Our MA Medieval Studies course provides you with the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of medieval culture and society through interdisciplinary approaches to the period. The course also offers the chance to work with leading scholars in the field of Medieval Studies across the university. You will have the chance to develop critical interpretation and reading skills in Latin and other medieval languages such as Old Norse, Arabic, Persian, medieval English and Turkish. Thus, a Leeds Medieval Studies degree can be the starting point for cutting-edge research focusing on Europe, the Mediterranean world, or Asia.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some experience of learning Latin, our intensive language course will develop your skills to an advanced level, enabling you to study a wide range of medieval source texts, both in printed and in manuscript form. You’ll also develop skills in palaeography (the study of historical handwriting), primary text analysis and translation.
You’ll benefit from teaching by academic staff who are leading researchers in a range of subject areas, from languages and cultures to literature and religion. The Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS) brings together staff from across the University of Leeds who are medieval specialists within a broad range of disciplines. As such, we’re able to offer a huge range of expertise in subject areas such as history, religion, literature and history of art. This gives you the opportunity to tailor your course to your specific interests within the field of Medieval Studies and to your future career ambitions. Your degree will be completed by a dissertation which will give you the opportunity to put these skills into practice. This will be completed under the supervision of one of our expert medievalists and based on your own research.
As a student in the Institute for Medieval Studies, you'll have the opportunity to attend the International Medieval Congress. We are proud that the University of Leeds hosts the Congress each year, which welcomes over 2,700 medievalists from all over the world onto campus with a programme of 700 sessions, allowing interdisciplinary insight and discussion of the medieval period, from art and architecture to theology, literature and medicine. This is a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge of the subject area, to network with people from all over the world who have a passion for Medieval Studies, and to learn from active researchers. There is also the possibility of paid employment at the IMC, helping to run one of the biggest conferences in the humanities.
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates will be required to study all of the following compulsory modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDV5000M | Introduction to Medieval Latin | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| MEDV5110M | Research Methods and Bibliography | 15 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| MEDV5120M | Palaeography: Reading Medieval Manuscripts | 15 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| MEDV5145M | Medieval Studies Dissertation | 30 | 1 Jan to 30 Sep |
Students are required to take 60 credits of language credits, following one of the pathways set out below:
1. Candidates who test (by examination) as already research-capable in Medieval Latin must take at least 60 credits in medieval language(s) (which can include MEDV5020M).
2. Students who test as a beginner in Medieval Latin are required to take MEDV5000M. In addition they must take either MEDV5001M (Intermediate Latin) or one 30 credit vernacular medieval language option.
3. Students who test as beginners in Medieval Latin and wish to take both MEDV5000M and MEDV5001M may study a further language module in lieu of an option module.
Further guidance can be sought from the Programme Director.
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDV5001M | Intermediate Medieval Latin | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| MEDV5020M | Advanced Medieval Latin | 30 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | |
| MEDV5235M | Medieval English | 30 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | |
| MEDV5245M | Old Norse | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates may take 30-60 of the following optional modules. Total credits in compulsory and optional modules must equal 180 and a credit balance across semesters should be maintained.
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIST5016M | Embodied Histories: Disability and Identity in Byzantium (c. 1000-1200) | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| HIST5034M | Global History and the Middle Ages | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| MEDV5100M | Medieval Manuscripts in the Digital Age | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| MEDV5295M | Religious Communities and the Individual Experience of Religion, 1200-1500 | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| MEDV5340M | Medieval Bodies | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Last updated: 30/07/2024 16:14:37
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team