Join a programme that places you at the forefront of investigations into the histories, legacies and commemorations of human enslavement and unfree labour. This MA combines historical perspectives with global insights into modern manifestations of slavery, forced labour and human trafficking.
Introduction
Exploring the history of unfree labour and examining modern slavery, this MA reflects a growing interest in the histories and afterlives of transatlantic slavery.
The programme connects the local and the global. We’ll reflect, for example, on Liverpool’s role as the former ‘capital of the slave trade’ and review slave and unfree labour across different time periods and geographical locations.
We’ll challenge you to analyse historical forms of slavery and critique modern responses to human trafficking. Evaluating the legacies of slavery in contemporary society, you’ll apply critical and literary theories to different representations of slavery. Links with resistance, protest and activism will also be considered.
You’ll benefit from our unique relationship with the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool. Working with the Museum’s staff, you’ll study the commemoration and memorialisation of slavery. An optional project-based placement provides further opportunity to gain practical experience with a museum, archive or charity.
Membership of the University’s Centre for the Study of International Slavery will enable you to access a variety of seminars and conferences. You’ll meet international speakers at these events, attend talks and discuss cutting-edge research into historical and contemporary manifestations of slavery.
What you'll learn
Advanced knowledge and understanding of slavery and unfree labour, both historically and in the modern world
Key methodologies and practices in international slavery research
A range of chronological, geographical and cultural contexts for enslavement, forced labour and human trafficking
The histories and afterlives of transatlantic slavery, including the role of the city of Liverpool
The challenges of modern slavery as a subject of academic study
Connections between slavery and activism, resistance and protest, as well as migration and human rights
How slavery is represented in films, images, novels and other media
Record-keeping structures, traditions and practices around the world
How to think independently, critically and creatively when working with complex material.
Course content
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
Modern Slavery pathway
On the Modern Slavery pathway all modules are compulsory.
POLI516 is a whole session module and represents 15-credits in each semester.
Compulsory modules
STUDYING SLAVERY: THEMES AND CONCEPTS (HLAC520)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
The module will provide an interdisciplinary overview of slavery studies, ensuring that all students on the MAIS programme have a clear and inclusive understanding of enslavement as a historical and contemporary phenomenon. The emphasis will be on conceptual and theoretical approaches to slavery and unfree labour, providing students with broad knowledge of the chronological, geographical and cultural contexts in which these phenomena exist and the approaches that researcher adopt to analyse them. The module will provide a focus that links the local with the global, ensuring that students understand the role of Liverpool in the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans whilst also engaging with enslavement in national, transnational and global frames.
POLITICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS (POLI530)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
Research methods in social science encompass a vast array of techniques meant to guide research of social, political and human behavior. This is a challenging and exciting enterprise. This module will introduce you to some of the most used methods in social science. We will start by defining the research process and the fundamental features of research design before covering a number of qualitative and quantitative approaches to the study of political phenomena. The aim is to equip you with the vital skills required to conduct research in political science and international relations and to provide the advanced knowledge required to undertake a dissertation at Masters level.
MODERN SLAVERY, FORCED LABOUR AND HUMAN RIGHTS (POLI521)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module requires students to engage with the politics around efforts to tackle contemporary forms of exploitation often categorised as ‘slavery’, to consider the origins and human experience of such activities, to assess policies for combating them, and to apply this to an independent research project. Seminars will challenge students to analyse the major themes in legal and political responses to trafficking, forced labour and other forms of human rights abuse analogous to slavery. Students will develop strategies for researching practices and policies relating to contemporary ‘slaveries’ and they will develop an independent study of a particular aspect.
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY DISSERTATION PROPOSAL (HLAC500)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
Students will work with an appropriate tutor to design a programme of research for a M-Level dissertation. The student and tutor will agree on the appropriate methodology and disciplinary referencing conventions for the project.
ANTICOLONIAL LEGACIES IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS (POLI516)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 2
This module explores a series of dissident perspectives in international politics which evaluate how the study of international affairs exists as part of a continuum of empire. Examining the core features of different knowledge traditions emanating from postcolonial theory, decolonial methodologies and non-western thought, and critical positions in geography, history, sociology, and legal studies; this module situates the study of international politics with each of their epistemic stances, methodologies, and distinctive themes. We will evaluate what are often regarded to be the core concepts of International Relations theorisation (e.g., the treaty of Westphalia, liberalism, realism) and topical events like far- Right extremism, climate change, the Migrant Crisis, and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, with the diverse socio-political and ethical commitments that exist within the interdisciplinary field of anti-colonialism. This includes ideas of decolonization, abolitionist thought, reparative justice, and world repair.
Any optional modules listed above are illustrative only and may vary from year to year. Modules may be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved and staff availability. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
Historical Slavery pathway
On the Historical Slavery pathway all modules in semester one are compulsory.
Students take 45-credits of compulsory modules and 15-credits of optional modules in semester two.
Compulsory modules
STUDYING SLAVERY: THEMES AND CONCEPTS (HLAC520)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
The module will provide an interdisciplinary overview of slavery studies, ensuring that all students on the MAIS programme have a clear and inclusive understanding of enslavement as a historical and contemporary phenomenon. The emphasis will be on conceptual and theoretical approaches to slavery and unfree labour, providing students with broad knowledge of the chronological, geographical and cultural contexts in which these phenomena exist and the approaches that researcher adopt to analyse them. The module will provide a focus that links the local with the global, ensuring that students understand the role of Liverpool in the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans whilst also engaging with enslavement in national, transnational and global frames.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH (HIST507)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
Historians draw many of their theoretical frameworks from the social sciences, including sociology, economics, and political science, and from literary and gender studies. This module investigates the role of theory in historical inquiry, both in framing research questions and in informing historians’ approaches to primary sources. It explores some of the major theoretical influences on historical research in recent decades, including Marxism, feminism, and postmodernism, and encourages students to reflect upon the theoretical and conceptual foundations of current research relating to their potential dissertation topics.
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY DISSERTATION PROPOSAL (HLAC500)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
Students will work with an appropriate tutor to design a programme of research for a M-Level dissertation. The student and tutor will agree on the appropriate methodology and disciplinary referencing conventions for the project.
TRANSATLANTIC SLAVERY: HISTORIES AND AFTERLIVES (HIST530)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 2
The module offers a broad overview, ranging from a specific introduction to Liverpool’s role as the capital of the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans to providing more general context of slavery in a transatlantic frame. It also focuses on the afterlives of slavery, providing students with an opportunity to explore heritage, public history and contemporary activism. Students will have an opportunity to engage with the activities of the Centre for the Study of International Slavery, University of Liverpool partners in fields relevant to the module (notably the International Slavery Museum) as well as international networks (such as Universities Studying Slavery).
Optional modules
STUDYING SLAVERY IN PRACTICE: PROJECT-BASED WORK PLACEMENT (HLAC521)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
This optional module provides students with the opportunity to engage in a project-based work placement, to take place in a relevant public history, policy-focused or practice-based institution, such as a museum, archive or charity. The students will normally spend one day per week during the semester working with the chosen institution, which might involve developing a public engagement project, providing policy briefings, etc. In addition, they will attend fortnightly seminars on career development and academic approaches to public history, policy and practice.
INTERNATIONAL RECORD KEEPING (HIST561)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
The module provides an overview of record keeping developments from an international perspective. It introduces students to record-keeping structures, traditions and practices throughout the world, and to the legislative, cultural and political traditions which affect those practices. In doing so it enables students them to approach record-keeping theory and practice in their home country both critically and comparatively. The module considers the role that records and archives have played over time, particularly, from 1945, in the area of human rights.
Any optional modules listed above are illustrative only and may vary from year to year. Modules may be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved and staff availability. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
Final project
Compulsory modules
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY DISSERTATION (HLAC599)
Credits: 60 /
Semester: summer
This is an independent project. One-to-one supervision is provided by the prospective dissertation supervisor, who will offer advice and provide feedback on work-on-progress. The advisor will read at least one full draft of the dissertation and provide feedback prior to submission, though it is the student’s responsibility to arrange a schedule permitting the advisor to do this well in advance of the assessment deadline.
Any optional modules listed above are illustrative only and may vary from year to year. Modules may be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved and staff availability. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
How you'll learn
Teaching takes place in small-group seminars and workshops, as well as one-to-one tutorials. The emphasis is on collaboration between students and staff.
External partners contribute directly to the programme and the MA offers extracurricular opportunities to engage with slavery and unfree labour in different contexts. This includes an optional project-based work placement where you would typically spend one day a week in a relevant public history, policy-focused or practice-based institution. This could be a museum, archive or charity.
How you're assessed
You’ll be assessed through a series of research-based activities that will encourage you to reflect on the place of slavery and unfree labour in a range of historical and contemporary contexts.
This includes a combination of essays, case studies, presentations, self-reflective journal, policy paper and heritage brief, as well as a dissertation.
Liverpool Hallmarks
We have a distinctive approach to education, the Liverpool Curriculum Framework, which focuses on research-connected teaching, active learning, and authentic assessment to ensure our students graduate as digitally fluent and confident global citizens.
Your experience
The Department of History is based in the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures, an ornate Georgian property located on historic Abercromby Square. Students have access to extensive library facilities, special collections and Liverpool’s renowned museums, libraries and galleries, including the University of Liverpool’s own Special Collections and Archives.
Support for students with differing needs from the Disability advice and guidance team. They can identify and recommend appropriate support provisions for you.
Why History at University of Liverpool?
we have a breath of expertise and knowledge that spans the medieval, early modern and modern periods and research across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. We are here to support you in your specific research interests.
We have active seminar programmes, linked to our research centres and MA programmes, enabling staff and postgraduates to present their work and listen to eminent visiting speakers.
Dedicated small group teaching in seminars or workshops and through one-to-one tutorials, we believe this leads to the best collaboration between students and staff
Students have a voice here and are represented on the School Postgraduate Committee. There is also a dedicated staff – student liaison committee to oversee our MA and PhD programmes.
What students say...
The University of Liverpool is one of the few universities in the UK that offers an MA programme specifically dedicated to the study of both historical and modern slavery. This means that the programme benefits from being led by a cohort of academics who are extremely committed to furthering academic research in this particular field of study and supporting students with an interest in it.
Developing your skills in communication, collaborative working, critical thinking and research are key features of the programme.
We’ll immerse you in public-facing thinking and activity on a regional, national and international basis. You’ll graduate able to demonstrate organisational skills, teamwork, time management, personal initiative and responsibility to potential employers.
After graduating, engaging with the Centre for the Study of International Slavery’s external partners, across the Liverpool and Merseyside region and beyond, could provide opportunities for you to collaborate on original research that provides new insights.
Career support from day one to graduation and beyond
This MA delivers ideal training if you are seeking an academic career in the field of slavery and unfree labour. It also provides a solid foundation for broader careers in education, the cultural sector and third sector industries.
Potential opportunities include:
Research positions, for example in central or local government, journalism, police, leisure and heritage, business, public affairs, and politics.
Public education and custodianship, for example museums, schools and galleries.
Consultancies and activist positions, for example in national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations, charities, and community-based and grassroots organisations focused on slavery, human trafficking, and human rights. This includes Anti-Slavery International and various bodies of the United Nations.
You may also decide to continue your studies to PhD level. Your research could focus on the study of slavery, dependence and subordination, or explore particular historical, political and social dimensions of these subjects.
Fees and funding
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Tuition fees
UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
Full-time place, per year
£11,700
Part-time place, per year
£5,850
International fees
Full-time place, per year
£24,100
Part-time place, per year
£12,050
Fees stated are for the 2025-26 academic year.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan worth up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs. Learn more about fees and funding.
Additional costs
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
We accept a 2:2 honours degree from a UK university, or an equivalent academic qualification from a similar non-UK institution. This degree should be in History (or a closely related subject).
A personal statement, which clearly demonstrates an interest in the programme and an understanding of its context, is also required.
An interview may form part of the selection process. If you’re invited to interview, you’ll be requested to submit a sample of your historical analysis, between 1,500 and 2,500 words in English, for discussion. Please note, being invited to interview does not guarantee the offer of a place.
International qualifications
If you hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but don’t meet the entry requirements for a master’s degree at Liverpool, a pre-master’s, delivered by our partner, University of Liverpool International College, can help you gain a place. Although there’s no direct pre-master’s route to this MA, completing a pre-master’s pathway can guarantee you a place on many other postgraduate courses which may interest you.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
English language qualification
Requirements
IELTS
6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0
TOEFL iBT
88 overall, with minimum scores of listening 19, writing 19, reading 19 and speaking 20. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted.
Duolingo English Test
120 overall, with no component below 105
Pearson PTE Academic
61 overall, with no component below 59
LanguageCert Academic
70 overall, with no skill below 65
PSI Skills for English
B2 Pass with Merit in all bands
INDIA Standard XII
National Curriculum (CBSE/ISC) - 75% and above in English. Accepted State Boards - 80% and above in English.
WAEC
C6 or above
PRE-SESSIONAL ENGLISH
Do you need to complete a Pre-Sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?
The length of Pre-Sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.
Liverpool bursts with diversity and creativity which makes it ideal for you to undertake your postgraduate studies and access various opportunities for you and your family.
To fully immerse yourself in the university experience living in halls will keep you close to campus where you can always meet new people. Find your home away from home.
Discover what expenses are covered by the cost of your tuition fees and other finance-related information you may need regarding your studies at Liverpool.
Contact us
Have a question about this course or studying with us? Our dedicated enquiries team can help.
