Medieval History

Janel
USA
Medieval History MA
For as long as I can remember, I have been enthralled by medieval English history. When I decided on a career path in academia in high school, I began dreaming of obtaining a post-graduate degree in England. My undergraduate work at the University of Florida allowed me to develop an interest in Anglo-Saxon slavery, and King’s hosts Dr. Alice Rio, one of the few scholars of early medieval slavery in the world. Naturally, I leapt at the chance to study at King’s.

I have even been awarded funding, which has enabled me to fulfil my dream of earning a degree in England. Being a student at King’s has opened my world to a wealth of resources I could have scarcely imagined as an undergraduate; London is the perfect place to study medieval history. Here exists a community of renowned historians, both at King’s and in the University of London’s Institute for Historical Research. Top-notch libraries and research facilities are at my fingertips, and the King’s Department of Digital Humanities has exposed me to the essential subject of digital resources.

Additionally, the structure of the program ensures that I build on the skills I need. Having taken years of only classical Latin, it is refreshing to sit in a course dedicated to medievalists. I also have the opportunity to study palaeography, a subject overlooked by many universities and yet crucial to historians. I know that my experience at King’s, as well as the people I’ve met, will provide me with a strong foundation for doctoral research and continuing on into the world of academia.

Oren
Canada
Medieval History MA
When I came to King's College London from Los Angeles and the University of Southern California for a full time MA in Medieval History, I already knew that I wanted to study for a doctorate afterwards; I thought I just needed the skills to make that happen.
Well, I got the skills at King's - I had never studied Latin before, and here I took part in a Latin play this year. I also got a lot more than that: academics who cared about the personal attention they gave their students; intelligent classmates drawn from across the country; and the academic resources of London, such as the British Library, the Courtauld Institute and the Institute of Historical Research on my doorstep.
For a historian, London is a great place to be, and for a North American it's especially great, as the European continent is just a short hop away. I've made it Venice, Amsterdam and Bruges within the past few months. I'm getting ready to start my doctorate next year, and I know that my entire King's experience has put me in good stead for the future.

Alice Rio
Medieval History MA
The MA in Medieval History is one of the very best programmes of its kind. The History Department has an excellent reputation, with a great tradition of medieval history; it is also a very friendly and supportive environment, with committed teachers and a genuine sense of community. I was a postgraduate student here myself, and loved King’s and the department so much I leapt at the chance to come back as a lecturer.



The MA offers students training in the essential skills needed for research (paleography; Medieval Latin, from beginners’ to advanced levels), and courses in a wide range of topics. There is a real link between lecturers’ teaching and their research: for instance, my own current work is on medieval slavery, and I also teach it as a course.



Students can also take advantage of courses taught in other departments, and even at other London colleges. This huge range of options makes the programme very flexible, with scope for interdisciplinarity. The programme is ideal as preparation for a PhD, but it is also wide-ranging and challenging enough to satisfy those who are simply interested in furthering their knowledge and understanding of the medieval period beyond their first degree.



There are also plenty of things to do outside regular teaching: the Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies has a lecture series and a postgraduate reading group; and London more widely offers unparalleled resources for medievalists, with the Institute of Historical Research’s library and numerous seminars, the British Library and its manuscripts, and the medieval collections at the British Museum and elsewhere.

Peter Heather
Medieval History MA
King’s has one of the top-rated Medieval History Departments in the world. We offer an extremely wide range of expertise to students, whether you’re interested in technical training, taught master’s degrees, or doctoral supervision. Through membership of our department, students also gain access to all the medieval seminars and training events organised centrally under the umbrella of London University’s Institute of Historical Research, and the extraordinary library and research opportunities afforded by the rich cultural heritage of the UK’s capital city.



We have a flourishing MA programme, hosting 20 students a year, tailor-made to produce independent-minded, fully-trained medieval researchers. Postgraduates are the backbone of our own flourishing doctoral programmes and those of other prestigious institutions as well, making the department’s overall contribution to medieval historical studies in the UK and beyond extremely powerful.

Serena Ferente
Medieval History MA
The MA in Medieval History at King's is one of the best graduate programmes in this field in the country. It is an intense but very rewarding experience. Our students work with some of the UK's leading medievalists, in a 5* rated department, and take full advantage of the unique opportunities offered by London's cultural institutions. King's interdisciplinary Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies and the Institute of Historical Research offer an unrivalled choice of seminars and lectures for medievalists.
Our research areas include Carolingian Europe, the Norman Conquest, English royal government, and women's history. My own field is late medieval and Renaissance Italy, particularly the dynamics of political conflict, political ideas, and the intersection between women's history and the history of the state.
Since they receive intensive training in Latin and Paleography, along with methods of historical analysis and historiography, by the end of their MA year our students are able to read and understand original sources produced between the fifth and the 15th century.
Visits to The National Archives or Westminster Abbey are a regular feature of the programme and, as members of the Department of History, students can join the CLIO society, which organises a number of events throughout the year, including parties, lectures, and trips to Europe.