Postgraduate History 2017-2018

A postgraduate student of medieval and early modern history or literature often needs to be able to use unedited literary and archival sources, or to check the completeness and accuracy of existing editions.  Medievalists often need to consult material available only in later copies, extracts and antiquarian notes. To do so, you must be able to read pre-modern scripts. This course is designed to give students the necessary skills to use manuscript sources for themselves, whatever their date,  describe manuscripts, and transcribe texts.  Assessment is by exercises and a final essay.

Old Norse was also the primary literary language of the Scandinavian Middle Ages, notably the Icelandic sagas and skaldic and eddic poems. This course will provide the basic linguistic tools needed to read Old Norse texts, and some background about the history of the language and its links with other languages. No prior knowledge of Old Norse is assumed. This course uses Old Norse literature, in particular the sagas and Eddas, to introduce aspects of early Scandinavian culture, including literature and pre-Christian religion.

This course allows you to do in-depth study in a specific area in History or a related subject agreed upon with your programme coordinator. It may be offered in conjunction with you sitting in on level 3 or 4 lectures relating to the subject material, with additional individual tuition.

Students work closely with a member of staff to develop a detailed knowledge of and write a critical survey of the literature in their chosen field. This helps students develop research skills required for the literature review in the dissertation, but will be much broader in scope to ensure they have a secure grasp of the relevant research in their field. The course enhances students' ability to identify and engage critically with a body of literature and improve their skills in academic writing appropriate to postgraduate work.

The course provides students with the opportunity to study a broad sweep of Scotland's history in both chronological and thematic terms. Themes offered include: Landscapes and Identities; Government; War and Conflict; Religion; Popular Culture; Mobility; Travel and Tourism; Urban and Rural Life; Highlands and Islands; Scotland and Empire; Education; Housing and Health; National Identities and Imaginations; Environment; Anglo-Scottish Relations; Population; and Literature. 

This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in History agreed with the course coordinator. You will be allocated a supervisor and through a series of meetings pursue in-depth reading on a topic and write a 4000-word essay on that subject.

This course develops your Old Norse skills by reading more complex texts such as skaldic and eddic poetry, runes and unnormalised Old Norse texts. Poetry and runes give a fascinating insight into the Old Norse world before the introduction to Christianity and during the Conversion period which is not represented by unbiased prose works. In addition, students will gain a basic insight into runology and toponymy, and will be presented with the latest positions in research in these fields.

What is an archive and how can it be used? Students are introduced to some archives in Aberdeen and learn how to make best use of these important resources for research. Seminars investigate the history and philosophy of archival collections, and how they relate to museums, libraries and galleries; approaches to the evaluation of contents of archives and qualitative analyses of specific collections. Assessment is based on a 5000-word essay in which students are asked to identify and analyse material from a specific archive which may be in Aberdeen, or elsewhere in Scotland, the UK, or abroad.

Students complete the course with an enhanced ability to present convincing academic arguments and research findings in writing and, particularly orally. They improve their critical engagement with the research and arguments of other historians.
Students attend research seminars and write a seminar comparison report, fostering engagement with the process of presenting arguments and research findings.
Following training in presentation skills, students present their dissertation proposals in a workshop, recording their presentation using Camtasia, and respond to questions from staff and students. Students then write a reflective analysis of their presentations.

The course has a global reach, engaging participants with the motives and experiences of emigrants and sojourners in the Scottish diaspora, and connecting those themes back to Scotland. Topics covered include historiographical debtes; causes and consequences of late eighteenth-century emigration; Highland and Lowland Clearances; the recruitment business; Scots and Native Americans; Religion and Faith in the Diaspora; the Inter-war Exodus; the significance of sojourning; strengths and weaknesses of emigrant testimony as a source; and the diaspora in literature, poetry and popular culture. Depending on students' interests, particular attention may be paid to Scottish settlement and its impact in a particular location, particularly the USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia.

This course consists of a mixture of two-hour group seminars and shorter one-to-one supervision with the member of staff best equipped to advise you on your dissertation topic. It will involve detailed discussion of your research ideas and planning with the aim of providing the fullest preparation for researching and writing the dissertation in the summer and research beyond. Fundamental to the success of the course are mutual feedback and support within the student group.

This is an individually-supervised project for students intending to complete a PG Dip in a programme in History

An individually supervised project with a 18,000-word dissertation for students to complete their MLitt qualification

This course consists of one-to-one online supervision with a member of staff. It provides students with the opportunity to write an extended, 10,000-word investigation and analysis of a topic selected by the student and approved by the course co-ordinator and supervisor.