University of Kansas

What you'll study

This MA emphasises cultural history across the medieval and early modern periods, combining close work with manuscripts and printed sources, palaeography, and theoretical approaches to religion, gender, material culture and intellectual history. Core work typically covers topics such as medieval book culture and manuscript studies, the history of religion and reform movements, early modern print culture, urban and social history, and the history of art and visual culture.

• Research methods and historiography — training in archival research, palaeography, codicology and critical use of primary sources.
• Language training — advanced Latin and, where relevant, medieval or early modern vernaculars (for example Old French, Middle English, Early Modern French, German or Spanish) to support primary-source work.
• Period and thematic seminars — focused seminars on subjects such as medieval pilgrimage and relics, early modern political culture, book production and readership, gender and family in medieval and early modern Europe.
• Interdisciplinary options — opportunities to take relevant courses in art history, religious studies, classics, and library and information studies.
• Thesis or non-thesis routes — a supervised research thesis demonstrating original work with primary sources, or a coursework-focused option with a capstone portfolio or comprehensive examination.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree with good academic standing in history or a closely related discipline. Admissions typically consider academic transcripts, a statement of purpose outlining research interests, a writing sample demonstrating analytical ability, and two academic references. Some background in historical methods or relevant languages is strongly preferred.

International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency according to university requirements. Depending on the applicant’s proposed research, competence in Latin or a modern European language may be required or recommended; prospective students should indicate prior language training and plan for any additional language study.

Career prospects

Graduates develop skills in critical analysis, research design, archival working, and clear written and spoken communication. These are applicable to a wide range of careers, including:

• Continuation to doctoral research and academic careers in history and related fields.
• Curatorial, archival and special-collections work in libraries, museums and cultural heritage organisations.
• Public history, heritage management and historic preservation roles.
• Publishing, editorial work, and cultural journalism.
• Education at secondary and post-secondary levels, as well as roles in nonprofit organisations and government that value research and interpretive skills.

Why study at University of Kansas

The University of Kansas offers strong faculty expertise in medieval and early modern Europe and an interdisciplinary environment that brings together historians, art historians and literary scholars. Students benefit from hands-on access to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the university’s special collections, which hold medieval manuscripts, early printed books and archival materials well suited to cultural-historical research.

KU supports graduate training through opportunities for teaching assistantships, research apprenticeships and collaboration with related centres and departments. The programme’s combination of language training, methodological apprenticeship and close supervision prepares students for rigorous research and a range of careers that require deep primary-source experience and interpretive expertise.