Roger Williams University

What you'll study

The programme combines broad training in historical methods with specialised courses on medieval and early modern Europe. Core work covers historiography, research methods and a survey of European history, while specialised modules focus on topics such as medieval political and religious institutions, the Renaissance and Reformation, early modern state formation, the history of everyday life, intellectual and cultural movements, and the history of art and material culture.

• Foundations and methods: historiography, archival research, oral history techniques, digital humanities tools for historians.
• Medieval topics: medieval Europe, Byzantium, crusading and cross-cultural contacts, medieval religion and monasticism, medieval urban life.
• Early modern topics: the Renaissance, the Reformation and confessional change, early modern political thought, colonial encounters and the global context of early modern Europe.
• Language and source work: opportunities to study Latin and relevant modern languages to support primary-source reading and translation.
• Capstone and experiential learning: senior seminar or honours thesis, directed research projects, internships with museums, archives, cultural organisations, and study abroad options in Europe.

Courses emphasise primary-source analysis, interdisciplinary approaches (including art history, literature and religious studies), and the development of written and oral communication skills. Students are encouraged to design a pathway that balances chronological breadth with thematic depth in cultural history.

Entry requirements

Candidates are expected to hold a recognised secondary-school diploma. Admission typically considers academic record, strength of the humanities courses taken in high school, letters of recommendation and a personal statement that demonstrates interest in historical study. Successful applicants usually show strong writing skills and analytical ability; prior coursework in history and foreign languages is helpful but not always required.

Roger Williams University follows standard international and domestic admissions policies: international applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through approved tests or prior English-medium education, and transfer applicants should submit college transcripts. Standardised tests may be optional in some admissions cycles; consult the admissions office for current testing policies.

Career prospects

Graduates with a major in Medieval and Early Modern European Cultural History develop transferable skills valued across many sectors: critical thinking, research and analysis, advanced written and oral communication, and archival literacy. Common career paths include:

• Work in museums, archives, historic sites and cultural heritage organisations (curation, collections management, interpretation).
• Public history and education roles, including secondary teaching (with appropriate teaching certification), educational programming and community outreach.
• Publishing, journalism, library and information services, and roles in cultural policy or nonprofit management.
• Further academic study at the graduate level in history, medieval studies, museum studies or related disciplines, leading to careers in research and higher education.
• Careers in law, government, and business where strong research, writing and argumentation skills are valued.

Practical experience through internships, study abroad and project-based coursework helps students build professional networks and concrete examples of applied skills for employers or graduate programmes.

Why study at Roger Williams University

Roger Williams University offers a liberal-arts environment with small class sizes and close faculty mentorship, which supports intensive source-based learning and one-on-one research supervision. The university emphasises experiential learning—students frequently take internships with local museums, archives and cultural institutions in the Providence and greater New England area.

Students benefit from opportunities to study abroad in Europe to work directly with archives and material culture sites relevant to medieval and early modern studies. The campus location provides convenient access to major libraries, museums and historical collections regionally, while faculty with expertise in cultural and social history guide students in developing original research projects and senior theses.