Murray State University

What you'll study

The programme combines a broad foundation in historical methods with specialised courses on medieval and early modern Europe. You study political, religious and cultural developments such as the Carolingian and Byzantine worlds, the Viking and Crusading eras, the high medieval urban and court cultures, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution. The curriculum emphasises primary-source work, historiography and interdisciplinary approaches drawing on art history, literature, religion and material culture.

• Core skills and methods: historical research and writing, historiography, archival methods and public history practice.
• Region and period courses: Medieval Europe; The High Middle Ages; The Late Middle Ages and Crisis; Renaissance Thought and Culture; Reformation Europe; Early Modern Intellectual History.
• Language and palaeography: options to study or develop reading knowledge in Latin and modern European languages; introduction to medieval palaeography and diplomatic skills for working with manuscripts.
• Material and visual culture: medieval art and architecture, manuscript studies, coins and numismatics, dress and textiles.
• Capstone and independent work: senior seminar or honours thesis involving sustained research under faculty supervision, often using special collections or digital archives.
• Electives and complementary study: courses in archaeology, religion, literature, museum studies, and digital humanities to support interdisciplinary projects.
• Experiential learning: opportunities for internships with museums and archives, study abroad programmes in Europe, and faculty-mentored undergraduate research projects using the university’s Special Collections and Archives.

Entry requirements

Applicants must meet Murray State University’s undergraduate admission criteria, typically including a completed secondary education diploma (or recognised equivalent) and academic transcripts. Transfer applicants should submit college transcripts and a statement of academic intent. Prospective majors benefit from prior coursework in history, English or related humanities disciplines but these are not always required.

• Standard documents: high school or college transcripts and proof of graduation.
• International applicants: proof of English language proficiency through accepted tests or prior instruction in English where applicable.
• Recommended preparation: coursework in history, literature, foreign languages and writing; applicants intending to pursue advanced study should prepare to develop reading skills in Latin or a modern European language.
• Additional materials: some students submit a writing sample or brief research proposal for placement in advanced seminars or honours tracks.

Career prospects

Graduates with this concentration are well placed for careers that value strong research, writing and interpretive skills. Common pathways include work in museums and historic sites, archival and records management, public history, cultural heritage and conservation, library services, publishing, and education. Many students also pursue graduate study in history, medieval studies, museum studies, law or library and information science.

• Archivist or records manager
• Museum curator, collections assistant or educator
• Historic site manager or cultural heritage professional
• Secondary school teacher (with appropriate certification) or higher education researcher
• Editor, writer or researcher in publishing and media
• Further study in MA/PhD programmes, or professional programmes in law and library/information science

Why study at Murray State University

Murray State offers a personalised undergraduate experience with small seminar classes and regular access to faculty mentors in the Department of History. Students benefit from hands-on research opportunities using Murray State’s Special Collections and Archives in the Waterfield Library, and from partnerships that support internships and public history placements in the region.

The university supports study abroad and faculty-led travel courses that let students examine medieval and early modern sites and collections in Europe. Combined with a liberal arts curriculum, the programme prepares students both for immediate employment in cultural fields and for competitive applications to graduate programmes.