University of Hawaii at Manoa

What you'll study

The programme combines broad training in historical methods with specialised courses on medieval and early modern Europe. Core topics typically include historiography and research methods, medieval political and social structures, the Renaissance and the Reformation, early modern state formation, cultural and intellectual history, religious movements, and the history of gender, law and material culture. Students work with primary sources in translation and are encouraged to develop competence in one or more European languages relevant to their interests.

Course structure usually includes introductory lower-division surveys, a sequence of upper-division seminars focused on medieval and early modern themes, and a capstone or senior seminar that emphasises archival research and sustained analytical writing. Optional electives allow interdisciplinary study with literature, art history, religious studies, archaeology and digital humanities. Undergraduate research projects, directed readings, and study-abroad periods in Europe are available to deepen language skills and firsthand archival experience.

Entry requirements

Applicants must meet the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's general undergraduate admission requirements. For the History major, prospective students should demonstrate strong preparation in humanities and social sciences from secondary school, and universities often look for demonstrated ability in writing and critical analysis. Competence in a foreign language is highly recommended; some specialised courses or research projects may require intermediate-level proficiency in a European language.

Transfer students are expected to present appropriate lower-division history credits and a record of successful college-level study. All students must complete the university general education/core requirements as well as the departmental lower-division prerequisites before progressing to upper-division history seminars.

Career prospects

Graduates with a concentration in Medieval and Early Modern European Cultural History go on to a wide range of careers. Common paths include secondary and postsecondary teaching (often after additional certification or graduate study), museum and heritage work, archives and records management, publishing, cultural resource management, and roles in non-profit organisations or government that value research, writing and analytical skills.

The degree also provides strong preparation for postgraduate study in history, medieval studies, public history, library and information science, law and other professional programmes. Employers particularly value graduates' abilities in critical thinking, source analysis, contextual interpretation and written communication.

Why study at University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa offers undergraduate students access to a well-established Department of History with faculty working across a broad chronological and geographic range. Students benefit from small upper-division seminars, opportunities for one-to-one supervision on research projects, and access to the Hamilton Library's special collections and interlibrary networks for European materials.

UH Mānoa emphasises interdisciplinary study and global perspectives, making it possible to combine European medieval and early modern subjects with comparative approaches from art history, religious studies and digital humanities. The department supports undergraduate research, internships with museums and cultural organisations in Honolulu, and faculty-led study-abroad or archival programs that let students gain language experience and work with primary sources in Europe.