University College London (UCL)
European Culture and Thought: Thought MA
London, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The European Culture and Thought: Thought MA is designed for students interested in exploring the intellectual traditions and cultural developments across Europe. It offers a flexible program that combines historical, philosophical, literary, and cultural analysis. Students engage with key ideas, texts, and debates that have shaped European thought, helping them develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the region’s intellectual history.
The course encourages students to analyze the influence of different ideas and cultural movements over time. It supports independent research and offers opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests. The program prepares students for careers in areas such as academia, cultural institutions, or journalism by helping them develop skills in research, argumentation, and communication that are valuable in many fields.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and private study. The Third Term is devoted to revision sessions and the dissertation project. A 15-credit module is equivalent to 150 hours of study and a 30-credit module is equivalent to 300 hours. This includes contact time, private study and the undertaking of coursework assignments.
Students are assessed by a variety of methods, which may include coursework, presentations, written essays, unseen examinations and the research dissertation. Teaching sessions are interactive, with a limited amount of lecturer presentation and an emphasis on student participation and critical discussion.
For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study per week. Contact hours may vary depending on module choices, but full-time students will have approximately 8-10 contact hours each week during term time, spent in lectures and seminars.
For a part-time postgraduate course, contact hours would usually be 4-6 hours per week across 2-3 days and we recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study per week. There is minimal teaching during the Third Term, as students focus on the dissertation and assessments.
Modules
Full-time
There are two routes for the MA European Culture and Thought: 1. European Culture and Thought: Culture; and 2. European Culture and Thought: Thought. Each route has two pathways: Taught and Research. You will need to undertake modules of the total value of 180 credits.
Full-time structure for taught pathway:
During the academic year, you will take compulsory modules which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation and provide you with the specific skills to research and write essays and the dissertation. These compulsory modules will cover a range of disciplines, helping you identify areas of interest for further study and allow you to examine the development of modern social theory by looking in detail at the ideas of European thinkers.
You will also choose optional modules from the suggested list (see Optional modules). These modules set the foundation of the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. During the Second Term, in addition to your taught modules, you will start formulating your dissertation proposal. This work will continue into the Third Term and across the remainder of the academic year. You will develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will give a presentation to your peers and tutors on your dissertation to help cement your argument and subject area to cover. This is a non-assessed compulsory element of the MA. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your 12,000-word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your academic supervisor.
Full-time structure for research pathway:
During the academic year, you will take compulsory modules which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation and provide you with the specific skills to research and write essays and the dissertation. These compulsory modules will cover a range of disciplines, helping you identify areas of interest for further study and allow you to examine the development of modern social theory by looking in detail at the ideas of European thinkers.
You will also choose optional modules from the suggested list (see Optional modules). These modules set the foundation of the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. During the Second Term, in addition to your taught modules, you will start formulating your dissertation proposal. This work will continue into the Third Term and across the remainder of the academic year. You will develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will give a presentation to your peers and tutors on your dissertation to help cement your argument and subject area to cover. This is a non-assessed compulsory element of the MA. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your 18,000-word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your academic supervisor.
Part-time
Part-time structure for taught pathway:
In the First Year, you will take two compulsory modules, which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation module and to provide you with the specific skills to research and write essays and the dissertation. These modules set the foundation for the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. In the Second Year, you will take optional modules to develop your broader understanding and to develop key concepts learnt in the First Year. You will also formulate and develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will give a presentation to your peers and tutors on your dissertation proposal to help cement your argument and subject areas to cover. This is a non-assessed compulsory element of your MA. You will then spend the summer of the Second Year researching and writing your 12,000-word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your supervisor.
Part-time structure for research pathway:
In the First Year, you will take two compulsory modules, which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation module and to provide you with the specific skills to research and write essays and the dissertation. These modules set the foundation for the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. In the Second Year, you will take optional modules to develop your broader understanding and to develop key concepts learnt in the First Year. You will also formulate and develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will give a presentation to your peers and tutors on your dissertation proposal to help cement your argument and subject areas to cover. This is a non-assessed compulsory element of your MA. You will then spend the summer of the Second Year researching and writing your 18,000-word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your supervisor.
Compulsory modules
- Theoretical Issues in History and Literature
- Social Theory II
- M.A. Dissertation
- Social Theory I
Optional modules
- Topics in Cultural Studies: The City
- Multidisciplinary Social Research
- Questions of European Integration
- Black Europe
- The Past in European History and Thought
- Global Europe
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Two pathways are offered: Taught and Research. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in European Culture and Thought: Thought. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in European Culture and Thought: Thought.
What this course will give you
The Centre for Multidisciplinary & Intercultural Inquiry (CMII) at UCL is well positioned to offer graduate students the opportunity to investigate Europe in its entirety, from European integration and public policy to European cinema and poetry.
UCL's central London location offers students easy access to the British Library, British Museum, Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, German Historical Institute, Goethe Institut, Institut Français, and other similar, significant research and cultural centres.
Less than three hours away from Brussels and Paris, and with such a wide range of resources, this is a highly favourable location for students considering the study of Europe.
The foundation of your career
Previous graduates of the European Culture and Thought MA (all pathways) have used their extensive knowledge and understanding of European institutions and society to obtain positions in policy and the UK Government. The high level of interdisciplinary training and research skills offered by the programme has equipped others for roles such as national government administrative positions. The emphasis on written and verbal communication, collation and presentation of research and analysis have provided transferable skills for the fields of consultancy, law and publishing. Other graduates of the programme have also gone on to further postgraduate-level study.*
*Graduate Outcomes Survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts.
Employability
MPhil and PhD degrees often follow on from a Master's programme; both the Taught and Research pathways of the MA are intended to allow this type of progression, as well as standing as degrees in their own right.
Our graduates are highly valued by employers for their interdisciplinary skills and linguistic and cultural knowledge. Transferable skills include intercultural understanding, translation, communication skills, and analytical rigour.
Networking
Our location offers students access to special collections at UCL and other world-class libraries nearby such as Senate House and the British Library. These resources, besides their collections of books, articles, videos, sound recordings and non-public online resources, offer a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other opportunities to exchange ideas. Other libraries and research centres within walking distance of campus include the British Museum, Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, Institute of Historical Research and The Warburg Institute.
UCL Careers also offers a range of services, providing access to skills development, recruitment and networking events.