'As a mature student, coming from a management background, I am impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by The Centre for Reformation and Early Modern Studies (CREMS) staff. They bring their own particular expertise to the field itself and are also keen to support their students, encouraging and challenging them towards achieving their aims. The formation of the early modern sector of the History department into CREMS has given it focus and, I think, encouraged a greater sense of identity for both staff and students'.
Sylvia Gill
'I feel that my knowledge of my period is being continually broadened by the diversity in approaches which CREMS encourages; it helps to bring together the community of researchers in early-modern history at Birmingham; it reduces the sense of isolation which many postgraduates can feel; it provides a very fertile atmosphere for new researchers, especially given the broad range of specialisations amongst the academic staff. In all honesty, I do think that, in the three 1/2 years I've been studying at Birmingham, early modern history is noticeably more enjoyable, more exciting, more stimulating - not that it wasn't a good place to study before, but that the more people we have and the more we communicate, the more interesting it becomes'.
Neil Younger
'The Centre provides me with a challenging but supportive environment in which to pursue my research interests. I particularly value the opportunity to discuss my work with fellow students and established academics in a genuinely interdisciplinary forum'.
Mary Partridge
Module information for our postgraduate degree programme Early Modern History MRes.
The degree consists of three elements: the thesis, the taught module on historiography and a research training module:
Thesis (120 credits)
This is a major part of the degree which you will work on throughout the academic session and to which you will be assigned an individual supervisor. The thesis must be no longer than 20,000 words and can be submitted at any time after the end of September in the year following entry into the degree. (For part-time students this will be two years following entry into the degree.) If you are interested in studying for this degree, you should contact the Department of History with a proposed topic of research so that a suitable supervisor can be found.
Historical Methods module (40 credits)
This is a module taken by most students on taught master's programmes within the Department. The first half of the module involves studying some of the most important "schools" of historical writing since 1945 and reading and discussing some of the major works by historians linked to those schools. The second half of the module is specifically related to the particular concerns of early modern historians. Classes meet in the first half of the module for two hours each week and students write two assessed essays.
Research Skills Training module (20 credits)
This module will vary according to your interest and requirements. All students will receive the bibliographical training offered through Information Services and some training in IT. In addition linguistic, palaeographical, quantitative methods and other training will be offered. This is quite a flexible module and, where appropriate, you may wish to substitute certain skills courses for a theoretical or historiographical essay related to your field of research instead.
The modules are assessed in various ways - by examination, coursework, attendance etc.