Programme Specification: MSc Global History
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
LSE
N/A
8. Application Code
9. First written/last amended
V3U6
September 2003 / November 2012
MSc
Global History
12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
Economic History
N/A
10. The programme aims to:


Provide a broad training in the fundamental themes of global economic history.
Provide essential training for students working towards MPhil/PhD degrees, and for
those who wish to develop professional research expertise, in global history.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
Subject knowledge:
 knowledge of global history in both general themes and selected specialist areas;
 understand the use of theory, analysis and evidence in the construction of global
history arguments.
Transferable understanding and skills:
 understand complex global economic history problems by framing them in ways which
simplify while still retaining relevance;
 develop independent analysis and argument for their own formulated question;
 skills to gather, deploy, combine and assess evidence of different kinds;
 skills to critically examine the arguments and evidence presented by others.
 skills to make arguments consistent with inferences from available evidence and
communicate these arguments and conclusions in clear, concise and persuasive
forms.
General skills:
 skills in IT for general and academic purposes
 library, internet and information search skills
 research report writing
 oral presentations
 collaborative research and presentation
Please follow the link for information relating to careers.
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
The degree programme consists of 2.5 units obligatory taught courses and either optional
courses to the value of one unit and a half-unit (6,000 word) dissertation, or optional courses
to the value of 0.5 units and a full-unit (10,000 word) dissertation
Teaching on the core courses covers approaches to the study of global history and the main
themes, scope and materials of the field. This includes discussion of the role of theory and the
nature of historical analysis. Optional courses are concerned with substantive and specialised
elements of the global history agenda. Courses are taught in combinations of lectures and
seminars depending on the material. All courses in economic history are supported by
Moodle, which is the virtual learning environment system (VLE) used by LSE.
The combination of lectures and seminars is designed so that students learn via two different
media. From lectures, they learn essential shared material, while seminar work encourages
students to specialise and to work through course materials on their own or with their peers.
Seminar presentations and discussions provide the means for students to learn the process of
constructing and delivering concise accounts and defending their analysis. All courses also
have written work requirements and students are given feedback on their work.
An important component in students’ learning is provided by their undertaking an independent,
but closely supervised, research project in global history. The supervision process provides a
structured timetable for their work and for feedback during the process, beginning with four
timetabled dissertations sessions in the Michaelmas Term which are attended by all MSc
students. By the end of this term, students must decide whether they will writ eht 10,000 word
or the 6,000 word dissertation. Those who choose the full-unit, 10,000 word, dissertation will
attend additional sessions in the Lent Term which will give guidance on research design and
research methods. By the end of the Summer Term, with the help of their supervisors,
students produce a draft thesis. On the basis of supervisors’ feedback, students then extend
and revise their dissertation for the beginning of September.
All courses and components are taught by LSE faculty or visiting teachers and post-doctoral
researchers. All students are allocated to a member of the teaching faculty for individual
supervision and dissertation supervision. Visitors and research faculty are also available to
provide further expertise for dissertation research. The MSc Research Director provides
support to all students in respect of course choice, and any other programme issues.
Assessment strategies
The courses are assessed by a written examination or a set piece of assessed work. All
students produce a dissertation: either a 10,000 word research dissertation or a 6,000 word
literature review.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the MSc Global History programme regulations
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
This programme is intended for graduates in history, geography, anthropology and other arts
degrees as well as related social sciences, such as economics, politics and sociology (prior
knowledge of economic theory is not essential).
Applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree or its equivalent in a
social science or humanities subject and a desire to explore change in a global perspective
over the long term.
15. Indicators of quality
Positive LSE External Examiners’ reports on the degree programme and performance of
students.
Members of the department set up the Global Economic History Network and were also
instrumental in founding the Journal of Global History.
The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
The programme is subject to the School’s overall mechanisms for quality evaluation and
improvement. In addition, we have departmental mechanisms as follows:
We use three mechanisms to review quality and initiate improvement.
a) Review by the departmental Teaching Committee, which includes the Head of Department,
the Undergraduate and the MSc Programme Directors.
b) Review by Departmental Meeting; and
c) Review by course teachers.
The first two mechanisms (a) and (b) are used to evaluate and improve the quality of
teaching; programme offerings; programme design; and assessment. Minor changes are
initiated by advice from office holders to the department; major changes are decided by the
department as a whole (often following a Teaching Committee review). The third mechanism
(c) is used by individual teachers to improve course quality and design.
Our mechanisms make use of information and advice given by External Examiners reports,
TQARO student opinion surveys, our staff-student committee meetings, individual student
feedback, and our own course and programme level reviews.
School mechanisms (*operate at departmental level):
 regular staff appraisal*
 induction and mentoring* system
 improvements in teaching technique are effected by the Teaching and Learning
Centre (TLC) through observations, advice and further training;
 induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
 Staff/student liaison committee;
 centrally administered student satisfaction questionnaires by the Teaching Quality
Assurance and Review Office;
 an improved system for ensuring that External Examiner’s
comments/recommendations are fed through to Departments and acted upon;
 the School’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee (TLAC) which regulates
all aspects of teaching quality;
 annual monitoring of courses and periodic reviews every 3-5 years. The outcomes of
the annual reviews are presented to TLAC;
 the School’s Undergraduate Studies Sub Committee and Graduate Studies Sub
Committee which oversee all taught programmes and ensure that significant changes
to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of formal stages to ensure that
curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other developments.