Romantic and Victorian eras, and the beginnings of modernism.

MA Nineteenth Century Studies (History)

This MA explores nineteenth-century society and culture from a variety of geographical and disciplinary perspectives. Taught by staff in History, English and Modern Languages, the programme covers the entire breadth of the 'long nineteenth century' from 1789 to 1914. The MA is run in association with Sheffield's Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies, a centre of research excellence that has strong links to the Sheffield City Archives, Museums Sheffield and Weston Park Museum.

 

MA Public Humanities

The MA in Public Humanities is designed to prepare you for a career in communicating ideas, working directly with the public or behind the scenes. You could go into the arts and heritage industry, theatre, publishing, IT, education, government or the media. The MA combines hands-on training in project management and digital technologies with the study of public engagement – its value, its impact on societies and what forms it might take in the future. Staff from across the Faculty will teach modules in their areas of expertise and you will design your own projects around your specialist subject. Experts from the Humanities Research Institute will open your mind to the full potential of digital technology in public engagement. Core modules are designed to simulate real-life situations and you’ll hone your project management skills on work placement with an appropriate organisation in Sheffield. This unique course, the first of its kind in the UK, runs for the first time in 2013.

MA European Gender Studies

In an increasingly international and globalised labour market, skills in cross-national and cross-cultural analysis will be at a premium.The course enables students to engage with the broad range of themes, resources, methodologies and analytical approaches that constitute gender studies from the perspective of European history, thought, culture and society. During the course, students will develop the skills necessary to analyse gendered ideas, representations, lived experiences and policies within their national and cultural contexts.