Masters Degrees (Medieval)

This interdisciplinary degree will equip you with a broad understanding of historical and cultural aspects of the medieval world, as well as the skills to conduct high-level research.

Core modules will develop your ability to read Medieval Latin and decipher palaeography, giving you the skills to transcribe, translate and analyse primary sources. You could even learn another medieval language such as medieval French or Old Norse. You’ll also focus on areas that interest you when you choose from optional modules on interdisciplinary themes across literature, history, art history, cultural studies and theology and religious studies, and study specialist modules offered by Schools across the University.

The Institute for Medieval Studies sits at the heart of the University, with impressive research resources and a wide range of expertise among its teaching staff. You’ll gain the skills and knowledge to explore the medieval period in the home of the International Medieval Congress.

The Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS) has access to excellent resources, both in the University and beyond. The world-class Brotherton Library contains extensive facsimiles and microfilms of primary materials as well as a wide range of online resources.

Its Special Collections also contain a wide range of manuscript, archive and early printed material, including the Melsteth Icelandic Collection, archives of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, the old library of Ripon Cathedral, and the manuscripts and incunabula of the Brotherton Collection.

Leeds is also home to the Royal Armouries and its extensive medieval collections, while the West Yorkshire Archives are dotted around the region and the British Library has a Document Supply Centre in nearby Boston Spa.

This programme is also available to study part-time over 24 months.

Course content

Core modules throughout the degree will allow you to develop important research skills, equipping you to work with primary sources. You'll gain a working knowledge of medieval Latin and could even choose to learn another medieval language. You'll also develop your understanding of research methods and bibliography and explore palaeography.

Then you'll build on this foundation with your choice of interdisciplinary optional modules, to explore areas that interest you, and even choose from some modules offered by other Schools on historical, literary or art historical topics. You'll also demonstrate the skills you've acquired in your dissertation, where you'll undertake independent research on a topic of your choice and submit your work by the end of the programme.

If you choose to study this programme part-time, you'll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Introduction to Medieval Latin 30 credits
• Intermediate Medieval Latin 30 credits
• Research Methods and Bibliography 15 credits
• Palaeography: Reading Medieval Manuscripts 15 credits
• Medieval Studies Dissertation 30 credits

Optional modules

• The Margins of Medieval Art 30 credits
• Encountering Things: Art and Entanglement in Anglo-Saxon England 30 credits
• The Origins of Postcolonial England 30 credits
• Culture and Identity in the Later Fourteenth Century 30 credits
• Old and New Beliefs in Medieval Scandinavia: From Pagan to Christian 30 credits
• Arthurian Legend: Medieval to Modern 30 credits
• Making History: Archive Collaborations 30 credits
• Bede's Northumbria 30 credits
• Christian Society and the Crusades, 1185-1230 30 credits
• Lifecycles: Birth, Death and Illness in the Middle Ages 30 credits
• Medieval German Language 30 credits
• Old and Middle French 30 credits
• Advanced Medieval Latin 30 credits
• Men writing women writing men 30 credits
• Medieval English 30 credits
• Old Norse 30 credits
• Vikings, Saxons and Heroic Culture 30 credits
• Warfare in the Age of the Crusades (1095-1204) 30 credits
• The Bible in the Medieval World 30 credits
• Religious Communities and the Individual Experience of Religion, 1200-1500 30 credits
• Theologus-Poeta: Dante and Medieval Theology 30 credits
• The Medieval Tournament: Combat and Spectacle in Western Europe, 1100-1600 30 credits
• The Holy Land under the Franks: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and its Enemies, 1099-1187 30 credits
• Medieval Bodies 30 credits
• Preaching History: Understanding Sermons as Literature and Historical Source 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Medieval Studies MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Medieval Studies MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

IMS tutors are experts in their fields, and their cutting-edge research will inform your teaching. To help you make the most of their expertise, all IMS modules are taught in small groups.

You may study skills modules in seminar groups of 12 or more students, but languages and other interdisciplinary options are usually taught in tutorials of up to eight students. You’ll also have one-to-one meetings with your supervisor during your dissertation.

Assessment

Depending on the modules you choose, you’ll be assessed by a range of methods to develop skills that are useful across the field of medieval studies. These will include transcriptions, bibliographies, essays, reports, translations and occasionally exams.

Career opportunities

This degree is excellent preparation for further study in related fields. It will also equip you with advanced research, communication and analytical skills that are valuable to employers in a wide range of careers such as in museums and business.

We offer a range of paid opportunities for you to gain experience that can really help with your career plans. You’ll be able to provide a mock tutorial for first-year undergraduates during their induction week, or become an academic mentor for final-year students as they complete their dissertations to gain experience of teaching, one-to-one communication and people management.

We also run several paid one-year internships throughout the year on projects such as the International Medieval Bibliography, IMS website and the International Medieval Congress to gain practical experience.

Read more about Employment in IMS

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This varied degree will allow you to explore the cultural, social, political, theological and other aspects of medieval history while gaining valuable skills for further research.

Core modules will allow you to gain an understanding of medieval Latin and palaeography so you can work with primary sources. You’ll also study research methods and bibliography to sharpen your research skills – all of which will allow you to make the most of the fantastic archives, library resources and collections both within the University and in the region.

You’ll also choose from a range of optional modules offered by our School of History and Institute for Medieval Studies, allowing you to gain specialist knowledge in the areas that interest you while cutting across disciplines and using different critical approaches. You could study a broad range of topics, reflecting the diverse research interests across the University which is home to the International Medieval Congress.

The Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS) has access to excellent resources, both in the University and beyond. The world-class Brotherton Library contains extensive facsimiles and microfilms of primary materials as well as a wide range of online resources. Its Special Collections also contain a wide range of manuscript, archive and early printed material, including the Melsteth Icelandic Collection, archives of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, the old library of Ripon Cathedral, and the manuscripts and incunabula of the Brotherton Collection.

Leeds is also home to the Royal Armouries and its extensive medieval collections, while the West Yorkshire Archives are dotted around the region and the British Library has a Document Supply Centre in nearby Boston Spa.

This programme is also available to study part-time over 24 months.

Course content

Core modules throughout the degree will allow you to develop important research skills, equipping you to work with primary sources. You’ll gain a working knowledge of medieval Latin, look at research methods in historical study and learn to read and transcribe medieval manuscripts by studying palaeography.

Then you’ll build on this foundation with your choice of optional modules. You’ll choose at least one module offered by the School of History, but you could also choose from the range of interdisciplinary modules offered by IMS. You’ll also specialise further when you complete your dissertation, allowing you to conduct independent research on a specific topic of your choice to showcase the skills you’ve acquired.

If you choose to study this programme part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Details of compulsory modules can be found in the table below; for details of optional modules please see the online module catalogue.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Dissertation (Medieval History) 30 credits
• Introduction to Medieval Latin 30 credits
• Intermediate Medieval Latin 30 credits
• Research Methods and Bibliography 15 credits
• Palaeography: Reading Medieval Manuscripts 15 credits

Optional modules

• Making History: Archive Collaborations 30 credits
• Bede's Northumbria 30 credits
• Christian Society and the Crusades, 1185-1230 30 credits
• Lifecycles: Birth, Death and Illness in the Middle Ages 30 credits
• Warfare in the Age of the Crusades (1095-1204) 30 credits
• The Bible in the Medieval World 30 credits
• Religious Communities and the Individual Experience of Religion, 1200-1500 30 credits
• The Medieval Tournament: Combat and Spectacle in Western Europe, 1100-1600 30 credits
• The Holy Land under the Franks: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and its Enemies, 1099-1187 30 credits
• Medieval Bodies 30 credits
• Preaching History: Understanding Sermons as Literature and Historical Source 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Medieval History MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Medieval History MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

IMS tutors are experts in their fields, and their cutting-edge research will inform your teaching. To help you make the most of their expertise, all IMS modules are taught in small groups.

You may study skills in seminar groups of 12 or more students, but languages and other interdisciplinary options are usually taught in tutorials of up to eight students. You’ll also have one-to-one meetings with your supervisor during your dissertation.

Assessment

Depending on the modules you choose, you’ll be assessed by a range of methods to develop skills that are useful across the field of medieval studies. These will include transcriptions, bibliographies, essays, reports, translations and occasionally exams.

Career opportunities

This degree is excellent preparation for further study in related fields. It will also equip you with advanced research, communication and analytical skills that are valuable to employers in a wide range of careers such as in museums and business.

We offer a range of paid opportunities for you to gain experience that can really help with your career plans. You’ll be able to provide a mock tutorial for first-year undergraduates during their induction week, or become an academic mentor for final-year students as they complete their dissertations to gain experience of teaching, one-to-one communication and people management.

We also run several paid one-year internships throughout the year on projects such as the International Medieval Bibliography, IMS website and the International Medieval Congress to gain practical experience.

Read more about Employment in IMS.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Medieval Studies at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in Medieval History is an exciting programme that brings together specialist Medievalists in the disciplines of history and literature.

Key Features of MA in Medieval Studies

The MA in Medieval Studies covers Late Antiquity to the Renaissance, and from the British Isles and France to Italy and the Holy Land. Areas of particular expertise include gender, warfare, aristocratic culture and frontiers and borderlands.

Students have the opportunity to become familiar with the medieval heritage of South Wales and the surrounding region, through work with the West Glamorgan Record Office and the library of Hereford Cathedral and through contact with the organisations that are responsible for the preservation of Welsh historical sites, Cadw and the Royal Commission for the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

The College of Arts and Humanities has a Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

The full-time course structure is split across the year with three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer.

Students study three compulsory modules and three optional modules. The dissertation is written on a specialist research topic of the student's choosing.

Part-time study is available.

Modules

Modules on the Medieval Studies course typically include:

• Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 1: Skills and Approaches

• Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 2: Themes and Sources

• Gender and Humour in Medieval and Early Modern Europe

• Medieval Languages

• Postgraduate Latin

Who should Apply?

Students interested in Medieval Studies from a History, English, Medieval Studies, Classics and Ancient History, or related background. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to medieval studies.

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for Medieval Studies graduates. Our graduates are employed in diverse and dynamic vocations such as education; museum and heritage management; business; civil service; marketing, sales and advertising; commercial, industrial and public sectors; media and PR; social and welfare professions and some go on to study a PhD.

Research Interests

MEMO, the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Research, brings together scholars working in the fields of literature, history,

philosophy, European languages and classical studies, covering the period approximately AD 400 to 1800. GENCAS, the Centre for Research into Gender in Culture and Society, brings together staff from across the campus who research into gender. It hosts conferences, symposia and workshops, and provides a home forPhD students working on gender. Regular research seminars and lectures are run through these groups and also through the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) which students are

encouraged to attend.

Student Quote

"Studying a Medieval Studies MA at Swansea has been a brilliant experience. The department here at Swansea are fantastic and are always willing to help and provide guidance, if necessary. The course itself gives a wide option of modules areas, which gives scope for individual research interests. The opportunities available to postgraduates at Swansea provide a full and diverse year, as well as aiding in the preparation for further study. I would personally recommend Swansea to anyone with a passion for medieval history or literature."

Chris Bovis, Medieval Studies, MA

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This interdisciplinary programme aims to provide you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of medieval society and culture. Staff expertise, drawn from across the University, covers a wide range of disciplines and specialisms including Archaeology; History; Islamic studies; Law; Music; Theology; Visual and material culture; and the literatures of England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain from the Fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Particular areas of strength include medieval religious culture, Christian-Muslim interaction, intellectual and elite culture, and the history of medicine.

The University library maintains extensive holdings in all these disciplines, extensive audio-visual collections and a number of medieval manuscripts (including the Syon Collection), while Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives and the Devon Heritage Centre contain further significant medieval manuscripts, documents and early printed books. You will benefit from contact with leading scholars in the field, whilst receiving the training suitable for MPhil/PhD research.

Modules

A range of optional modules are available which reflect the varied research interests of academic staff across the Centre for Medieval Studies. These interests range widely across the medieval period and cover Britain, Europe and the Islamic world. They also represent several disciplines, including History, Archaeology, Classics, Literature, Music, Art History, Theology and Islamic Studies.

The core module Interpreting the Middle Ages: Images, Texts and Contexts will give students an overview of these different disciplinary approaches and show how they can be applied to the study of medieval texts and objects. Other core modules are Medieval Research Skills, which introduces students to the skills needed to work with medieval sources such as palaeography and codicology, and Current Research in Medieval Studies which asks students to reflect on how academic research projects are designed and presented, and gives them guidance in developing their own dissertation projects. Students also have the option of taking Latin modules and are strongly encouraged to do so if they are considering going on to an MPhil or PhD.

The programme

- offers an excellent, interdisciplinary education in medieval studies, covering a wide range of topics and approaches across the medieval period;
- gives students the opportunity to work with the medieval sources in and around Exeter, for example at Exeter Cathedral, the Devon Heritage Centre and the University’s Special Collections;
- produces graduates who are highly competent in subject-specific, core academic, and personal and key skills that are both relevant and transferable to employment;
- encourages participation in research seminar programmes offering insights into a very wide range of research cultures and specialisms and into how academics go about designing and presenting research projects;
- offers excellent preparation for students intending to continue on to doctoral-level research with a good track record in obtaining funding for further study.

Research areas

As an MA Medieval Studies student you will be welcome to join the Centre for Medieval Studies (http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/history/research/centres/medieval/) , which brings together academic staff and Postgraduate students from a wide range of disciplines across the University’s Colleges. We are brought together by our shared interests which run from the Early Middle Ages to the early Renaissance and may include archaeology, theology, music, literature and law. We hold regular seminars and research events which, if you decide to join us at Exeter, we hope you will not only attend but become an active part of.

Research is at the heart of History and our students are encouraged to come to Departmental Research Seminars and become an active part of wider research community. Our research centres regularly hold seminars and other research events which MA students are welcome to attend.
Our current research centres include:
• Centre for Early Modern Studies
• Centre for Imperial and Global History
• Centre for Maritime Historical Studies
• Centre for War, State and Society
• Centre for Medical History
• Centre for Medieval Studies
• Institute of Cornish Studies

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Study in the European heartland of medieval archaeology

Why choose this course?

The buildings, material culture and landscapes of York and the north of England offer unrivalled opportunities for the study and research of medieval archaeology. The Archaeology department in York was established as the first in the UK to specialise in medieval archaeology, and that legacy is evident today in the department’s concentration of medieval archaeologists. Their specialisms cover the entire medieval period, from the post-Roman era to early modern times.
-Study in the heartland of medieval archaeology in Europe
-Learn from leading archaeologists, specialising in every aspect of the Middle Ages
-Immerse yourself in the medieval community at the Centre for Medieval Studies
-Gain volunteering and work experience in the heritage sector
-Access state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories, archives and libraries
-Use the latest techniques and equipment to build key practical skills
-Receive careers advice from knowledgeable staff with valuable contacts in the academic and heritage sectors

What does the course cover?
The course focuses on the artefacts, landscapes, buildings and social, cultural and environmental contexts of medieval Britain and Western Europe. It covers the period from the end of the Roman Empire to the Reformation, and explores themes such settlement, trade and economy, religion, buildings and artefacts, social structure, ethnicity and identity, conquest and cultural contact, and methodological and theoretical approaches.

The flexible modular structure of the course means you can tailor your MA to suit your interests and goals. There is an opportunity to learn valuable practical skills, which are essential for a wide range of archaeological and associated careers.

Who is it for?
This degree is for anyone interested in studying the medieval period from a material perspective. It is primarily for students with previous experience in archaeology, history, art history or anthropology, but our students do come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds.

What can it lead to?
The course provides a solid foundation for a wide range of careers and further studies. Our students have gone on to research degrees, academic or teaching careers, museum positions and archaeology posts at local councils, regional authorities, field units, and heritage bodies such as English Heritage and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Careers

The MA in Medieval Archaeology enables you to:
-Study a broad range of issues in medieval archaeology at a general level
-Explore selected topics in detail, which may be drawn from both the early and later medieval periods
-Relate general research principles and skills to your studies of medieval archaeology in particular
-Develop an ability to gather and organise information and arguments in a critical and independent manner
-Undertake a piece of independent research on a topic within the field of medieval archaeology
-Develop written communication skills through essays and your dissertation
-Develop presentation skills through the delivery of seminar papers and a short lecture on your dissertation topic

The skills and knowledge gained on the course are applicable to wide range of archaeological careers, as well as further study and research.

Course postgraduates have gone on to pursue research degrees, academic or teaching careers, museum positions and archaeology posts at local councils, regional authorities, field units and heritage bodies. Some of the organisations our students now work for include:
-Historic England
-English Heritage
-The National Trust
-York Archaeological Trust
-The Council for British Archaeology
-Yorkshire Museums Trust
-Portable Antiquities Scheme
-British Museum
-Church of England
-Churches Conservation Trust
-Jorvik Viking Centre

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This MA equips students with the skills necessary for advanced medieval and renaissance scholarship. A wide range of historical, literary, palaeographical, art historical and archaeological courses enables students to explore the aspects of medieval and renaissance culture in which they are interested.

Degree information

This MA provides exceptional opportunities to master medieval and renaissance languages and to acquire manuscript expertise working with original manuscripts; key skills for those who want to go on to original research. Students with primary interests in many different areas ‒ linguistic, historical, literary or archaeological ‒ will be able to build on and extend their expertise and skills.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of core language modules (30 credits), optional modules (90 credits), and a research dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules
-Old and Middle English
-Medieval Latin (Beginners)
-Medieval Latin (Intermediate)
-Medieval French
-Old and Middle French
-Medieval Italian
-Medieval German
-Classical Hebrew
-Rabbinic Hebrew
-Introduction to Old Norse

Optional modules - up to 90 credits of options drawn from any of:
-The Medieval Papacy
-Manuscripts and Documents
-Renaissance Texts: Resources and Research Techniques
-The Medieval English Book
-Anglo-Saxon Court Culture
-Animals and the Medieval Imagination
-Comparative History of Medieval Literature
-Dante: Divina Commedia
-Travel and Writing in the Middle Ages
-Europe's Long 13th Century: Governments, Conflicts and the Cultivation of Christendom
-From Renaissance to Republic: The Netherlands c. 1555‒1609
-Giordano Bruno
-Identity and Power in Medieval Europe, 500‒1300 AD
-The Italian Book, 1465‒1600
-The Italian Dialogue of Giordano Bruno
-Magic in the Middle Ages
-Medieval Archaeology: Selected Topics and Current Problems
-Medieval Manuscripts and Documents: Research Techniques

Dissertation/research project
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of up to 12,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and classes. Several modules include site visits to institutions, notably the British Library, the Warburg Institute, the National Archives and the Institute of Historical Research. Assessment is through unseen examination, long essays, coursework and the dissertation.

Careers

First destinations of recent graduates of the programme include: funded PhDs at UCL, Universities of Oxford, St Andrews, Cambridge, Durham, Cardiff, Lancaster, and UEA; The British Library: Cataloguer; Reuters: News Assistant; Ministry of Trade Industry and Tourism: Government Advisor; University of San Diego: Juris Doctor.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Analytics Specialist, Bloomberg L.P.
-Researcher, ITV
-Legal Adviser, Citizens Advice Bureau
-MPhil History, University of East Anglia (UEA)
-PhD Italian Studies, The University of Warwick

Employability
The MARS degree allows students to develop an enviable range of skills. This programme not only provides an outstanding foundation for those hoping to undertake PhD research and pursue an academic career but is also popular with students wishing to go into journalism, the civil service, business, museum and heritage and the education sector. Debates, small group seminars and tutorials help students to acquire strong presentation and negotiation skills for their future career. Likewise the analytical and research skills gained by students on this programme are highly valued by employers from a range of industries.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The departments contributing to this degree - History; English; the School of European Languages, Culture and Society; History of Art - enjoy outstanding international reputations for research and teaching.

We are strongly committed to the intellectual development of all our students; if you come to UCL, you will receive individual supervision from leading researchers in their fields.

Located in Bloomsbury, we are just a few minutes' walk away from the exceptional resources of the British Library, the British Museum and the research institutes of the University of London, including the Warburg and the Institute of Historical Research.

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The MA in Medieval Studies allows study in medieval history, literature and manuscript studies.

Course Overview

This interdisciplinary programme enables students to study the Medieval period from a range of different subject disciplines that embraces History, English, Theology, Celtic studies and Archaeology.

There are two compulsory modules that can be taken in the first or second semester, Research Methodology and Studying the Medieval. Research methods introduces students to the nuts and bolts of research, bibliographical and archival sources. ‘

'Studying the medieval' builds on this foundation to look more closely at record sources for Medieval Studies and at aspects of the study of medieval manuscripts, such as iconography and typology. This module is based in large part on the University’s special collections in the Roderick Bowen Library and Archives; unique in Wales this offers our students close and unrivalled access to our medieval manuscripts and early printed books

Students may then choose 4 further modules in medieval history (such as ‘Thomas Becket: archbishop, martyr, saint’) or medieval literature (such as ‘Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Heroic’).

For MA students the second part of the course comprises a 60 credit dissertation.

Modules

-‘Research Methodology’ (bibliographical and archival content)
-‘Studying the Medieval’ (medieval primary sources; manuscript study)
-‘The Cistercian World’ (medieval monasticism)
-‘Thomas Becket: archbishop, martyr, saint’ (medieval church history and hagiography)
-‘Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Heroic’ (medieval literature)

Key Features

The programmes are delivered on the University’s campus in Lampeter or via VLE and online learning technologies. They are taught through seminars, small workshops and individual tutorials and supervision that enable detailed and personalised feedback.

Access to a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) enables additional learning, especially work-shopping, to take place outside the sessions and supports the development of a mutually supportive cohort of committed researchers.

Moreover this programme will offer:
-Expert tuition from research active specialist staff
-Exceptional resources in the specialist holdings of the Roderic Bown Library
-Small seminar based classes
-Residential programme based on our beautiful and inpiring campus in Lampeter
-The option to complete the full programme remotely through online and distance learning

Assessment

The individual modules (all 20 credit) are assessed by written assignments: essays, commentaries, short exercises. Those registering for or progressing to the MA complete a dissertation of 60 credits.

Career Opportunities

-Museum
-Archives
-Heritage sector
-Professional Writers
-Marketing
-Expert tuition from professional writers, poets, novelists, dramatists, script-writers
-An opportunity to learn about publishing through the design and production of the annual anthology
-An opportunity to read your work at such events as the Hay Festival
-Programme delivered on our beautiful and inspiring campus in Lampeter

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This interdisciplinary programme is divided into a 60 credit taught part and a Dissertation of 120 credits amounting to up to 30,000 words in total. Itenables students to study the Medieval period from a range of different subject disciplines that embraces History, English, Theology, Celtic studies and Archaeology.

Course Overview

We have a long tradition of specialist teaching in the medieval period at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Students will be able to engage with several important and high profile research projects, such as ‘Strata Florida’, and ‘Monastic Wales’. The overseas networks established (for instance with Ireland) through these projects enhance their reputation while at the same time offer research opportunities for students.

The programme offers a high quality student experience through a unique programme of study taught by a range of experts within the field of Medieval Studies. The programme is underpinned by advanced research methods, the study of theoretically informed critical approaches, and the scholarly examination of manuscripts and early printed books.

The University has a well-established record of research and teaching in the Medieval period. Unusually for the sector, its provision at all levels has enabled students to study Medieval and Early Modern period drawing on specialist staff expertise and resources, particularly the holdings of the Special Collections of the Roderic Bowen Library: a unique resource which houses the Special Collections of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, including over 35,000 printed works, 8 medieval manuscripts, around 100 post medieval manuscripts, and 69 incunabula.

The highlight of the programme is the Dissertation which requires students to undertake an extended piece of research work of between 25,000 and 30,000 words.

Modules

Students will choose three modules. Below is an illustrative list of modules available:

Research methods introduces students to the nuts and bolts of research, bibliographical and archival sources. This is compulsory.

Studying the medieval: records and manuscripts builds on this foundation to look more closely at record sources for Medieval Studies and at aspects of the study of medieval manuscripts, such as iconography and typology. This module is based in large part on the University’s special collections in the Roderick Bowen Library and Archives; unique in Wales this offers our students close and unrivalled access to our medieval manuscripts and early printed books.

Themes in Medieval Studies comprises four short case studies in which historians and literary scholars introduce you to some current debates within Medieval Studies.
-Beowulf and the Heroic
-Medieval Poetry of Dream and Debate
-Y Mabinogi
-Medieval Women: sources from the Celtic Regions
-The Origins of Cîteaux,
-Thomas Becket: archbishop, martyr, saint
-Female Saints of Wales

Key Features

The programmes are delivered on the University’s campus in Lampeter or via VLE and online learning technologies. They are taught through seminars, small workshops and individual tutorials and supervision that enable detailed and personalised feedback.

Access to a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) enables additional learning, especially work-shopping, to take place outside the sessions and supports the development of a mutually supportive cohort of committed writers. Graduates from the programmes have gone on to become successful and prize winning authors.

Moreover this programme will offer:
-Expert tuition from research active specialist staff
-Exceptional resources in the specialist holdings of the Roderic Bown Library
-Small seminar based classes
-Residential programme based on our beautiful and inpiring campus in Lampeter

Assessment

Assessment is through a mixture of assignment and presentation supported by tasks designed to enhance research skills. The dissertation allows students to undertake a sustained research project on a topic of their choice under expert individual supervision.

Career Opportunities

-Museum
-Archives
-Heritage sector
-Professional Writers
-Marketing
-Expert tuition from professional writers, poets, novelists, dramatists, script-writers
-An opportunity to learn about publishing through the design and production of the annual anthology
-An opportunity to read your work at such events as the Hay Festival
-Programme delivered on our beautiful and inspiring campus in Lampeter

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Interdisciplinary medieval study and unrivalled skills training – in the medieval capital of Britain

Why Medieval Studies at York?

Through pioneering interdisciplinary study, you will gain a comprehensive overview of the medieval cultures of Europe, taught by leading specialists from the departments of Archaeology, English, History and History of Art. The course emphasises new methodologies and techniques in the cross-disciplinary study of the Middle Ages. No other medieval studies course in the world offers the level of skills training in medieval languages, diplomatic and palaeography offered by this course.

• Choose study options covering every facet of medieval life and culture, from 400 to 1550
• Unrivalled skills training in medieval languages, diplomatic and palaeography
• Experience interdisciplinary research and understand its methodologies
• Follow your own study interests and develop key research skills
• Study in the medieval capital of Britain – with unrivalled resources on your doorstep .
• Access state-of-the-art resources, including research centres, archives and libraries.
• Become part of a vibrant humanities research culture within the University of York

What does the course cover?

The MA in Medieval Studies provides an introduction to the medieval cultures of Europe. The course draws on expertise from the four CMS parent departments, and challenges students to recognise how these subjects are inter-related while allowing them to explore fields of study that most interest them. It includes unparalleled practical skills training in palaeography, diplomatic and medieval languages.

The one-year (50-week) course comprises three terms: two taught terms, and a third devoted to researching and writing a dissertation.

Who is it for?

This course offers a wide programme of study, making it suitable for students from many different backgrounds, and with a wide variety of experience and qualifications. Applicants are expected to have a good degree or equivalent qualification, although mature students with relevant experience are also very welcome. Previous study in any of the related fields of history, history of art, literature or archaeology is particularly helpful. Some experience of medieval subjects is beneficial, but not essential. Our unique ‘streamed’ approach to skills training also allows students to receive just the right level of skills training to meet their needs and experiences: beginners, intermediate or advanced.

What can it lead to?

This course has successfully launched students into careers with a huge range of organisations involved in investigating and interpreting the Middle Ages, including English Heritage, National Trust, archives, libraries, museums, galleries, publishing companies, television companies and the media. See what our graduates have to say about the course.

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The MA in Medieval History offers an unparalleled opportunity to study at one of the world's leading centres of expertise in medieval history. The degree is equally suitable for students who wish to pursue doctoral research or careers in teaching, public history, or archives, or for those with enthusiasm for the subject but not yet a clear career direction.

Since few students will have had the opportunity to study medieval history in depth at Undergraduate level, the programme offers both wide-ranging training in sources and methods and Option Modules in specialised areas. The University of York’s Medieval MA programmes (in History, Literature, Archaeology, Stained Glass) are some of the most popular and sought after, making York the largest centre in the UK for medieval masters level study across the Humanities disciplines.

This degree offers both thorough research training and the opportunity to explore new approaches to the history of medieval Britain and Europe with seminars led by experts in the area. You will be introduced to a wide range of sources and approaches from across the period. Team teaching on the core and training modules brings the chance to get acquainted with most staff not on leave.

You will be able to participate in the lively scholarly community surrounding the active graduate school, and also have full access to the Centre for Medieval Studies and its active programme of seminars, conferences and reading groups involving both staff and graduate students.

Programme of study

The MA programme consists of five taught courses (80 credits in total), a 20,000-word dissertation (90 credits), and a Research Training module (10 credits). Note that the most effective means of teaching the specific medieval study skills result in the course being split slightly unevenly in terms of credit-weighting, with students taking 50 credits in Autumn and 30 in Spring. This will, nevertheless, give students the space to begin thinking about their dissertation earlier in the Spring Term.

For students registered for full-time study, the programmme runs as follows:

Autumn Term (October-December)
-Core Module: Perspectives on Medieval History
-Option Module 1
-Skills Module 1: Latin
-Skills Module 2: Palaeography
-Research Training (taught content)

All students take the core module, Perspectives on Medieval History. This module introduces students to a diverse range of themes and areas of debate within Medieval History. Students also take an option module chosen from a list approved by the Course Convenor. (When enrolment numbers permit, students may also select options from the Centre for Medieval Studies and its other parent departments as well as from the MA in Public History.)

All students also take the two skills modules, in Latin and Palaeography, and follow a research training programme. The research training includes specific sessions for Medieval History MA students, which will explore some of the resources available in York and may involve opportunities to handle original source materials.

Spring Term (January-March)
-Option Module 2
-Skills Module 1: Latin
-Skills Module 2: Palaeography
-Research Training (independent writing of dissertation proposal)

During the Spring Term students take a second Option module and continue the two skills modules in Latin and Palaeography, as well as writing their dissertation proposal.

Summer Term and Summer Vacation (April-September)
During the Summer Term and over the Vacation, students write a dissertation of up to 20,000 words on a subject of their choice and under the supervision of a member of staff, submitted at the end of the academic year. Dissertations should be focused on a well considered research question and should based on primary source material. Students receive generic advice about selecting research topics, setting up the research questions and assembling bibliographies, followed be specialist advice and guidance from an advisor with relevant expertise. The range of expertise of staff members and the wealth of source material available at York enables a wide range of topics, both chronologically and geographically.

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King’s is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for the study of medieval history, with expertise in the study of Anglo-Saxon England, Britain in the central Middle Ages together with early and later medieval Europe.

This MA programme gives you the skills and analysis you need for medieval historical study and delving into the significant topics of the period, from Magna Carta to the history of medieval women. It will also introduce you to the burgeoning field of digital humanities through collaboration with the Centre for Computing in the Humanities (CCH) where the digital and historical worlds meet.

Key benefits

-One of the best history departments in the world, ranked 5th in the UK for Research Quality (REF 2014) and in the Top 10 departments of History in Europe (QS World University Rankings 2015).

- International centre of excellence for the study of Medieval history.

- Introduces students to the burgeoning field of digital humanities through collaboration with the King's Centre for Computing in the Humanities (CCH).

- The central London location offers students unrivalled access to world-class museums, collections, archives and libraries as well as easy access to resources in Europe.

- Vibrant research culture, including seminars and conferences at which students are encouraged to participate and give papers.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/medieval-history-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The MA programme is amongst the most successful of its kind worldwide, teaching students the skills and analysis required for medieval historical study and delving into significant topics of the period, from Magna Carta to the history of medieval women. Furthermore, the MA introduces students to the burgeoning field of the digital humanities through collaboration with the Centre for Computing in the Humanities (CCH). Staff and students also regularly contribute to and attend lectures by the multidisciplinary Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies (CLAMS).

The History department has traditional expertise in Anglo-Saxon England, Britain in the central Middle Ages together with early and later medieval Europe. Major research projects in medieval history currently being undertaken by MA teaching staff include the AHRC-funded online databases Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) and Henry III Fine Rolls, an AHRC-funded project The Making of Charlemagne’s Europe and the Leverhulme Trust funded project Profile of a Doomed Elite: The Structure of English Landed Society in 1066.

Modules on the MA in Medieval History are taught by weekly seminars where students are expected to contribute to discussion and prepare presentations. Students can also attend relevant undergraduate lecture series such as European History 400-1500 or The Making of Britain 400-1400.

- Course purpose -

To train scholars moving into academic work after completing an undergraduate degree, but also for those who want to deepen their knowledge of the period.

- Course format and assessment -

Students on the one year full-time programme attend 4-8 hours of taught classes per week, whilst students following the two year part-time MA attend 2-6 hours of taught classes per week. The compulsory 15,000 word dissertation enables students to research a topic of their choice, working one-to-one with an academic supervisor.

Career Prospects:

Leads to further research or careers in teaching, archives, the media, finance, politics and heritage industries.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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Durham's MA in Medieval History is a broad-ranging Master's programme which seeks to equip students with historical research techniques and approaches, advanced skills in critical analysis and independent study, as well as strong and effective communication skills. The MA programme is designed to enable students with different career ambitions to succeed in their chosen area, and it caters for students of different backgrounds, previous training, and areas of specialisation. The breadth of research interests of the medievalists at Durham allows the department to offer supervision in topics about the medieval world from Late Antiquity through to the sixteenth century. The programme seeks to enable students to build an awareness of the contemporary boundaries of medieval scholarship, to master advanced understanding of historical concepts and methods, and ultimately to make their own contributions to the field.

Durham's History Department is an international centre for the study of the Middle Ages, and is situated in the historic setting of the World Heritage Site, which includes Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle and the surrounding area. Students of medieval history at Durham benefit from the rich archival and manuscript resources in the collections of the University (at Palace Green Library and at Ushaw College) and in the Cathedral Library, while the wider regional resources for study of the period are also highly significant: these include the landscape of Viking invasion, of Bede, of high medieval monasticism, of centuries of border warfare with their rich and distinctive legacy of castles, and of early industry and proto-capitalism.

Course Structure

The MA in Medieval History is a one-year full-time programme (or two-years part-time). All students are allocated a supervisor at the beginning of the first term, and s/he guides each student through the year. The programme is structured as follows:
Michaelmas Term (October-December)
-Archives and Sources (15 credits)
-Issues in Medieval History (30 credits)
-*Skill module (30 credits) - taken over Michaelmas and Epiphany Terms

Epiphany Term (January-March)
-Critical Practice (15 credits)
-Option module (30 credits)

Option modules allow students the opportunity to learn about a particular topic or issue in medieval history in depth, and to consider different historical approaches to this topic over a full term's study. In previous years, options for medieval history included The Anglo-Saxon World, AD 400-1100, Power and Society in the Late Middle Ages, and The Wealth of Nations. Option modules are taught in weekly two-hour seminars for a full term's study.

Easter Term (April-June), and the summer vacation (until early September)
-Dissertation (90 credits, or 60 credits if taking a *Skill module)

Students meet with their supervisors on an individual basis and will discuss the topic, direction and content of their dissertation, as well as the relevant medieval evidence and scholarship which they should explore. The dissertation is a substantial, independent piece of research: the 90-credit dissertation is 20,000 words, while the 60-credit dissertation is 15,000 words. You are not required to write your dissertation on a topic which is in the same period and area as your optional modules, but it is recommended that students discuss their individual programmes of work with their supervisors and/or with the Director of Taught Postgraduate Programmes.

The formal requirements and structure of the programme can be found at: https://www.dur.ac.uk/courses/info/?id=9187&title=Medieval+History&code=V1K107&type=MA&year=2016#essentials a full list of optional modules is available at: https://www.dur.ac.uk/history/postgraduate/ma_degrees/optionalmodules/

The MA can be taken part-time, over two years. In the first year the module combination consists of Archives and Sources, Critical Practice, Issues and in addition a Skills module OR Optional module. In the second year your work will consist of either a 90 credit, 20,000 word dissertation (if you took an Optional module in the first year) OR a 60 credit, 15,000 word dissertation, AND an Optional module (if you took a Skills module in the first year).

Additional courses can be taken on an audit-basis (not for credit), and can include language modules as well as optional modules. You will need to ask and receive the permission of the module leader before auditing a class. If the class is outside the department you will also need to inform the Director of Taught Postgraduates.

Learning and Teaching

The programme is delivered primarily through small group seminar teaching with some larger classes, and lecture-style sessions. Termly division of contact hours between terms depends on student choice. Issues in Medieval History has 16 contact hours, all classroom-based; this module is team-taught and exposes students to a wide variety of staff support and expertise. Archives and Sources has 8 contact hours, split between lectures, classes and seminars. Skills modules are taught through seminars or classes and are usually more contact-hour-intensive. In previous years, optional modules were taught in seminars and provided a total of 16 contact hours. Critical Practice involves lectures, a drama workshop, and oral presentation to a group (at a 'mini-conference'). Dissertation supervision involves 8 hours of directed supervision, individually with a dedicated supervisor.

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This interdisciplinary course is designed for well-qualified graduates who wish to extend their interest in medieval studies. The flexible structure of the course allows students to construct their degree around their particular areas of interest, while acquiring both the technical expertise to investigate primary medieval documents and an insight into the complexities of medieval culture generally. Students will have the opportunity to be taught not only by Trinity staff but also by visiting lecturers from other internationally renowned institutions.

Students take four core courses:

Research Methodology;
Medieval Thought;
Medieval Culture and Society;
and a language chosen from: Elementary Classical Latin, Medieval Latin, Old English, Middle English, Italian, Medieval German, Medieval French, Old Irish.

Two options are also chosen. Currently the subject areas include:
Chaucer; Language and Genre; Varieties of Comedy in Dante and Boccaccio; 'Wild' Women in Medieval Literature; Old English Prose; Arthurian H; Courtly love song in Medieval Europe, Early Medieval Ireland; Text and Image; Old English Heroic Poetry; The Unruly Middle Ages; Medieval Philosophy.

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The Medieval Literatures and Cultures MSc at Edinburgh is a flexible programme, allowing for either a specifically literary focus or a broader ranging and interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Middle Ages.

Edinburgh hosts a thriving medieval research culture. This flexible programme gives you the chance to draw on the broad range of academic expertise you’ll find here, and take advantage of the seminar series and other resources offered by our Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

You will gain a grounding in the advanced literary study of the European Middle Ages and the principles of manuscript study. Through option courses and a research project, you will have the opportunity to deepen your particular medieval interests, drawing on our strengths in the languages and literatures of medieval Europe, from medieval French and Latin to, for example, old Norse, old Irish and Middle English.

You will also have access to the impressive collections of the University, the National Library of Scotland, the National Museum of Scotland, the National Archives and the National Galleries.

Programme structure

You will take part in seminars and workshops, carried out over two semesters, followed by your independently researched dissertation.

Compulsory courses:

• Reading the Middle Ages
• Working with Pre-Modern Manuscripts

Option courses include those from the fields of history, Scottish studies, art history and divinity, as well as a variety of European literatures. Courses may include:

• The Sources of Medieval History
• Global Encounters in Medieval Art
• Medieval Men and Masculinities
• Chivalry and Crusade in Medieval France
• Medieval Welsh Literature
• Old Norse

Learning outcomes

You will gain a grounding in the concepts and genres that are key to advanced literary study of the European Middle Ages, and be introduced to the principles of manuscript study. The option courses and independent dissertation enable you to develop and deepen your particular medieval interests.

Career opportunities

The flexibility of focus this programme offers makes it an ideal foundation for advanced study, potentially leading to an academic career. Teaching or curatorship roles in cultural institutions are alternative career pathways, while the transferable skills you gain in communication, project management and presentation will prove a valuable asset to employers in any field.

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We have one of the greatest concentrations of world-leading medievalists in the UK, covering the entire span of the Middle Ages and a wide range of regions from Ireland to Byzantium. This Masters in Medieval History provides you with thorough research training and a wide set of transferable skills in the conception, design and execution of a research project.

Why this programme

◾Glasgow is home to the Glasgow Centre of Medieval & Renaissance Studies and the Centre for Scottish & Celtic Studies.
◾You will enjoy access to the Baillie Collection, our prized collection of printed medieval and modern sources in Scottish, Irish and English history. The collection also offers printed state papers, Historical Manuscript Commission publications and a select collection of modern monographs.
◾Our programme has strong links with the University's Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, giving you access to primary source material including an enormous collection of anatomical and pathological specimens, coins, books, manuscripts and ethnography.
◾You will join an extensive medieval research community. Glasgow has active charter and chronicle research groups in medieval studies, a reading group and regular staff-student seminars. The annual Edwards Lecture is the keynote event in the calendar of this scholarly community.

Programme structure

Our History Masters are built around a hands-on research training course, specialised courses on historical and theoretical themes, and other courses developing your technical skills and other abilities like languages and palaeography.

If you choose to study Medieval History, there will be a guided selection of courses that will provide you with the specialised knowledge in that field. You will be taught through a series of seminars and workshops. Internationally recognised historians give guest lectures throughout the year.

In the final part of the programme, you will select a specialised topic and conduct original primary source research for your dissertation. You are supported in your research and writing up by an assigned supervisor with expertise in your field of inquiry.

Core courses
◾Research resources and skills for historians.

Optional courses

Course options may include
◾Chivalry and warfare in late Medieval Europe, c1300-1500
◾Constructing faith: systems of belief and religious networks in the Middle Ages
◾From antiquity to the Middle Ages
◾Introduction to medieval manuscript studies
◾Barbarians in the Mediterranean
◾Popular revolt in the late Middle Ages
◾The Crusades
◾The Normans
◾Medieval paleography.

To widen your approach and develop an interdisciplinary perspective, you are also strongly encouraged to take one or two complementary courses in cognate subjects, such as
◾Explorations in the Classical tradition
◾Inventing the 'Clash of Civilisations': East against West from Homer to Hadrian
◾Approaching the past: sources and methods in medieval Scottish and Celtic Studies
◾Themes in later medieval Scottish archaeology
◾Early Christian monuments of Scotland
◾Heritage and cultural informatics.

Courses in Latin, Scottish literature, English literature, theology, history of art and other College of Arts subjects can also be studied, by agreement with the programme convener.

Career Prospects

Apart from continuing to study a PhD, you can transfer the arts research skills and methods you learn on this programme to positions in the public and private sectors, such as heritage, policy and projects, journalism and teaching.

Positions held by recent History graduates include Editor Business & History Products, Lead Scholar/Instructor and Secretary.

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