Course summary

Why has the end of the Cold War not inaugurated a more harmonious world order? Do we see the continuation of old rivalries or the birth of a fundamentally different world? Do we still live in a globalised world or are we facing nationalist retrenchment? Is liberal democracy in crisis? Is US power declining and being replaced by new leaders on the world stage? How will I learn? This MSc allows you to explore such questions critically and analytically while discovering how the recent past shaped the modern world. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the increasingly global experience of humankind in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A specialised methodological and historiographical course will help you appreciate the distinctiveness of contemporary history; its use of radio, television, film, and internet-based sources such as Wikileaks; and its methodology. This rigorous skills training will be supplemented by a variety of topical, specialised options, covering virtually every distinctive approach to history (for example, political, social and economic) and every region on the globe, underlining the increasing globalisation of our recent past. Facilities The MSc makes use of Edinburgh’s unique archival and bibliographical resources – the National Archives of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, the University’s library and archives – and is enriched by the city’s key role in current British politics. Additionally, with our close association to the Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History, Edinburgh is a wonderful environment for contemporary scholarship.