Teaching and Learning
Learning and assessment
A variety of ways of learning are pursued to help students develop the knowledge and study skills needed for success. Opportunities for individual tutorial support are provided outside of the times of the says schools. Assessment over the two years is via six 4,000 word essays and a dissertation. Each essay is worth 20 credits and the dissertation is worth 60 credits.
The dissertation
Students will also have the opportunity to research a topic of their own choice under the supervision of one of the members of the Centre, using the many archival resources available to the region. The MA will provide students with the in-depth training necessary to understand and use these sources. The result of this research will be a 12,000-word dissertation.
Interim awards
Upon successful completion of 60 credits any student who might wish to leave the course will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate, for 120 credits the students will be able to receive a Postgraduate Diploma.
Have you ever wondered how Birmingham came to be the city it is, or how the counties of the West Midlands developed in past centuries? This MA course is aimed at students who want to explore the history of the region in depth from the eleventh century to the twentieth.
Students will take six taught courses (three per year). They will also write a 12,000-word dissertation on a topic of their choosing during year two.
Taught courses
Town and country in the West Midlands, c.1050-c.1300
This course offers an in-depth analysis of the changes that occurred in England's political, socio-economic and ecclesiastical structures between c. 1050 and c. 1300 and of how these trends directly affected the people of the West Midlands region.
Reformation, social change and civil war: the West Midlands in the 16th and 17th centuries
This course will allow you to explore the Reformation of the sixteenth century and its impact on the counties and towns of the West Midlands. This will be followed by the study of the English Civil War and its impact on the region.
Transforming the region: Economy, society and politics in the West Midlands in the 18th and 19th centuries
This module explores the history of the West Midlands in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by focussing on aspects of the economic, political, social and cultural history of industrial areas such as Birmingham, the Black Country, the Ironbridge Gorge, the Potteries and Derwent Valley, urban centres such as Lichfield, Shrewsbury and Worcester and the counties of Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Derbyshire.
Turmoil and change: Economy, society and politics in the West Midlands in the 20th century
Some of the themes discussed during this course will be: the changes that have taken place in the socio-political configuration of the region's communities during the century; the changing composition of the regional economy; and the reasons and the impact of the changing racial mixture of the region.
Two courses on sources and research techniques for the study of the West Midlands (including field trips) in the medieval and Early Modern period and the 18th to 20th centuries
The aim of these two courses is to provide you with the skills necessary to understand historical sources used to write the history of this region and prepare you for working on your 12,000-word dissertation. One of these is taught each year.
The Centre promotes research into the history of the West Midlands, the publication of books, articles and electronic media which explore the region's past and the sharing of knowledge between academics, independent scholars and heritage professionals. Members of staff in the Centre have expertise in archaeology, history of art, social science, the history of medicine, education and heritage as well as history.
Day schools for the public, seminars, conferences, the journal Midland History and opportunities to study for research degrees (MPhils and PhDs) as well as the MA, provide historians and enthusiasts with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and exchange ideas on the history of the region. The Centre also works with other organisations to create research projects. There is an active Friends' organisation which provides a forum for communication for all of those with an interest in the history of the West Midlands.
Location and resources
Birmingham's central position within the region and its status as the largest city make it an ideal place to study and research the history of the West Midlands. The University library at Birmingham, Birmingham Central Library and the record offices and local studies libraries of the region all offer excellent resources for this programme, both in terms of books and articles on the history of the region and resources for the dissertation.