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Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies MA

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies MA (2024), 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 close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

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

The Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies MA programme will equip you with a range of critical, theoretical and methodological tools. You will be encouraged and enabled to unpack and interpret these fields of conflict, as well as to deepen your understanding of contemporary debates about racial hierarchy and inequality and their associations with other dimensions of power and conflict.

It provides you with a cutting-edge perspective on contemporary approaches to the politics of race and racism. It will introduce you to the knowledge, skills and methods that will enable you to develop your own specialised interests in this field both academically and professionally.

Who this course is for

This programme is suitable for students with a first degree in the humanities, social, political and historical sciences or relevant discipline, who wish to explore the politics, history and ethics of race, racism, social justice and post-coloniality.

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

What this course will give you

The programme benefits from teaching staff with backgrounds in social theory, literary and cultural studies, Geography and Anthropology, and draws upon resources from multiple disciplines to build a critical account of the origins and development of race-thinking, as well as its enduring power.

Though you may have been thinking about these issues already, the programme does not assume that you are already a specialist in these areas of scholarship. The curriculum emphasises the need for students to encounter a constellation of key concepts and to become familiar with the texts that have been foundational in the academic analysis of racism and racialisation.

You will be brought into contact with a range of examples drawn from different locations, periods and political struggles throughout history. They include Abolitionism, anti-colonial, civil and human rights movements all the way to Black Lives Matter and related contemporary conflicts over racial inequality, racial hierarchy and social justice. You will examine the history of race and raciology and be introduced to a range of attempts to map and critically respond to varieties of racist argumentation: religious, scientific, culturalist, biopolitical and nationalistic. You will be invited to grasp how race-thinking has developed and varied in different locations, periods and disciplinary contexts.

An extensive survey builds towards consideration of contemporary instances of racialised injustice and inequality. You will analyse the structural and institutional aspects of those social and political problems and see how they have been manifested in culture, politics and everyday life.

The programme affords opportunities to look at the movements that have resisted racism, injustice and inequality, seeking rights and recognition.

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

The foundation of your career

This programme aims to provide a good general foundation for students who wish to pursue further research and study in many humanities and social science disciplines. That foundation includes training in research methods and transferable skills, which can be further enhanced through optional module choices.

Recent graduates from SELCS-CMII have gone on to work in varied roles across the public, private and charitable sectors, as well as working as consultants, researchers, policy advisors and teachers in the fields of education, academic research, media, heritage and government.*

*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

This programme approaches race and racism through a wide range of topics. It includes a mix of history, theory and politics in relation to racism, ethnicity and post-coloniality. Equipping graduates with interdisciplinary skills and cultural knowledge valued by employers.

The aim is to foster your ability to think critically and express your ideas rigorously in written and verbal forms; to be clear about the political and ethical problems associated with this history and to be empowered to act in pursuit of racial justice and equality in a variety of institutional contexts.

Networking

Our location offers students access to special collections in modern languages and culture 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, directed reading, tutorials and private study. The Third Term is devoted to revision sessions and the dissertation project. Teaching methods are likely to vary depending on faculty, department and individual module leaders.

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 will be 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 full-time students, typical contact hours are around 8 - 10 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments. For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study a week.

Part-time postgraduate course contact hours would usually be 4 - 6 hours per week across 2 - 3 days and we would recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study a week.

In the First and Second Term, full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 10 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials. Approximately one-third of the hours are allocated for the assessment exercise. In the Third Term and the summer period students will be completing dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors. Hours expected to be dedicated to private reading far exceed the hours of class attendance. Students should therefore be careful to ensure that they are setting aside enough time for reading.

Modules

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. You will also choose optional modules from the suggested list (see Optional modules). These modules will form the foundation of your MA and broaden your understanding of contemporary debates around racial theory, inequality and associations with power and conflict, from historical and contemporary perspectives.

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.

In the First Year, you will take two compulsory modules, 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 understanding of contemporary debates around racial theory, inequality and associations with power and conflict, from historical and contemporary perspectives, as well as developing 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.

Compulsory modules

Topics in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies

Dissertation in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies

Race in Theory

Researching Race

Optional modules

The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution

Histories of Exclusion: Race and Ethnicity in Latin America

The Anthropology of Violent Aftermaths

The Politics of Health and Medicine: Race, Gender, Nation

Movement, Bordering, Race-Making

Geographies of Material Culture

Social Science Research: Methodologies and Methods

Politics of Climate Change

Postcolonial Cultural Geographies

Introduction to Social Data Science

Gender, Generation and Forced Migration

Data, Politics and Society

Empire and its Afterlives in Britain Since 1940

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. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies.

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.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies MA

An Open Event to introduce potential applicants to the Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies MA. You will hear from core teaching staff about the MA programme and the work of the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the study of racism and racialisation.

Watch on demand event

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.

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

: Dutch Studies Bursary

Deadline: 1 November 2025

Value: From £1,250 to £2,500 (1 year)

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 Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies at graduate level
why you want to study Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies 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.

Applicants should be able to show that they have an interest in developing critical analysis of racialised hierarchies and inequalities.

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.