M.Phil. Early Modern History

Course Description

The M.Phil course in Early Modern History offers well-qualified graduates in History, the Humanities and the Social Sciences an introduction to research in the political, social, cultural and religious history of Ireland, Britain and Europe across the early modern period. This one-year course (or two years part-time) is designed to introduce students to a wide range of issues in, and approaches to, early modern history. It also provides students with training in research methods and skills. The course is built around Trinity College Library’s unparalleled resources for the period from the Reformation to the French Revolution. The course may also serve as an introduction to graduate study for students intending to pursue doctoral studies.

The core module for this course is From Reform to Revolution: Cultural Change and Political Conflict in Early Modern Europe. Students also choose two major of study, one in each term. Availability of modules varies from year to year. Subjects recently offered include: Religious Tolerance and Intolerance in Early Modern Europe; War and Society in Early Modern Ireland and Europe; The War of Ideas in the English Revolution; Gender, Identity and Authority in Eighteenth-Century France; Renaissance Kingship. In addition, students take modules focussed on research training and skills. These are designed to introduce the diverse resources and methodologies that historians encounter in their research while also equipping students with the practical skills that are required for the study of early modern history. The Research Seminar in Early Modern History provides an opportunity for invited early modernists from Ireland and elsewhere to discuss their work with graduate students. The capstone of the course is the independent dissertation project. Students complete dissertations of between 15,000 and 20,000 words based on their own primary research. Each student is assigned a supervisor who provides individual academic guidance on their research project.