Come and study with us on our exciting MA in Medieval Studies programme.
Course Overview
Lincoln has a long and fascinating history. With its medieval royal castle, world-renowned Gothic cathedral, and some of the finest surviving examples of medieval domestic architecture in the United Kingdom and Western Europe, the city is home to a wealth of resources, making it the ideal location in which to undertake an advanced study of the Middle Ages.
What specific knowledge and skills will you develop?
By studying with our world-renowned experts, in the heart of our medieval city, you will develop and enhance your knowledge of several academic disciplines, including medieval history and literature, languages, art and architectural history, and medievalism (the study of different cultural approaches to the Middle Ages). You will also gain the necessary academic skills to read and work with fascinating textual, visual and material sources.
Structure and Contents:
If you are a full-time student, during your course of study you will take two core modules and one optional module per semester, in addition to writing a dissertation. If you are a part-time student, the same number of modules will be distributed over a two-year period.
Your core modules are essential to the development of your research skills. They will include a year-long introduction to medieval Latin language and literature from the very basics, a hands-on primer in medieval palaeography (handwriting) which will involve handling books and documents, and a survey of research methods and approaches in the field of Medieval Studies. You will learn, for example, how to utilise historical archives and how to understand medieval manuscripts and their materiality.
Alongside these core modules, you will be able to choose from an array of options on offer each semester to create your own pathway through the degree. The range of topics covered in these modules is broad and includes the study of medieval power dynamics, communities and identities, networks of communication, conflict and coexistence, mobility and exchange, and many others. Our teaching team has strengths in Socio-Political, Religious and Cultural History, Archaeology, Art History, Women’s History, Queenship Studies, the History of Emotions, Literary Studies, and Medievalism, with a focus on England, Europe and the wider Mediterranean world, with a special interest in the Iberian Peninsula.
You will work closely with a vibrant academic team of scholars and teachers who are also authors, editors, contributors to international research projects, broadcasters, conservators, and experts in heritage.
As a medievalist in the Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage, you will join our thriving postgraduate community, where you can participate in a wide a range of research events, such as seminars on current projects, our Annual Medieval Lecture, a ‘Medieval Week’ with international contributors, and reading groups in which you can meet and learn from PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the School.
How You Study:
Modules are mostly taught in two-hour small-group seminars. Alongside core skills modules, you will be able to select from a range of optional modules that cover British, European, and Mediterranean history from different disciplinary and methodological perspectives, including History, Art History, and Literary Studies.
Many of our modules include off-site sessions in which students encounter and experience medieval sites and artefacts, with expert guidance. These include Lincoln Cathedral Library and its wealth of literary manuscripts, such as one of only 50 full copies of the Canterbury Tales, as well as the Thornton Romances, which contain the earliest known account of King Arthur’s death. We also regularly arrange site visits to Lincoln Castle and to the Lincolnshire Archives, one of the UK’s largest regional archives.
Further details are available in the Modules tab and through the Medieval Studies Research Group page here.
*Please note that the modules on offer each academic year will vary depending on staff availability.
You will also complete a dissertation of 12-15,000 words, based on independent research in a subject area of your choice, supervised by one of our members of staff. Past students have written dissertations on subjects such as queenship and patronage, narratives of conflict and violence, religious dissent, spiritual health and emotions, Arthurian literature, slavery and hierarches of power, the natural and the built environments, among others.
As a full-time student on this course, you should expect to have four to six hours of contact time per week. Postgraduate study also involves a significant proportion of independent research, reading, and writing, to explore the material covered in taught sessions. For students enrolled on a part-time basis, the plan of study would be adjusted accordingly.
How You Are Assessed:
Most modules are assessed by written work, normally source analyses, essays, and other research projects. Latin and Palaeography involve a mix of in-class tests and portfolio work. Many modules also have a participation mark to reward attendance and engagement.
To obtain your MA, you must complete a dissertation project of 12-15,000 words, for which you will be supervised by one of the academics teaching on this programme.
Following the University of Lincoln’s policy on assessment, we will ensure that you receive your feedback promptly, usually within 15 or 20 working days of the submission date (unless stated differently). This will allow you to build on our comments and suggestions to improve your subsequent assessments.
Opportunities:
On this programme you are invited to become an active member of our postgraduate cohort. We encourage you to attend our regular research seminars and lectures delivered by both internal and external speakers, including the University’s Annual Medieval Studies Lecture. We also organise a ‘Medieval Week’, which includes a range of public events and lectures delivered by internationally recognised scholars in Medieval Studies. You are also invited to join reading groups, which allow you to discuss ideas and share knowledge with your peers, as well as with PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, academic staff, and visiting external speakers.
Career Development:
This course will enhance your employability by helping you to develop your critical thinking and analytical skills. These may be particularly beneficial to careers in the heritage sector, museums, communication, and teaching, among others. After completing their MA Medieval Studies, some of our graduates have also continued their research at the doctoral level, securing external PhD funding to support their studies.
Collaborations:
We have strong working relationships with the wider scholarly and professional community, including Lincoln Cathedral Library and Lincolnshire Archives, with whom we collaborate in our teaching and research. We also work closely with external organisations such as:
- British Archaeological Association
- International Arthurian Society (British Branch)
- International Society for the Study of Medievalism
- Pipe Roll Society
- Royal Historical Society
- The Historical Association
- The Lincoln Record Society
- The Noblewomen Network
- The Society for the Medieval Mediterranean
Entry Requirements:
First- or second-class honours degree in a relevant subject.
If you have studied outside the UK and are unsure whether your qualification meets these requirements, please visit our country pages for information on equivalent qualifications here.
Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page here.
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses:
These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.