Modern History

The Master Programme in Modern History will provide you with knowledge of, and insight into, the modern world. The programme will give special consideration to the 20th century until today, with some attention to the 18th and 19th century background. The focus is on Europe but the programme also pays attention to other parts of the world. We offer a broad understanding of modern times coupled with a strong emphasis on research skills.The place of instruction is the beautiful Swedish town of Uppsala, which boasts a medieval cathedral, a sixteenth-century castle, a university dating to the fifteenth century and the famous student nations. The programme stresses research skills and an independent thesis project. Since 2009 more than a third of the graduates with a Master’s degree in history from Uppsala University have been accepted into a PhD programme in Sweden or abroad.WHY THIS PROGRAMME?The Master Programme in Modern History is committed to the belief that a greater appreciation and understanding of European history is critical for understanding today’s social and political problems. As part of the program, you will gain a broad familiarity with the some of the main political, social, economic and cultural developments and processes characteristic of the past 100 to 200 years. These include state and nation building; the struggle between democracy and dictatorship, European imperialism and anti-imperial movements, the rise of identity-based social and political movements, political extremism and governments’ responses to it, and changing policies on migration out of and into Europe. The programme also aims to give you the theoretical and research skills you need to conduct your own independent historical research. You will acquire skills in researching and writing, and learn to analyse a wide array of sources, including handwritten materials, images and material artefacts, and online databases. You will be introduced to digital humanities approaches, and you will have access to a number of digital resources and databases and to the rich collections in the Uppsala University Library. You will have the opportunity to apply to an internship at a cultural or government institution, or to do a research internship within one of the research projects at the department.Finally, you will complete an original master thesis based on original historical research. The Department of History holds a conference every year in which both Master’s students and international scholars participate, and at that time you will have an opportunity to present your work to experts in the field.