Humanities Research MA/MSc

Program Overview

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This Humanities Research MA/MSc program offers a customizable curriculum, allowing students to specialize in English Language, English Literature, or History. It combines taught modules with self-directed study, equipping students with advanced research skills and practical experience in conference organization and presentation. Graduates are prepared for careers in teaching, publishing, media, and further studies at the PhD level.

Program Outline

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Humanities Research MA/MSc

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Degree Overview

You will also gain experience in organizing and presenting research at a conference, and have the chance to collaborate with fellow students on this event.

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Key Features:

• Tailor the curriculum: Design your own research project within your chosen subject area.
• Collaborative and Individual Learning: Receive personalized feedback on your research goals.
• Practical Training: Gain experience in presenting your work, conducting research, organizing a conference, and developing skills valuable in teaching, publishing, research, media, and event management.
• Block Teaching: Most students study one subject at a time, maximizing your learning experience and study-life balance.

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Upon completion, you will:

• Graduate with the area of your specialization named in the award title (e.g., MA in Humanities Research (English Literature))
• Receive an MA or MSc depending on your skills, aspirations, and dissertation emphasis (MSc reflects work with substantial scientific experimentation)
• Collaborate with fellow students and organize a one-day humanities conference
• Develop creative and problem-solving skills
• Gain transferable skills highly valued in various sectors
• Be prepared for further studies at the PhD level or careers in teaching, publishing, research, media, event management, and the creative and heritage industries

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Join a thriving research community and participate in:

• Research events
• Conferences
• Networking opportunities

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Outline

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This program is structured as follows:

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Block 1: Thriving as a Researcher (Autumn/Winter)

• Focus: Equip students with advanced research skills
• Activities:
• Research methods workshops
• Research presentation workshops
• Writing for publication workshops
• Teaching and research workshops
• Ethical research workshops
• Staff-led seminars
• Weekly collaborative student-led meetings for research discussions
• Assessment:
• Poster presentation (25%) - presenting your research intentions to the cohort
• Essay (75%) - a 4000-word essay contextualizing your research goals with methods and issues explored in the course

Block 2: Applying Methods in Practice (Autumn/Winter)

• Focus: Apply advanced research methods to a case study in your chosen subject specialization
• Activities: Negotiations with supervisor on research method(s) and case study focus
• Assessment: 5000-word case study (100%)

Block 3: Conference Organisation and Presentation (Spring/Summer)

• Focus: Gain practical experience in event organization and presentation
• Activities:
• Training in conference organization
• Choosing a conference topic
• Developing and delivering a relevant paper
• Assigned roles like program developer, marketing manager, or website designer
• Presenting your paper at the conference
• Assessment:
• Reflective essay (30%) - outlining your contribution to the conference management
• Presentation (70%)

Block 4: Developing your Project (Spring/Summer)

• Focus: Gain experience in designing and writing a research project
• Activities:
• Preparing the groundwork for the final dissertation
• Presenting your project for feedback from supervisors
• Assessment: Research proposal (100%) - a 5000-word extended project proposal for your dissertation topic, including aims, hypotheses, proposed case studies, methodology, primary sources, and an annotated bibliography of secondary texts

Blocks 5 and 6: Dissertation (Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer)

• Focus: Writing and presenting a sustained piece of research
• Description: A 12,000-word dissertation drawing on research conducted throughout the year but offering a new and sustained argument.
Demonstrates advanced skills in writing, research, argument construction, presentation, self-direction, and originality in problem-solving.

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Assessment

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This program utilizes various assessment methods, including:

• Poster presentations
• Essays
• Case studies
• Conference presentations
• Reflective essays
• Research proposals with annotated bibliographies
• Dissertations

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Teaching

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The program employs a combination of teaching and learning methods, including:

• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Collaborative activities
• Independent study
• Supervision meetings

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Careers

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Graduates of this program are prepared for a variety of careers, including:

• Teaching
• Publishing
• Media
• Museum and archive work
• Civil service
• Creative and heritage industries
• Project or event management

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Other

• Contact hours: An average of 4 hours per week in Blocks 1 and 3, with 30-40 hours of independent study expected.
Blocks 2 and 4-6 are primarily self-directed, with 35-40 hours of independent study expected.
• Library and learning resources: The Kimberlin Library offers a vast collection of print materials, e-books, electronic journals, and films accessible online and on campus.
Additional support includes the Digital Student Skills Hub, Learning Services, and library live chat sessions.
• Careers and employability: The DMU Careers Team provides support with work experience opportunities, volunteering, CV writing, research opportunities, and more.

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UK EU/International Duration: One year full-time. Start date: September 2024 Fees and funding: 2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,435 (full-time) per year Duration: One year full-time. Start date: September 2024 Fees and funding: 2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £15,800 (full-time) per year However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.