Politics and History MPhil

About the course

Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. A research degree provides the opportunity to investigate a topic in depth, and contribute new knowledge to your discipline.

MPhil degree option
An MPhil involves the exploration of a research topic and is typically studied over a shorter period of 1 year for a full-time student and 2 years for a part-time student. MPhil students are required to demonstrate a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights informed by the forefront of their discipline, field of study or professional practice.

Research profile

Politics and History at Brunel is a thriving, interdisciplinary community of scholars in the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences, with 25 full-time academic faculty as well as a number of associated colleagues, including Honorary Fellows and postgraduate researchers. We engage in world-leading research across the disciplines of politics and history: in the last Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), 64% of our research was rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

The Department offers an inclusive research culture that brings together academic staff, postgraduate research students and taught students in lecture series, workshops and international conferences.

Six broad themes provide the foundation on which much of the research of the Department can be categorized:

Modern and Contemporary History, with special focus on the rise and fall of empires, regimes, nations and states
The political structures and processes of advanced capitalist states, especially Britain, the US, Asia, countries within the EU, and the EU itself
The history of political thought, with special interest in theories of violence and revolution
Intelligence and Security Studies, with a key focus on the institutions and processes of intelligence gathering
War and Conflict, including military history from the ancient to the modern period, counterinsurgency, peace-building, and border conflict
International relations, including specialisms in the modern Middle East and the politics of intervention.

Careers and your future

Our recent graduates have followed a variety of paths, including academic careers, further research work on grant-funded projects and careers in politics. While studying with us, you will receive excellent research training, which will prepare you for a range of careers.