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European Culture and Thought: Thought MA

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025/26 entry

If you require details of this year's programme, European Culture and Thought: Thought MA (2026/27), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£16,000

£8,000

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£33,000

£16,500

Duration

1 calendar year

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2025

Applications accepted

Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 31 Aug 2025

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

From Marx to Foucault, Bakhtin to Durkheim, European thinkers have helped to influence the ways in which we understand texts and communication, individuals and societies. This route on the MA European Culture and Thought encourages graduates to investigate a panoply of ideas and theories, and their applications. Supervision and teaching are available from world-leading researchers from SELCS and CMII, with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.

Who this course is for

The programme is designed for students who wish to pursue a wide range of interests within a flexible combination of core and optional modules. The interdisciplinary structure of the degree will appeal to students who wish to be introduced to new and intellectually demanding areas of European Studies.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

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.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

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.

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

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:

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 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. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

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.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£16,000	£8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£33,000	£16,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

There is no fee deposit required for PG Dip and PG Cert applicants.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, or conference registration fees and associated travel costs.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: ANS Dutch Studies Bursary

Deadline: 1 November

Value: £1,250 (1yr)

Criteria Based on financial need

Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study European Thought at graduate level
why you want to study European Thought at UCL
what particularly attracts you to this programme
how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme only requires one reference in support of your application. Your reference should be academic unless you have been out of university education for more than four years. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.