Hello my name is Simone Laqua-O'Donnell and I'm the convener of the distance learning
MA in history. This MA is a flexible course giving you the chance to explore a range of historical
questions, periods and geographies in your own time, and at a pace that suits you. The MA history
by distance learning is divided into four pathways - medieval studies, modern British studies,
global history and contemporary history. Within each pathway you will deepen your knowledge of a
relevant topic in modules which will provide you with the foundational and specialized knowledge
to succeed on this program. So the modern British studies pathway is a pathway where students study
modern Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries, and that's sort of modern Britain in the most
expansive sense. The global history pathway allows you to study how and why historical processes
unfold throughout the globe. We compare cultural phenomenon, we follow networks and trade routes,
and ultimately we look to connect histories both temporally and geographically. I'm the convenor
of the contemporary stream at the University of Birmingham, and we deal with contemporary
history - which is understood in Birmingham as the history um of Europe and North America
since 1917. We look at the history of these two continents in a global context, and
as contemporary history we always look at history in two ways. First we look at the events of the
past and how they resonate in our own time, um but we also look in the opposite direction what
uh we live in a rapidly changing world, and we need to inquire whether the readings that we have
established on the recent past, still makes sense in light of contemporary
events. So it's a reflection of the place um that we live in, at the time that we live in, and
how history shapes our engagement with these times. So my name is Catherine Sykes and I am the
convenor of the medieval studies pathway. This pathway is designed to introduce students to a
range of different approaches that historians, archaeologists, literary scholars and others
use to study the medieval world, that we used to look at its evidence in its sources. The MA
history by distance learning is home to a truly international and diverse community of students,
who join us from all different walks of life, and a variety of disciplinary backgrounds.
Not everyone has studied history previously, some have studied connected disciplinary areas
or are working in them now, others join us with a real passion for history outside of work or
studies. What unites them is their enthusiasm for the subject, a real curiosity in cutting-edge
conversations about history, and a desire to do so in their own time, yet as part of a group
guided by a team of experts. So we cover a broad range of subjects in the modern British studies
pathway, from um the making of class identities to the histories of subjectivity and selfhood, um
to thinking about the state and and politics, and our um dissertations I think reflected that that
broad range of student interests. So in recent years we've had students writing about migrants
onboard ships to who are heading to New Zealand, we've had a student write about narratives of
murder in colonial India, we've had a student who was writing about the history of squatting and
homelessness in 20th century England. So, so quite a rich array of and cultural and political topics
within modern British studies. History matters for a time, but you really feel it when you do
contemporary history. That's where you notice how the ground is really shaking under your field,
it's slippery, it's challenging, but it's also exciting, and it really shows you how history
can help us understand the 21st century world and what it means to live in a global 21st century.
Well, as contemporary historians, we look at the things that matter in our time - from violence,
from the memory of fascism, from capitalism to black lives matter, um, to patterns of inequality,
patterns of discrimination too, the imperial hangover that this country is
suffering from or whether there is actually such a thing like an imperial hangover. We reflect
on topics, reflect on how they resonate, and we reflect on which questions are the right ones,
and the wrong ones and we as tutors - we don't get to ask knowing all the answers
sometimes we even don't know the right questions in times of rapid change. Of course you're also
joining the Department of History, a community of undergraduate and postgraduate students
and members of staff teaching a huge variety of historical subjects. The course is set up to allow
you flexibility of time. You will be given access to pre-recorded lectures and reading materials.
To create a community with your fellow students, we follow a weekly rhythm
which allows everybody on the course to join discussions based on the lectures,
your readings and conversations with your tutors on a discussion board. There are also
other opportunities to meet with your peers and teachers should you wish to do so. We therefore
seek to offer a course that allows you flexibility as well as community during this MA degree.