Postgraduate research
History at Huddersfield has a vibrant community of around thirty postgraduates. Some are working towards PhDs, while others are taking an MA by Research, often as preparation for doctoral study. Our students research a range of topics from medieval to modern, taking diverse methodological approaches and applying these to a wide range of source materials to produce cutting edge research. Their projects are closely tied to the research specialisms of Huddersfield's historians and students benefit from expert supervision. Please see individual staff profiles for information about areas offered for PhD supervision.
Information about how to apply for a PhD in History can be found here.
For a list of MA by Research topics offered see here.
To apply for an MA by Research see here.
The deadline for applications for the MA by Research to start in September 2016 is 30 July 2016.
MA by Research in Public History, Oral History and Community Heritage
Supported by a weekly postgraduate seminar in term time, research skills training and supervision by experts in the field, the MA by Research in Public History, Oral History and Community Heritage allows you to undertake independent research in applied and practical historical study. You will produce a thesis of between 15,000 and 25,000 words and a public-facing output such as an exhibition, film, oral history archive or collaboration with a community organisation. The course will develop your applied and theoretical skills for practice and employment as a historian, heritage worker or community heritage activist.
You will be able to choose the focus of your study, which may align with one or more of the course’s core themes, and you will be encouraged to combine reflection on research methodologies and historical theories with practical applications. There is potential for internships with local and regional community organisations and museums and academic publication.
The weekly term-time postgraduate seminar includes students from our other Masters courses and PhD programmes and acts as a forum to develop your postgraduate historical skills as well as an opportunity to participate in a sociable and vibrant research community. History at Huddersfield has about 25 research students who organise an annual conference and publish a journal called Postgraduate Perspectives on the Past. We also work closely with Heritage Quay, the University’s Heritage Lottery-funded award-winning archive.
For further details contact: Professor Paul Ward
Masters by Research in the History of Childhood
What were children’s lives like in the past? Here in the History Department at the University of Huddersfield we are working with the curator of the children’s collections at Abbey House Museum to discover the experience of children in war and peace, at home and school, and in sickness and health. Together, we run a Masters by Research in the History of Childhood in order to go behind the scenes of the museum for privileged access to their collections and bespoke study days. Join us to find out more about what childhood artefacts can tell us about children’s lives in the past and how to discover the traces of children’s lives in the archives. This course is ideal for those studying for personal interest, professional development or as preparation for a PhD and is led by specialists in the history of childhood in France and Britain.
“Children’s past lives and voices matter – your research will put them on the historical record.” Dr Lindsey Dodd, co-director of studies and author of French Children Under Allied Bombs, 1940-45: An Oral History
“This Masters by Research in the History of Childhood is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about using original sources and historic material, whilst giving you a chance to share your ideas and research with us.” Nicola Pullan, Assistant Curator, Abbey House Museum (Leeds Museums and Galleries)
For inquiries please contact Dr Rebecca Gill r.gill@hud.ac.uk Tel: 01484 471871
Huddersfield History postgraduates have access to a wealth of resources via the University Library and Summon, including subscription to important collections of primary sources online such as the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, Jisc Historical Texts and the Times Digital Archive.
Postgraduates have access to University funding to support research trips and conference attendance. They also have opportunities for career development by involvement in undergraduate teaching and supporting staff research projects. The annual History Postgraduate Conference is organised by the students and regularly attracts postgraduates from across the UK to present papers and share their research in a friendly and lively environment. We also hold more specialised workshops for postgraduates from other universities. For example, a series of training events for PhD students exploring methods of co-production in historical research was initiated in 2015 and now meets three times a year.
Our postgraduates also contribute to the Historians at Work blog.
History at Huddersfield and the Heritage Consortium
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The Heritage Consortium is coordinated by the History Department at the University of Hull and consists of Bradford, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds Metropolitan, Northumbria, Sheffield Hallam and Teesside universities. We work in strategic partnership with eight regional, national and international heritage organisations and networks, as well as with a wider network of over 70 partner organisations, to deliver doctoral training and to promote research in all aspects of heritage. The Consortium was established in 2013 and is supported by £1.85 million of postgraduate funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and £1.11 million provided by its seven members.
History at Huddersfield covers a variety of aspects of heritage from the medieval to the contemporary periods. It embraces an inclusive, open-ended approach to heritage research. We use research-led teaching and a commitment to public engagement to ensure that what we do is both useful to society and beneficial to the employability of our students. We see all of our students, undergraduate and postgraduates, as researchers – partners in the development of knowledge with academic staff, through co-production of knowledge with community partners.
Our specialisms within the Heritage Consortium include:
- Oral history, public history and the co-production of historical and heritage
- Social and economic history
- Battlefield and landscape archaeology
Among the Heritage Consortium students currently researching at Huddersfield are:
Robert Piggott, 'A Place for Worship? Heritage and Religiosity in England'.
History at Huddersfield and NECAH (The North of England Consortium for Arts and Humanities).
History at Huddersfield is also part of The North of England Consortium for Arts and Humanities. This is coordinated by the History Department at the University of Hull and consists of Bradford, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds Metropolitan, Northumbria, Sheffield Hallam and Teesside universities. The Consortium was established in 2014 to deliver doctoral training, widen access to Master's provision and to promote research across all arts and humanities disciplines.
The Consortium embraces an inclusive, open-ended approach to Arts and Humanities research, and has designed structures intended to maximise cross-fertilisation and open dissemination of innovative ideas and good practice. However, we also believe that there is strength in the combination of different institutions, with individual missions and research specialisms, since it is through this diversity that new ideas and approaches will emerge. Each member brings recognised strengths in one or more key fields of research expertise and doctoral training. These strengths are supplemented by additional expertise complimenting that at other member institutions.