Master of Arts in Social Research

at University of York United Kingdom

The Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS) is the UK’s oldest and largest centre for the interdisciplinary study and research into the Middle Ages. Our expertise spans over 1,000 years and multiple disciplines and faculties, offering dedicated skills training in palaeography, diplomatic and medieval languages.

New disciplines will complement your existing experience, offering you bespoke interdisciplinary modules as well as world-class teaching in the subjects of Archaeology, Literature and Language, History, History of Art and History of Science. You'll learn to recognise how geographies, chronologies and sources of evidence are interrelated, while exploring the fields of study that most interest you. Our global range of research and teaching extends across medieval Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa and Islamic Cultures, from 500-1500.

Our new interdisciplinary pathway examines the cultures of the Islamic world through the prism of literature, history, archaeology, art and architecture. Drawing on the wide ranging experience of our staff, you can create a bespoke programme that demonstrates the close connections across the medieval Mediterranean and beyond into Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Anatolia, Central Asia and east Africa.

In the medieval city of York, inspiration is everywhere, and you'll have access to some of the UK's most important medieval archives and museums, including York Minster Library and Archives, the Borthwick Institute for Archives, the Yorkshire Museum, and Jorvik Viking Centre.

An integrated history and art history degree will enable you to understand the forces that have shaped past societies and cultures, along with the artworks and artistic movements which those societies have produced.

This joint degree brings together two humanities disciplines to develop your skills in research, analysis and presentation. We offer an exceptionally wide variety of specialist options that range from the study of medieval churches to the history of twentieth-century Japan.

You'll gain expertise in the interpretation of visual forms of evidence such as paintings, architecture and material culture along with the ability to produce in-depth analysis of historical texts. You'll graduate as a highly-skilled, creative communicator, ready to make a valuable impact in a wide variety of industries.

Combining English and Philosophy offers you one of the most wide-ranging and stimulating degrees.

Encompassing almost every aspect of human thought and culture, this course will expose you to an array of ideas and ways of thinking about the world. Staff in both departments at York are world-renowned for their research, which covers every period, every major literary and philosophical genre, and all areas of the world.

This course is ideal if you want an interdisciplinary approach to Ecology and you will have a wide range of options to tailor the course to your developing interests.

You’ll develop an understanding of the processes that occur within and between organisms, through to investigating global systems and the influences that drive changes in these settings. Ecology at York ranges from studying the fundamentals of evolution, to the structure of populations and communities, and applications in conservation and environmental biology. You will build a solid foundation in theoretical concepts, which you will supplement with valuable experience in the field, and we have a dedicated field course in each of the first three years of the programme. As an ecologist, your focus on understanding our ecosystems and the processes occurring in them will be vital in helping us to work towards sustainable and effective solutions around current and future global challenges, whether around climate change, feeding the world sustainably or tackling diseases.

Adding a year in industry or a year abroad are both an option with this course too, so you can benefit from the advantages that a year away can bring. The Department of Biology will provide you with the opportunity to learn in new, spacious and modern teaching laboratories which provide excellent facilities for practicals and small group project work, alongside our state-of-the-art computing facilities.

Historical Archaeology explores the emergence of the modern world, from the end of the Middle Ages to the 21st century. It is one of the fastest growing areas of archaeology, dealing with many exciting issues that shape the world we have inherited today.

Drawing together a rich and diverse range of material, documentary and landscape sources, you will have the chance to explore dynamic and globally significant themes, from capitalism to colonialism. You'll gain practical training in analysing and interpreting evidence, from excavations and standing buildings to designed landscapes and artefacts.

The knowledge and skills you'll develop on this course will provide an unrivalled insight into the past and present, giving you a head start in many heritage or historic careers and research, as well as a range of other sectors.

Chemistry is often referred to as the 'central science'. It covers topics as diverse as quantum mechanics and the study of atomic particles, to the molecular nature of biological systems and the Human Genome Project.

This degree will give you a strong grounding in fundamental chemistry. You'll also develop specialist knowledge of chemistry for biology and medicine, from the use of powerful microscopes to investigate the causes of genetic disease to exploring new treatments for cancer.

Health Economics informs how we make difficult decisions about prioritising resources, and help people to live longer and healthier lives.

As a graduate of this degree, you'll be ready to make a tangible impact in this developing field.

Chemistry is often referred to as the 'central science' as it covers topics as diverse as quantum mechanics and the study of atomic particles, to the molecular nature of biological systems and the Human genome project.

Environmental change raises important concerns over the future well-being of our planet. Although it is apparent that some changes result at least in part from human activities, it is equally clear that natural variations also play a major role.

This course will give you the opportunity to learn about the chemical basis of the environment and to understand our impact upon it.

Course Highlights

• Chemical evolution of the Earth
• Chemical oceanography
• Meteorology and climate change
• Archaeological environments in the geological past
• Atmospheric modelling and measuring techniques
• Impact of air pollution on climate and human health

New ideas and innovations are essential to meeting industry and society's growing needs for green chemistry and clean technology.

The first course of its kind to be accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, this taught Masters is designed to equip you with key skills in green chemistry and green chemical technology. You'll study industrial and commercial applications in close collaboration with industry leaders, and gain an awareness of the problems they face.

As part of the Department of Chemistry at York, you will join our friendly and welcoming community. You'll benefit from high-quality teaching by expert staff, who are engaged in world-leading research in many areas of chemistry.

Our BA History of Art with a year abroad will give you four distinctive and complementary years of studying the history of art and architecture.

You'll start with a year-long introduction to the history of art with an option to study a language. You'll build on these essential skills in your year abroad which you'll spend studying with one of our prestigious partner institutions in Europe, the USA and China, immersing yourself in the language, culture, art and architecture. You'll receive rounded training in the discipline and practice of art history.

During your time at York we'll introduce you to an extraordinary variety of art and architecture from many areas, including Europe and the Americas, but also covering the Middle East, North Africa, and East, South and South East Asia. You can also study an exciting range of time periods, from the late antique to the contemporary.

History of Art is a traditional humanities subject with a strong vocational element, allowing you to develop valuable transferable skills. We have partnerships with the Tate, the National Gallery, the V&A and York Museums trust. We also work on art beyond the museum and gallery system, including with partners in country houses, maritime museums and churches. These partnerships contribute to the teaching and research in our department - you'll benefit from our collaborative links with these institutions. In addition the interdisciplinary nature of art history allows you to develop your existing skills and interests and is reflected in our close relationship with other departments and centres in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.