University of Strathclyde

What you'll study

This Masters combines core historical methods with specialised study of the history of medicine, public health, hospitals, and health policy. You will study how ideas about disease, treatment and care have developed over time and across societies, and how medical knowledge, institutions and practice have shaped — and been shaped by — politics, economy and culture.

• Historiography and research methods: advanced training in archival research, oral history, quantitative and qualitative approaches, and ethical issues in health history research.
• Social and cultural history of medicine: modules on bodies, gender, mental health, and lived experience of illness.
• Public health and policy history: studies of sanitation, epidemics, welfare provision and the development of health systems.
• Institutional and professional histories: history of hospitals, nursing, medical professions and medical education.
• Global and comparative perspectives: examinations of imperial, transnational and global health movements and their legacies.
• Research dissertation: an extended piece of independent research grounded in primary sources, supported by supervisory guidance and access to local and national archives.

The programme is typically offered with a mix of seminars, lectures, workshops and archival sessions. Options may allow you to pursue thematic interests and to work with digital humanities tools for historical analysis.

Entry requirements

Applicants normally require a good undergraduate degree in history, a related humanities or social science discipline, or a relevant professional qualification. Candidates with substantial relevant work or research experience, or a lower honours classification, may be considered on an individual basis.

International applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English through an approved test or equivalent evidence. All applicants will be assessed on academic potential, relevant experience, and suitability for postgraduate study; a short writing sample or research proposal may be requested as part of the application process.

Career prospects

Graduates from Health History move into a wide range of careers where historical insight and research skills are valued. Typical destinations include:

• Academic research and further postgraduate study (PhD)
• Archives, libraries and record offices, including roles in cataloguing and collection management
• Museums and heritage organisations, including curatorial and public engagement roles
• Health policy, public health organisations and NGOs where historical perspective informs strategy and communications
• Media, publishing and communications, particularly on health and science topics
• Teaching and education, and roles in medical humanities programmes

The programme’s emphasis on primary-source research, critical analysis and communication prepares graduates for research-led and policy-oriented positions as well as roles that require project management and public-facing skills.

Why study at University of Strathclyde

The University of Strathclyde offers this programme within a vibrant humanities environment with interdisciplinary links across social sciences and health-related schools. Students benefit from strong supervisory expertise in social and medical history, and from Strathclyde’s partnerships with local archives, libraries and cultural institutions in Glasgow and beyond.

Strathclyde emphasises practical research training, with opportunities to work with original collections and to place historical work in dialogue with contemporary health challenges. Flexible study modes and supportive postgraduate facilities make the programme suitable for both recent graduates and practising professionals seeking to deepen their historical expertise.