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DEGREES
The
ICwS offers two masters degrees (click on the links below), and research
leading to MPhil/PhD Degrees
*Please note the MSc is not running in the 2008/9 academic session*
MA
in Human Rights | MSc
in Globalisation and Development | Research
Degrees
MA COURSE BROCHURE (pdf)
OPEN
EVENING Wednesday 20 February 2008
For general information on study at the ICwS click on the links below:
ALL questions and Answers on admissions and courses, can be found and dealt with quickly by going to our Frequently Asked Questions page
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies
Admissions & Closing Dates | Course Brochure / Application Forms
Registration, Induction and Training | Supervision, Progress and Assessment | Final Examinations
Frequently Asked Question | Student Views on ICS | Facilities
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies
The Institute, as part of the University of London, is uniquely situated for the study of the Commonwealth, both past and present. Londons libraries and archives hold indispensable resources for scholars of the contemporary Commonwealth as well as of the imperial past. The Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Foundation and CPSU are based in London and are the most important of the agencies bringing Commonwealth governments together on matters of common concern; there are in addition a host of non-governmental voluntary associations with Commonwealth concerns in the capital. The wealth of Londons libraries and associations is paralleled by the rich ethnic diversity of London as a city.
The School of Advanced Study is part of the University of London and was established on 1 August 1994, bringing together the specialised scholarship and resources of nine prestigious postgraduate research institutes to offer academic opportunities, facilities and cross-fertilisation over a wide range of subject fields in the humanities and social sciences. The Schools member Institutes are the Warburg Institute, and the Institutes of Advanced Legal Studies, Classical Studies, Commonwealth Studies, English Studies, Germanic Studies, Historical Research, Latin American Studies, Romance Studies and United States Studies.
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies is located in the Bloomsbury precinct of the University of London, close to the University Library in Senate House, the other institutes for advanced study, many of the large multi-faculty schools of the University, the British Library and the British Museum. The Institute was established by the University of London in 1949 to encourage research in the field of Commonwealth studies. Its primary object is to provide research facilities for academics and postgraduate students from the University of London and other universities throughout the Commonwealth and the rest of the world. It has generally concentrated on the social sciences, recent history and literature. In the recent past research at the Institute has given attention to such widely diverse subjects as the end of empire, human rights, and health issues.
Besides providing opportunities for graduate study the Institute houses research projects including a major publishing project on the end of the empire, and offers a full and lively seminar programme. Each year this comprises some ten or so series which usually meet fortnightly in term time. Seminar series currently being held are as follows: Aoteroroa New Zealand; Australia; Caribbean Societies; Commonwealth Studies; Commonwealth History/Decolonization; Human Rights; Gender in Empire and Commonwealth; Globalisation and the Commonwealth; Multiculturalism in the Commonwealth, and The Societies of Southern Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. Together with the academic staff and research fellows of the Institute, distinguished visitors from all over the world contribute both to these seminars and to the many conferences and symposia organized at the Institute. The range of scholarly topics enables students to widen their interests far beyond the limits of any formal curriculum.
Alumni of our PhD and MA programmes have gone on to work in key positions within Government, Corporate and NGO sectors, both within Britain and overseas. See Alumni.
The Sir Robert Menzies Centre for Australian Studies was established at the Institute in 1982 as the Australian Studies Centre, with finance from the Australian Government and additional capital and recurrent finance from the Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Trust. In 1988 the financing of the Centre was taken over by the Sir Robert Menzies Foundation and the Centre was renamed. The Centres object is to promote Australian studies at British universities and to this end it holds seminars and conferences, produces publications, and encourages contacts between Australian and British academics and postgraduate students working in the field.
Admissions & Closing Dates
For admission to a higher degree course candidates must have obtained a good honours degree from a British university, or its equivalent from an overseas country, in a relevant subject.
Master's degree applicants who wish to apply for scholarships are advised to apply before the end of March for entry in September. All other applications are welcome to apply up until the end of July.
Research degree applications may be made at any time during the year for entry in September or January.
Entry is competitive and early application is recommended, especially for those who intend to apply for external funding.
If a student has a degree which is not sufficiently specialized in the subject of proposed research, but otherwise has achieved satisfactory academic attainments, acceptance may be conditional upon a qualifying period of study followed by an examination. This may lengthen the course of study. Any such requirements will be set out in the Institute's letter of acceptance.
Students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate adequate competence in English, both written and spoken. Click here for further infomation on recognised English Language qualifications and minimum requirements.
Applicants are required to pay an administrative charge of £25, and a non-refundable deposit of £75; the latter is set against the fee bill.
Applications, which may be made at any time during the year for entry in September, must be made on the appropriate application form. Research students are required to submit with their application a curriculum vitae, and an outline proposal for the research area or topic. The latter should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words and should indicate the treatment of research intended, the source of the materials to be used and the methods to be adopted. You should also ensure that the Institute receives two confidential references for you. Candidates resident in the United Kingdom will normally be asked to attend an admissions interview.
An offer of admission to the ICS is only valid if made in writing by the Administrative Secretary: statements made over the telephone, by whomsoever made, are always subject to confirmation and never binding on the Institute. Neither the Institute nor any of its employees shall incur any liability if such statements are incorrect. All research students accepted receive an individual letter of offer that sets out any conditions including the minimum overall period of study expected by the Institute.
Under University of London regulations new research students are required to register initially for the degree of MPhil even though the student's intention may be to continue to PhD. Upgrading to PhD does not normally take place before the second full-time year or its part-time equivalent.
Some students may wish to enroll with the intention of completing an MPhil degree, which will normally be after a minimum of two years' full-time or three years' part-time study. Students who upgrade to PhD will be expected to complete within four years (6 years part-time) and will be expected to pay full fees for three years (five years part-time). Registration can be interrupted for personal reasons. Fees are not payable during the interruption, nor is the period of interruption counted towards the prescribed minimum course.
Registration, Induction and Training
Students are only accepted onto the MPhil programme in September, and they must arrive in time to attend the Institute's induction course.
Induction
Induction consists of the following:
- introduction to the Institute and its work
- introduction to the ICS Library and Archives
- introduction to the University of London Library
- assessment of knowledge of IT and need for training
- first meeting with supervisor and discussion of research topic
- formulation of research training programme
- meeting other students and discussing their work
- School of Advanced Study Resources Day
Research Methods Training
All students must undergo research methods training in their first year. This means attendance at the ICS Research Methods Course and Postgraduate seminar. In addition, students may receive additional training from within the Institute, from other SAS Institutes, or from nearby colleges of the University, depending on their individual needs.
Supervision, Progress and Assessment
Supervision
The member of the academic staff appointed as a supervisor will have the following responsibilities towards you:
Progress and Assessment
By May 1st of the first year, or by December 1st in the case of part-time students, you should have achieved the following:
- Portfolio of work related to the training course
- 10,000 word report, comprising a research proposal, a review of the relevant literature pertaining to the thesis topic, and a detailed bibliography.
This documentation will be assessed by your Research Advisory Committee, which consists of two academic staff other than your supervisor. This assessment will take place at the end of the summer term for full-time students and at the end of the autumn term for part-time students. Only students who satisfy their Research Advisory Committee and the Institute's Academic Committee that they have successfully completed their training year and have a manageable research proposal will be permitted to proceed.
In subsequent years formal assessment will be undertaken annually by your Advisory Committee which reports to the Academic Committee.
The formal assessment of each year depends on reports by you the student, your supervisor and the Advisory Committee. This will be supplemented either by your papers to seminars, and/or course work (with the possibility of written examination in June for those students about whose progress and potential there are serious doubts) or by the submission and defence of a substantial piece of written work, for example an extensive research proposal or draft chapter(s).
Students whose progress is deemed unsatisfactory by the student's Advisory Committee and the Supervisor may be asked to suspend registration.
The Academic Committee will also receive a short mid year progress form, completed by student and supervisor, at the beginning of the Spring Term.
If you consider that your work is not progressing satisfactorily for reasons outside your control, representations can be made to the Research Postgraduate Convenor. You may consult the Research Postgraduate Convenor about any matter concerned with the progress of academic work. If the Research Postgraduate Convenor is your supervisor, you may consult your Research Advisory Committee.
When you have established your field of research and have produced work of an appropriate quality (normally at least two completed draft chapters and a detailed outline of the thesis), your supervisor may recommend that your registration be transferred from MPhil to PhD. You then attend a viva conducted by your Research Advisory Committee which makes a recommendation to the Academic Committee, with which the final decision on transfer of registration rests. This transfer is normally backdated to the point of first registration for research. The transfer to PhD registration is normally after not less than one and more usually two academic years of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study.
If you are aiming for a PhD you should note that your thesis must form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality shown by the discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise of independent critical power. Although the minimum period of residence laid down by the University is two years, the Institute will normally expect a student to be enrolled full-time for three years of registration (or five years in the case of part-time students) before presentation of the thesis, and to submit the thesis within four years of registration (or six years for part-time students).
Final Examinations
The title of the thesis must be approved by the supervisor and the Advisory Committee and entered on an examination entry form available from the Administrative Secretary. This must be signed by the supervisor and the Postgraduate Convener and returned to the Higher Degrees Office, Room 16, Senate House. The entry form should normally be submitted at least four months, and not more than eighteen months, before the submission of the thesis.
To assist in the appointment of suitable examiners, a short description of the contents of the thesis - about 300 words - must be submitted with the entry form.
If you have not submitted your thesis for examination within eighteen months from the submission of the form of entry for the examination, the entry will be cancelled unless for special reasons the Institute requests otherwise.
You are required to submit three copies of your thesis either typewritten or printed, of which two copies must be bound. Instructions relating to the typing and binding of the thesis are available from the Higher Degrees Office, Room 16, Senate House.
There are normally at least two examiners, one of whom should be external to the University of London, and one of whom should be internal to the University but from another institution.
Examiners for research degrees normally examine candidates orally, but they may fail a thesis without an oral, or they may specify additional forms of examination. After examination they may under the regulations of the University of London:
recommend the candidate for the award of the degree require specified minor amendments to be made
recommend that a candidate be allowed to re-present the thesis in revised form within a specified period
recommend that a candidate for the PhD be offered the option of being considered for the award of the MPhil fail the thesis
A copy of the Regulations for Internal Students, which lists the full requirements for entry to examination and submission of thesis, is provided to each student on registration.
Fees
The standard fees for 2008/2009 will be:
Home/EU students (full-time) Home/EU students (part-time) Overseas students (full-time) PhD Home/EU students (full-time) PhD Home/EU students (part-time) Overseas students (full-time) Note: Fees quoted above are for the entire academic year.
Fees for the year are payable in full at the time of registration or in three equal instalments on the first day of each term. Students are advised to make arrangements for the transfer of funds for this purpose in good time, especially where exchange control regulations have to be met. All applicants are required to provide documentary evidence to confirm they have sufficient funds to cover their fees.
Applicants are required to pay an administrative charge of £25, and a non-refundable deposit of £75; the latter is set against the fee bill. For the purposes of fees assessment, students are classified as 'Home' or 'Overseas'. As a general guide, Home students qualify under one of the following headings:
a) students of any nationality who have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for at least three years up to 1 September preceding the beginning of the course (students who have been resident in the UK only for the purpose of receiving full-time education do not qualify as 'ordinarily resident'; temporary absences from the UK for employment or education do not count against 'ordinary residence').
b) nationals of any member state of the European Union (EU), or the children of such nationals, who have been 'ordinarily resident' in one or more EU countries for at least three years up to 1 September preceding the beginning of the course; exemptions for temporary absences apply as in the previous paragraph.
c) refugees and recently arrived immigrants - special rules apply to these categories of persons.
Funding
Institute of Commonwealth Studies Partial Scholarships
School of Advanced Study Bursaries (Deadline for applications for 2008-09 to be advised)
ICwS Partial Scholarships
The Institute offers a limited number of partial scholarships (up to £250 for part-time Home/EU students, up to £500 for full-time Home/EU students, up to £750 for part-time Overseas students, up to £1,500 for full-time Overseas students) to students registered at the ICwS towards the cost of tuition fees. Applications for these should be sent to the Graduate Student Officer (Marcus Erridge) by 18 July 2008.ICS Partial Scholarship Application Form (PDF)
ICS Partial Scholarship Application Form (Word document)
School of Advanced Study Student Bursaries
The School of Advanced Study also offers bursaries for Master's degree study and for research degree study (MPhil/PhD) .
For further information:
School of Advanced Study Student Bursaries (PDF)
School of Advanced Study Student Bursaries (Word document)
Further information
Information about postgraduate grants and awards is contained in the following publications, which are available for reference purposes in most libraries and British Council offices: Awards for Postgraduate Study at Commonwealth Universities (published by the Association of Commonwealth Universities; The Grants Register (published by Macmillan Publishers Ltd); The Awards Almanac (published by St James Press).
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies is housed in two Grade 2 listed Georgian buildings which were sympathetically converted and adapted from family homes into the current academic premises when the University of London acquired the Bloomsbury site from the Bedford Estate earlier this century.The Institute's library now has over 170,000 volumes, runs of more than 8,000 serial publications and almost 200 archive collections. Special attention is paid to official publications of Commonwealth countries, grey literature such as working papers and occasional papers, and materials issued by political parties and pressure groups. More than 75% of stock comes from the countries of the Commonwealth and much of it is not available even in the country of publication. Areas of particular strength include the Commonwealth Caribbean, Anglophone Africa (especially South Africa), Australia, Canada and the Pacific. The library is for reference only, although Institute students are allowed some restricted overnight borrowing. There is also a link to the library catalogue (also available by telnet address 193.62.18.239 - login as "library"). All students are encouraged to discuss their proposed research with the librarians, who are pleased to give help and advice both on the Institutes holdings and on resources available elsewhere.
The Library reading room is housed on the ground floor of the Institute and on the first floor are the main seminar and conference rooms, together with the common room and kitchen, where staff, students and visitors can meet informally for tea and coffee, and to read the daily newspapers. Postgraduates have their own study room with computing facilities, access to the Internet and e-mail, and the use of a telephone for local calls.
Study Leave
A student who wishes to spend time away from London on study leave to consult original sources or engage in field research and who has not completed the minimum attendance requirement may apply to the Director for leave of absence by completing the appropriate form which must be counter-signed by the supervisor. Such study leave may be counted towards the prescribed minimum course, subject to the following provisions:
- A year's study leave at most can be counted towards the required minimum course and fees are normally payable for such a period as though the student had been in attendance at the Institute.
- Students on study leave must submit quarterly reports to their supervisor.
Course Brochure/ Application Forms
COURSE BROCHURE (pdf)
Applications must be made on the appropriate forms which can be downloaded by following one of these links:
MA Human Rights | MSc Globalisation and Development | Research DegreesInstitute of Commonwealth Studies,
28 Russell Square,
London WC1B 5DS, UK
Admissions Tel: +44 (0) 20 7862-8844 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7862-8820
E-Mail: ics@sas.ac.uk
Further details on post-graduate study at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and the University of London can be obtained from ics@sas.ac.uk, or by logging onto: www.sas.ac.uk/commonwealthstudies/index.htm
Association of Commonwealth Universities
Publishers of Awards for Postgraduate Study at Commonwealth Universities, Awards for University Teachers and Research Workers; Awards for University Administrators and Librarians.John Foster House, 36 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PF, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7387 8572; Fax: +44 (0) 20 7387 2655; e-mail: info@acu.ac.uk
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
These are competitive maintenance and fees awards for master's and research students (applicable to MA Understanding and Securing Human Rights applicants). You should apply via your Institute. The deadline for AHRC applications is 1st May 2008. However, due to changes in the way the Council is allocating studentships in the 2008/9 academic year, your Institute will have a much earlier deadline in order to process applications internally. The Institute of Commonwealth Studies suggests that you apply no later than March to ensur your application recevies due consideration.Only students with a first class or upper second class honours degree who fulfil certain residency criteria are eligible to apply. Further information can be found at www.ahrc.co.uk
The Association of Charitable Foundations provides links to charitable bodies that may have funding available. See: http://www.acf.org.uk/
British Council
A good source of information for overseas students considering study in the UK. In particular, the web pages of its Education Information Service provide details of available funding and other general information. Scholarships Department, British Council, Medlock Street, Manchester M15 4AA, United Kingdom. http://www.britcoun.org/eis/British Academy
A new Arts and Humanities Research Board has now been set up. (10, Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH; Tel: 020 7969 5212; Fax: 020 7969 5300). The Arts and Humanities Research Board offers awards for advanced study or for research degrees in the Humanities, including History (but excluding Economic and Social History). These awards are open to graduates or intending graduates of British universities. Applicants should normally have been resident in England and Wales for the three years immediately prior to their postgraduate studies.Career Development Loans, Department for Education and Employment, loans for home students in the region of £300 to £8,000, which is paid back after the course has finished. Tel: 0800 585 505 for further information.
Education Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) Part of the Family Welfare Association, publishers of Money to Study: The Complete Guide to Student Finance. Address: 501-505 Kingsland Road, London E8 4AU, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0)20 7254 6251 6251 (Send a large stamped addressed envelope to the address above requesting information on scholarships and grants for post-graduate students)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Scholarships and Awards Scheme provides scholarships tenable at UK universities. Information is available from the local British diplomatic mission or British Council in the candidate's home country, through which applications should be made. Candidates are selected by British Embassies and High Commissions. The closing date is 12 months before the academic year for which the award is sought. See: http://www.fco.gov.uk
Fulbright Scholarships: These awards are available to United States citizens for graduate work. Advertisements can normally be seen on American campuses and details are from Study Abroad offices: http://www.iie.org/fulbright/
Government Scholarships: There are several schemes of support provided by various ministries of the British Government for overseas graduate students. All these schemes are administered through the British Council or through your own Ministry of Education. Your first enquiries should therefore be addressed to your local office of the British Council, your local British High Commission or Embassy, and also to your own Ministry of Education or Education Department.
International Fellowships Programme (IFP) of the Ford Foundation for resident nationals and other residents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, (28 scholarships, tenable in any part of the world including East Africa for MA and PhD study). See: www.iucea.org
UKCOSA: The Council for International Education For information write to: 9-17 St Albans Place, London, N1 0NX or See: http://www.ukcosa.org.uk
University of London Careers Service 50 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PQ, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0)20 7554 4500; Fax: +44 (0)20 7383 5876; e-mail: careers@careers.lon.ac.uk
University of London Information Centre Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8359/60/61/62; Fax: +44 (0) 20 7862 8358.The University of London web site provides an introduction to the University.
Senate House Library Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0) 20 7862 8461 (Information Desk); Fax: +44 (0)20 7862 8480; e-mail: enquiries@shl.lon.ac.uk
University of London Students' Union (ULU) Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0) 20 7664 2000; Fax: +44 (0) 20 7436 4604 body
Page last updated November 28, 2008
