MA in Medieval Studies

This multi-disciplinary two-year programme, offered by a team of international academics, provides students with a thorough grounding in the study of European languages, cultures and society from Late Antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages.

The interdisciplinary requirements encourage students to view the past in a multidimensional way, while the emphasis on source study and languages (of which no prior knowledge is required) provides them with skills necessary for innovative academic research.

MA students are welcomed into NUI Galway’s wider community of medievalists that actively sponsors seminars by visiting scholars, funded research projects, and international conferences such as IMBAS, organised by and for postgraduates.

They are also encouraged to participate in CAMPS, the Centre for Antique, Medieval & Pre-Modern Studies, affiliated with the Moore Institute.

MA students are also eligible for the Sieg & Dunlop Travel Bursary ( download details) to attend the International Congress of Medieval Studies held annually at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

Course content

Year one: All students take a year-long seminar (Sources & Resources) focusing on palaeography and manuscript studies, but also treating auxiliary sciences such as diplomatic, heraldry and philology and including a team-work Internet-based project on a medieval scriptorium. All students also take Latin and one other language (no prior knowledge of these languages is required). Modules in Archaeology, History, and Literature round out the year.

Year two: In Semester One all students continue with Latin and Sources & Resources, as well as taking a module in Archaeology, History or Literature. They also begin to work with their thesis supervisors to define a thesis topic, through extensive bibliographical investigation, before completing their research and writing in Semester Two.

See:

• Detailed breakdown of course content
• List of teaching staff
  

Career Opportunities

Over 70% of graduates in Medieval Studies have pursued PhDs in Ireland, England or the USA, of whom over 30% received major scholarships. Graduates who do not proceed to PhD research at universities such as NUI Galway, Trinity College, Dublin, Oxford, Durham, Leeds, or the University of Southern California have a reasonable expectation of finding employment in many walks of life, outside of academia. These include cultural and heritage development; library and museum studies; publishing and the book trade; print journalism; research consultancies; financial services; the civil service, teaching, and administration.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements: Either a Second Class Honours, Grade 1 BA, or a GPA of 3.5 or equivalent international undergraduate degree (at NFQ level 8), in a relevant subject. Selection is based on an applicant’s academic record, academic references stating her or his potential for completing a research project, as well as on samples of the applicant’s written work.

Up to 15 places are available for first-year entrants.

For enquiries about entry in September 2012, contact:
Dr Kimberly LoPrete
Phone +353 91 493 547
E-mail kim.lopretenuigalway.ie

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