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The History course in Cambridge offers a very wide range of papers to choose from and is unique in its chronological and geographical scope. History has always been a major part of the intellectual life of Magdalene College. Although the College is one of the smaller Colleges, there are a large number of Fellows teaching in History or related disciplines, and their research interests reflect of full range of historical studies in Cambridge.
At any one time we have around 18 students reading History in the College, in addition to 6-10 graduate students embarked on MPhil or PhD study. It is a diverse and cosmopolitan community of scholars; a significant number of our undergraduate and graduate students come to Cambridge from outside the United Kingdom. We believe that a College environment provides unique conditions in which students can best develop their own intellectual interests in discussion with people with similar enthusiasms.
Although individual study is the principal foundation of the course, in College we supplement Faculty and supervision teaching with seminars, discussion classes, guest speakers and social events. For example, much of the teaching for the general paper in Historical Argument and Practice takes place through College discussion classes.
Dr Christina Skott - College Lecturer and Director of Studies for Part I, works on knowledge of Asia in the development of 18th century anthropology and natural history.
Dr Tim Harper - Fellow, Reader in Southeast Asian and Imperial History and Director of Studies for Part II, works on the history of modern Asia and its global connections.
Dr. R. Hyam - Fellow, formerly University Reader in Imperial History, is a pre-eminent historian of the British empire. Professor E. Duffy - Fellow, Professor of the History of Christianity, has written widely on late medieval and early-modern popular religious belief and practice, on the English Roman Catholic community, and on the papacy. Dr J. Patterson - Fellow, University Senior Lecturer in Ancient History, is an historian of Rome with special interests in urban history. Dr Carl Watkins - Fellow, University Senior Lecturer in Medieval History, works on religious culture in the central and later middle ages, especially on beliefs about, and conceptualisations of, the supernatural. Sample Lecture Dr Amira Bennison – Fellow and University Senior Lecturer in Middle East Studies, has wide interests in Islamic history from the time of the first Caliphs to Islamic Spain and the 19th century Maghrib. Professor Emma Rothschild - Senior Research Fellow and Honorary Professor of History and Economics, has written extensively on economic history and the history of economic thought. Dr G Atkins - British Academy Research Fellow in modern British History, has interests in religion, politics and culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. Dr Lily Chang - Research Fellow in Modern Chinese History, works on the history of war in China, particular through problems of crime and delinquency.
In addition, the College has many distinguished visiting Fellows in History who play a full role in the life of the history community. Some have held the College’s Charles Stuart Parnell Fellowship in Irish Studies, including Professor Tom Bartlett, Professor Nicholas Canny, and Professor Keith Jefferys, the official historian of MI6; other recent visitors have been Professor James Raven, a leading historian of the book and Professor Dilip Menon, an historian of South Asia.
The Cambridge History Faculty is the best in Europe, and its members include many internationally renowned historians and many fine lecturers. You can visit the website for the most recent information about courses.
The Cambridge History course (Tripos) is divided into two parts: Part I and Part II. Part I lasts for two years; Part II occupies the third and final year of the course. In general, Part I emphasises a breadth of understanding of historical issues, encouraging students to study papers from a variety of periods and perspectives; Part II concentrates on acquiring depth of knowledge.
The Part I course is extremely flexible and there are very few limitations to the choice of papers. The only requirement is that undergraduates must take one paper from both the period before and after 1750 AD, as well as a paper in British political history, one in social and economic history and one in European History. It is up to the individual student to decide whether to specialise in one area: for example ancient and medieval history, or twentieth-century history, or to choose papers from across the whole range of faculty teaching. Equally, some students opt to focus on a single approach to history, choosing, for example, papers on political history; others sample a wider range of topics, embracing economic, social, intellectual and cultural approaches. The Director of Studies will advise you about how to get the most out of this freedom of choice and lack of prescription in the course.
At the centre of the Part II course are document-based Special Subjects, which are often based on a lecturer’s current research, as well as other specialised papers. Students have the option to substitute one paper with a dissertation, the subject of which they can devise themselves, with the help of a supervisor. The majority of Part II students choose to do dissertation and find developing their own research project very rewarding.
For more information about Cambridge History, take a tour of the Faculty’s ‘Journey into History'’ website.
In History Part I undergraduates will study one paper each Term for the first five Terms. The sixth paper, the 'Themes and Sources' paper, will be taught in classes in the Lent and Easter Terms of your first year. Popular options include: 'Princely Courts’, ‘Migration’ and ‘the History of the Emotions’. It is examined by means of a Long Essay, which is completed by the beginning of the Lent Term of the second year. The sixth Term is devoted to revision.
Once undergraduates decide on their paper choices, the Director of Studies will arrange for them to be supervised by historians who research and teach in a field within each of the chosen papers. Undergraduates are not confined to Magdalene supervisors. Magdalene, however, does boast a number of History Fellows and this influences many undergraduates' paper choices. For example, Professor Eamon Duffy supervises early modern British history. Dr Christina Skott and Dr Tim Harper supervise the papers ‘Empires and world history from the fifteenth century to the First World War’ and ‘World history since 1914’; Dr Carl Watkins teaches British and European medieval history; Dr John Patterson supervises Roman history./p>
The weekly supervision - usually on a one-to-one basis or in a small group of two - is at the heart of the Term's work. It is one of the most distinctive features of study in Cambridge and provides undergraduates with expert personal guidance in their historical studies. Each Term has eight weeks (except Easter, which is a week shorter), and each week supervisors set an essay on a topic within the paper the student is studying. Usually the questions will be broadly conceived and allow students to get a wide coverage of the paper during the course of a Term. This also allows scope for undergraduates to develop their own individual areas of interest. Supervisors will give you guidance on reading and the most important lectures to attend in the Faculty.
A supervision is only one stage in the development of students' historical knowledge: a synthesis and assessment of their own ideas, so far as time, knowledge and development of one's critical powers, allow. A supervision is a dialogue with an expert in the field, and is supplemented by other forms of teaching in the Faculty, such as lectures and larger-group classes.
Magdalene history is very committed to the ongoing development of students' language skills. Every historian is entitled to language tuition in any language he or she chooses. Some keep up those they have studied at school; the more courageous tackle something entirely new. Knowledge of one or more languages helps with many Part I papers, and is particularly useful for some Part II courses, especially certain special subjects and dissertation topics. The most popular choices are French, Arabic, German, Latin, and Spanish.
Magdalene has an active History Society, open to all Magdalene historians - Fellows, graduates and undergraduates. It meets several times a Term, organises talks, excursions and social events. We also hold an Annual Dinner in Lent Term.
We expect to receive around 4-5 applications per place in History. We normally admit 6 undergraduates each year, although we do not have an absolute quota and final figures depend on the calibre of the candidates and the total number of places available within College.
We normally expect candidates to have or be on course to obtain History at A2-Level, at Advanced Higher Level, or at the Higher Level of the IB (or an equivalent national qualification such as the German Abitur, French Baccalaureate, etc). Two additional subjects at advanced level (A2) are normally required, although the majority of candidates are likely to have a further subject at AS-Level which they may or may not continue to the full A2; we are willing to consider a wide range of subjects. Languages, English, mathematics and social sciences are all particularly useful, but almost anything you study will have relevance. At GCSE level (or equivalent), we like to see a mixture of Arts and Science subjects and, normally, successful candidates will have obtained a good range of subjects, many of which will be at grade A or A*.
We typically require A*AA at A2-Level, or AAA/AAB at Advanced Highers. In the IB we typically ask for 39+ points overall with 7, 7, 6 at Higher Level. However, our offers are always tailor-made to the individual candidate and we try to set the offer at a realistic level. Lower offers (eg ABB, AAC at A2-Level) have occasionally been set; so-called 'matriculation' offers of EE may be set but only in exceptional circumstances.
It is entirely up to you whether or not you take a year out. If you wish to change you entry year after obtaining an offer of a place, we try to accommodate this change of heart, but it is not always possible. It is better to have reached a decision by the time of the interviews.
We do accept reapplications but we strongly recommend that you think very carefully before giving up a place at another good university to pursue a place in Cambridge.
We welcome applications from mature students. Although we are not a College specialising in mature students, we admit two or three a year across all subjects and they are very happy and successful here. If you wish to be considered as a mature applicant (i.e. post-21 at the time of the commencement of the course), you need to be engaged in a course of study at the moment or to have completed one very recently. The kinds of course appropriate are A2-Levels, OU courses or certain Access courses. Recent academic success carries more weight than an academic record from the past. If you are in any doubt about your preparedness for an application you are advised to contact us at the first opportunity.
We know that some applicants will have a disadvantaged background for a variety of reasons, and although the information above shows 'typical' offers, we do look at every candidate in the light of his or her circumstances. We are very committed to encouraging applications from candidates from all types of school and college, and our admissions policy reflects this commitment.
Although the vast majority of Magdalene students take both Parts of the Historical Tripos, it is possible to combine History with another subject. For example, two years of History (Part I) can be followed by two years of English (Part II), or by one year of Politics, Psychology and Sociology (PPS). Sometimes students change to History from another subject after Part I, taking a two-year Part II in History. There are many possible combinations; indeed, this flexibility is one of the great advantages of the Cambridge Tripos system. If you might be interested in combining History with another subject you are advised to consult the Admissions Tutor.
Candidates for admission in History are asked to send two essays in to College in advance of their meeting with the History Fellows. These essays form the basis of part of the discussion and allow the candidate to set the agenda for a substantial element of the interview process. There will also be general discussion both about the choice of course and about historical issues. In addition to meeting the Director of Studies in History, all candidates have an interview with a non-specialist and one other, who are likely to ask about your A2-Level subjects and other interests or may discuss your interest and motivation to study History from a different perspective.
The best preparation for applying to Magdalene, and for interview, is to read as widely as you can. This can be both in History and in related fields such as literature and current affairs. There are no ‘set texts’ that we prescribe, but try and extend your reading around what you may have studied at school, and look beyond it to other periods and places. Follow your own interests and develop them. An enthusiasm for the subject is vital to studying History at university, and, when you apply for a place, reading is the best way of demonstrating this. There is excellent advice to how to go about this on the Faculty’s ‘Virtual Classroom’.
Overseas candidates will be invited for interview in the UK. In a small number of cases, it may be possible to conduct interviews in a candidate's home country. If a candidate cannot attend interview (and many cannot) they are invited to submit two pieces of written work to the College and to sit a short test, normally lasing 1 hour, which is sent by fax and administered by their school or college.
From 2010, The Joint Centre for History and Economics has been based at Magdalene College and King's College, Cambridge, and at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University. It was established in 1991 to promote research and education in fields of importance for historians and economists. Its aim is to provide a forum in which scholars can address some of their common concerns, whether through the application of economic concepts to historical problems, through the history of economic and social thought, or through economic history.
The objective of the Centre is to encourage fundamental research in each of the two disciplines. It also encourages the participation of historians and economists in addressing issues of public importance. In cooperation with its counterpart Centre at Harvard, the Cambridge Centre undertakes research projects and organizes workshops, seminars and exchanges of faculty and graduate students. Professor Emma Rothschild is a Director of the Centre and Dr Tim Harper an Associate Director.
Some introductory reading, featuring recent, new approaches to history, by Magdalene historians:
Our students go on to follow a great variety of careers. History graduates acquire a wide range of analytical and communication skills, and this makes them very attractive to employers. Historians are taught to think critically, are well-equipped to understand change, and our graduates have shown themselves to be very adaptive and resourceful in their career paths. The diversity and global outlook of Cambridge History opens up rich new horizons for our students. Each year some of historians go on to advanced research degrees. This may be in Cambridge – where, in recent years, MPhils in Historical Studies, South Asian Studies and International Relations have proved popular - or at another good university. Some may go on further to a PhD: there are Magdalene historians teaching today in a number of UK universities.
Other History graduates go into journalism, or other media, and are writing and publishing in a variety of fields. Recent graduates have secured jobs presenting for BBC television, working for the BBC World Service or with newspapers such as The Financial Times. Others have gone into arts management, such as managing a national dance company.
There is a long tradition of Magdalene historians in public service: whether in the home civil service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or international organizations. Magdalene History graduates have, in recent years, been found in ministerial positions, as ambassadors, working in local government and health trusts.
Most years one or two students will go onto further professional training: the law is always popular (the current Lord Chief Justice began his career as an historian at Magdalene) as well as the financial sector and management consultancy.
A number students go overseas after graduating, either for a year or longer-term. Recent graduates have gone to do voluntary service overseas and taught English as a foreign language in places such as China and Japan. Students have often gone into teaching, either taking a PGCE qualification in Cambridge or elsewhere, or else gaining a post as a History teacher in the independent sector. In recent years, ‘Teach First’ has proved a popular path.
July 2011
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