MA Biography by Research at University of Buckingham

This cutting-edge MA Biography degree is unique to Buckingham and is consistently rated ‘excellent’ by examiners and inspectors. The University of Buckingham’s Master’s in Biography (by research) is led by Ophelia Field, an acclaimed biographer whose research interests span the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. The MA (and its associated PhD) is the only academic programme offered by a UK university which focuses solely on how to research and write biography. The MA may be undertaken either full-time (over one year) or part-time (over two).

Faculty: School of Humanities and Social Sciences  |  Duration: 6 months full-time; 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time  |  Study mode: full-time, part-time  |  Intake: September 2026  |  Location: Buckingham, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Students are expected to produce a Research Proposal, including literature review and draft bibliography, by the end of the first term if full-time, or midway through the first year if part-time. It is therefore advisable for applicants to identify a viable biographical subject prior to commencing the course, though the Programme Director is happy to provide guidance where this viability may be uncertain or where the student does not commence with a subject already in mind.

Career pathways

Founded by eminent historian Professor Emeritus Jane Ridley some thirty years ago, this programme has produced many alumni who have gone on to successfully publish academic and popular biographical works.

Official programme page