History of Medicine MA

Explore our History of Medicine taught Master's degree at Warwick

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P-V3P7

MA

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

29 September 2025

History

University of Warwick

The History of Medicine MA will introduce you to the advanced study of the history of medicine, engaging with a range of concepts and placing medical theory in a broad social and cultural framework. The University of Warwick's History department – whose research activity is ranked one of the highest in the country (92%, REF 2021), will provide you with the guidance to acquire conceptual and practical skills and expertise in this field. Study at the University of Warwick's History department, an internationally recognised centre for innovative and influential research.

This MA encourages you to place developments within medical theory and practice in a broad social and cultural framework and to use a wide range of sources available to the historian of medicine (such as medical texts, practice records, diaries, case records, public health reports and health propaganda, and visual sources). Our modules are taught by a team of experts, ensuring that you are exposed to as many different viewpoints and approaches as possible.

The Term One core module ‘Themes and Methods in Medical History’ is designed to introduce you to some of the main historiographical approaches and debates within the history of medicine from the early modern period to the twenty-first century. The module focuses on the evolution of ideas, institutions and practices within medicine, the reception of new approaches and lay responses, the structure of medical practice and the medical professions, and the scientific, social and cultural context of medical intervention.

The Term Two core module, 'Matters of Life and Death' focuses on recent contributions to the discipline. It provides you with the opportunity to discuss in depth methodologies and approaches, the research questions underpinning the work and theoretical frameworks. By studying these texts, you will actively engage with the wide range of sources available.

The final key element is the dissertation - here you have a large amount of freedom to develop a project of your own choice with help and guidance from your supervisor who will meet with you throughout the third term. Throughout the year, you will be able to take advantage of the Department’s six research centres, including participating in the lively schedule of academic research seminars, lectures and conferences.

The programme will appeal equally to those wishing to undertake further postgraduate study and those pursuing a career outside of the University, equipping you with research, writing and critical thinking skills vital in a range of professions.

Historical Research: Theory, Skills and Methods

This compulsory 30 CATS one-term MA module will equip you with the methodological skills needed to carry out an extended piece of historical research and writing. As a student on one of the four MA History courses, you are required to follow it during the Autumn Term. Teaching will be delivered in one lecture and one seminar each week.

Themes and Methods in Medical History

This term I compulsory 30 CATS module is designed to introduce you to both major developments in medical thought and practice, and the main methodological approaches and debates used within the field of the history of medicine. It covers the early modern period to the twenty-first century, and invites you to think comparatively about medicine across space and time. The module includes sessions on Britain, Europe and global medicine and health. It focuses on the evolution of ideas, language and technologies within medicine, the reception of these new approaches and lay responses to them, the structure of medical practice, and the scientific, social, and cultural context of medical intervention.

Matters of Life and Death: Topics in the Medical Humanities

'Matters of Life and Death' is the Term Two compulsory 30 CATS core module for the MA in the History of Medicine. The module, taught in the Spring Term, may also be taken by students following any other MA programme in the History Department. 'Matters of Life and Death' will address a range of topics in the history of medicine via selected books authored by teaching and research staff in the Centre for the History of Medicine, enabling close study and reflection on the various historiographical and theoretical approaches adopted in these studies, sources and methodologies. This will enable you to consider how the field is evolving and new challenges in the medical humanities. You will be encouraged to relate these surveys to your own dissertation research and approaches.

Dissertation

The dissertation (60 CATS) is the most important piece of work you will produce in the course (a 20,000 word project). You should view it mainly as an opportunity to do in-depth research on your favourite topic and to develop research techniques and methodologies as well as to present the research in an appropriate format. It is helpful to begin the course with a clear, if general, idea of your dissertation topic.

Class Size

Reading lists 

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogueLink opens in a new window.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.  

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Part-time Study

The University of Warwick welcomes applications from students wishing to undertake the master's degree on a part time basis. Part-time students complete the same quantity of work undertaken by full time students, but this work is spread out over a longer period. Part-time study for the History Master’s degrees typically takes two years, instead of the usual one year.

The Department of History offers a high degree of flexibility in the construction of individualised programmes of part-time study. However, we recommend that part-time students follow the mandatory Theory, Skill, Method (TSM) module in the autumn term and one optional module in the spring term during their first year, to spread the workload as evenly as possible. This will mean that the course-specific core module and the second optional module are followed in the second year. (If students have external commitments which mean that a different structure is more appropriate, this can normally be accommodated.)

Part-time students will rarely be required to be on campus for more than one or two days a week. Part-time students will join the vibrant community of postgraduates in the Warwick History Department, and are encouraged to attend as many of the wide range of departmental offerings (seminars, reading groups, discussion forums, conferences, staff-student liaison committee, etc) as they are able to accommodate into their own timetable.

Queries about part-time MAs should firstly be directed to the Postgraduate Coordinator via email at PGHistoryOffice at warwick dot ac dot uk.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

• Band C
• IELTS overall score of 7.5, minimum component scores of two at 6.5/7.0 and the rest at 7.5 or above.

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

You will choose two modules from the list above.

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

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