MA Modern and Public History
- Entry year:
- 2026/27
- Start date:
- September
- Study mode:
- Full-time
- Course duration:
- 1 year
- Campus:
- Mount Pleasant
Why study this course with LJMU?
Explore history beyond the archive and the classroom and develop the skills to communicate the past with confidence, clarity and purpose. This MA connects original and important historical research with public history practice, supporting students to work with communities, heritage organisations, cultural institutions and wider audiences.
About this course
The MA Modern and Public History is designed for students who want to study modern history while also thinking seriously about how history is researched, communicated and used beyond the university.
- Go beyond the archive – study modern history with a real emphasis on public engagement, heritage and the politics of memory
- Develop skills that matter – build expertise in research, interpretation, communication and project design, applied to real audiences and real questions
- Learn from specialists – work alongside historians researching across a wide range of periods, themes and approaches
- Make the most of Liverpool – one of the UK's most historically significant cities, with exceptional archives, museums, heritage sites and community history networks on your doorstep
- Connect with the field – engage with heritage professionals, external speakers and live public history debates in both the UK and Ireland.
- Build your portfolio – graduate with a strong body of work to support careers in heritage, museums, education, policy, community engagement, research and beyond
The programme explores key themes including power, identity, memory, inequality, conflict, empire, enslavement and its legacies, while equipping students to produce historically informed work for different audiences and contexts.
Students join an active research environment at LJMU, with direct connections to the rich historical culture of Liverpool, the North West and Ireland. Teaching draws on archives, museums, historic spaces and community networks, and encourages students to think about history as something made through dialogue: between researchers and sources, between universities and communities, and between the past and the urgent questions of the present.
The programme combines academic rigour with public-history practice. Modules such as Liverpool and Slavery, History Beyond the University, and the dissertation allow students to build specialist knowledge alongside practical approaches to interpretation, engagement and independent research. Site visits, fieldtrips and public history case studies allow students to test ideas in real-world settings as they develop their own interests and professional confidence.
Dr Gillian O’Brien, Professor of Public History and Joint Programme Leader
History doesn't belong only in the classroom. This MA is built on the understanding that the past shapes how we see the world — and that communicating it well is a skill worth developing. Students work with historians and heritage professionals from across the UK and Ireland, and leave with the knowledge, experience and confidence to do something meaningful with history.
Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Core modules
History Beyond the University I
30 credits
30 credits
This module is delivered through seminars, each of which introduces a distinct aspect of public history and critically examines the associated challenges and opportunities. These seminars are complemented by a series of structured workshops in which students will engage with, assess and critically analyse a range of case studies drawn from public history practice. Through this combined seminar and workshop format. students are encouraged to develop both theoretical understanding and applied analytical skills in relation to public history contexts. This module runs before the Sem 2 module, History Beyond the University II, and is designed to give students the theoretical tools before moving on to the methodological and practical engagement with museums and heritage sites that is the focus of History Beyond the University II.
The module will also contain some off-site field trips which will complement the content covered in the classroom.
Week 1: Introduction to Public History
Week 2: Methods of Communication in Public History
Week 3: Ethics and Evaluation
Week 4: Games as History
Week 5: Digital History
Week 6: Combined trip with Liverpool and Slavery Module: Liverpool World Museum and Walker Art Gallery
Week 7: Reading Week
Week 8: Public Engagement and Public History
Week 9: Site-specific heritage sites
Week 10: Past on Film
Week 11: International Fieldwork (Dublin)
Week 12: Essay Consultation
Dissertation in Public and/or Modern History
60 credits
60 credits
This module aims to engage students in independent and critical thinking and apply theoretical concepts in the field of Modern History. Students will be encouraged to identify, assess and critically evaluate relevant research resources and to present and defend their research findings in an appropriate and scholarly way.
Liverpool, Slavery and Public Histories of Empire
30 credits
30 credits
This module is closely aligned with LJMU’s research and public engagement priorities, including work on institutional histories of slavery and empire. It builds on partnerships with cultural and heritage organisations across Liverpool and beyond, and encourages students to engage with the city as a site of active historical interpretation and debate. This module contains some off-site delivery of teaching. Students will be advised of date and location of these visits and will be expected to make arrangements where practicable. Individual circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in order to ensure that module outcomes can be met.
History Beyond the University II
30 credits
30 credits
This module builds on History Beyond the University I, enabling students to apply the theoretical frameworks and critical approaches developed in Public History to a range of real-world contexts. Through a programme of guided field visits to museums, heritage sites, cultural institutions, and selected commercial organisations, students will examine how history is presented, interpreted, and mobilised in contemporary society.
The module places particular emphasis on public engagement, exploring how historians communicate with diverse audiences and how difficult, sensitive, and contested histories are represented within public spaces. Students will critically assess the interpretive, ethical, and institutional challenges involved in presenting the past beyond the university.
As a core component of the module, students will undertake a project linked to one or more of the sites visited. This project may involve collaborative work with an external institution or a critical analysis of the institution’s interpretive practices, allowing students to connect academic study with practical experience in the field of Public History.
Research methods: Philosophies, Theories and Approaches to History
30 credits
30 credits
This course introduces students to key historical philosophical and methodological debates, encompassing various theories such as post-colonialism and post-modernism. It also covers diverse historical research methods like oral history and quantitative history. The goal is to help students develop research projects grounded in these frameworks.
Your Learning Experience
An insight into teaching on your course
Teaching is designed to be accessible, collaborative and engaging for postgraduate students with different backgrounds and commitments. Students are typically on site for two half-days per week, combining seminars and workshops with guided fieldwork at archives, heritage sites and cultural institutions.
Part-time students attend one half-day per week. Sessions are structured to encourage discussion and critical thinking while giving students the support they need to progress with confidence.
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Assessment is entirely coursework-based, reflecting the breadth of skills developed across the MA. It includes essays, presentations, project work, and a dissertation. The emphasis is on building a strong portfolio of academic and transferable skills, including independent research, critical analysis, communication, writing for different audiences and project planning.
Where you will study
Based within the John Foster Building on the Mount Pleasant Campus the School of Humanities and Social Science has many outstanding facilities, including well-equipped IT Suites, a light-filled Student Common Room and dedicated postgraduate study areas. At the back of the John Foster Building is the Mount Pleasant Campus Library, which gives access to an exceptional range of materials to support the study of humanities and social science.
Course tutors
In Liverpool, history is everywhere. This MA works from the understanding that that history does not belong only in the classroom or the archive, instead it shapes how we understand the world, the environments we move through, and the stories societies tell about themselves. On this course, students will explore the many ways history is researched, presented and communicated — through museums, heritage, film, comedy, public debate and community work — while developing their own research on a subject that matters to them. They will also think critically about whose voices have been privileged, whose have been marginalised, and how historians can help to change public understanding.
Postgraduate research opportunities
At LJMU, you can take the next step in your academic journey with a PhD or MPhil, available on a full-time or part-time basis. International students also have the option to study remotely.
- PhD duration: Up to 4 years full-time, or up to 7 years part-time
- Funding options: Choose between funded projects (with supervisors already in place) or self-funded study
Our Doctoral Academy is here to support you every step of the way—from your first enquiry through to successful completion—working closely with Schools, Faculties, and Professional Services.
For more details on postgraduate research and full details on how to apply, visit the Doctoral Academy website.
Career paths
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 97% of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2025). Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
The MA Modern and Public History prepares students to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to work with history in a wide range of professional settings.
It is suitable for recent graduates moving into postgraduate study, professionals already working in education, heritage or cultural sectors, those considering a career change, and anyone returning to education with a sustained interest in the past.
Across the programme, students develop skills that are highly valued in many careers: research, analysis, writing, communication, interpretation, project development, public engagement and working critically with complex evidence. Graduates may go on to roles in museums, galleries, archives, heritage organisations, education, publishing, charities, community organisations, research and communications. The MA also provides a strong foundation for doctoral research or further professional study and for those studying for personal enrichment it offers a rigorous, supportive and stimulating environment in which to pursue a passion for history.
Tuition fees and funding
- Fee:
- £8,740
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.
Financial Support
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages. The University offers a range of financial support for students. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support pages including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
Additional Costs
In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
- Accommodation
- Travel costs and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
- Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire
- Fee:
- £17,750
International Scholarships and payment plans
Liverpool John Moores University is committed to supporting international students by providing a range of scholarships and flexible payment plans to help students manage their tuition fees.
Scholarships
LJMU provides a variety of postgraduate scholarships to support international students. Scholarships are available to self-funded students who have accepted their offer and met all the conditions outlined in their offer letter. Students must also demonstrate that they can cover living costs, travel, and other expenses associated to studying at the university. Postgraduate scholarships include tuition fee reductions and are often offered in partnership with external funding organisations such as the British Council and Chevening.
All self-funded international students are eligible for an automatic scholarship worth up to £4,000. For more details and to view our full list of scholarships, visit the international scholarship webpages.
Deposit
All students must pay a £5,000 deposit before they can receive their CAS letter.
For more information view our deposit page.
Tuition Fee Payment Plan
After paying their £5,000 deposit, students have the option to pay their fees in full or in three equal instalments minus any internal scholarships and discounts. There are two payment options available for international students. You can either pay your tuition fees in full before enrolment or opt for a payment plan. With the payment plan, you can pay your fees in three instalments after making your £5,000 deposit. The first instalment is due before enrolment.
All payments should be made through Flywire. Full details can be found in the How to Pay Guide.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
2.1 or above in History or a related discipline
Alternative qualifications considered
The programme welcomes applications from non-traditional applicants who can demonstrate relevant professional experience or prior learning. In these cases, applicants will be asked to provide additional evidence of academic ability such as a writing sample or interview.
Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
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The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.