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Studies & Degrees in Contemporary Studies

Contemporary studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the ideas, culture, politics and events of the recent past and the present. It does not belong to one discipline: programmes combine philosophy, history, literature, social theory, media and the arts, and often the history of science and technology. The University of King's College in Halifax, Canada, whose Contemporary Studies Program gave the subject its best-known name, describes it as engaging with the ideas, thinkers and movements that have contributed to new understandings of the world, community, self and other.

Students read primary texts and learn to analyse them, to compare perspectives from different disciplines and to write and argue clearly. At King's the courses cover ethics, aesthetics and politics, contemporary art, modern film and digital media, and the place of science and technology in today's world.

Qualifications and levels

Very few institutions award a degree called exactly "Contemporary Studies". The subject appears in three main forms.

  • A bachelor's programme or honours subject. At the University of King's College it is a combined honours subject: students take three pairs of core courses and electives in Contemporary Studies, and a second honours subject whose requirements are set by its own department. Toronto Metropolitan University offers Arts and Contemporary Studies as a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in a four-year format or a five-year format with paid co-op work experience, with optional concentrations in Anthropology, Cultural and Media Studies, and Global Studies.
  • A master's degree in a contemporary field. In Spain, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid teaches the Máster en Historia Contemporánea, an official master's degree of 60 ECTS credits that lasts one year. It is an inter-university degree in which nine Spanish universities take part, it is taught in Spanish, and it gives access to the inter-university doctorate in the same field.
  • Non-formal and short courses. International People's College in Helsingør, Denmark, is a folk high school that offers long courses in global studies of four to six months and short courses of one to three weeks. According to the school there are no fixed curriculums and no grades, so these courses do not lead to an academic qualification.

Some programmes include a period abroad. King's, for example, runs a month-long Contemporary Studies elective in Berlin on collective memory and public space.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 12 active schools under contemporary studies. Four are in the United Kingdom and two in Spain; Japan, Australia, Finland, Denmark, Russia and the United States have one each. The list includes the University of Sussex, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Sunderland and the University of London in the United Kingdom, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universitat Jaume I in Spain, The University of Tokyo, Griffith University, the University of Jyväskylä and Duke University.

Because the name covers different things, compare the content of each programme and not only its title: some are close to cultural studies, some to contemporary history or politics, and some focus on one region. The language of instruction follows the country in most cases. The master's degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is taught in Spanish and asks applicants who are not native Spanish speakers for an accredited CEFR level B2 in Spanish, while International People's College states that everything at the school happens in English.

Careers

Contemporary studies is a general humanities and social science education and does not lead to one regulated profession. Toronto Metropolitan University points its students towards media, community advocacy and teaching. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid names research as the main aim of its master's degree, and also work in archives, libraries, museums, cultural centres and secondary school teaching. Entry to some of these jobs, such as school teaching, depends on further qualifications that each country sets itself.

Frequently asked questions

Is contemporary studies the same as cultural studies?

Not exactly. The two overlap, but contemporary studies is a wider label that can also include philosophy, contemporary history, politics and the study of science and technology. The content depends on the school, so read the course list of each programme.

How long does a degree in contemporary studies take?

It depends on the level and the country. The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Arts and Contemporary Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University takes four years, or five with co-op. The Máster en Historia Contemporánea at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid has 60 ECTS credits and lasts one year.

What do I need to enter a master's degree in this field in Spain?

The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid addresses its Máster en Historia Contemporánea to graduates in history, humanities and other humanities and social science degrees. Applicants who are not native Spanish speakers must accredit level B2 in Spanish.