Medieval Britain & Europe

Applications can be made online by visiting our Postgraduate Application Portal, or can be made offline (by post or email). Please see our How to Apply page for more detail. 

Duration:

One year full-time, or up to three years for part-time study

Contact Time:

Approximately 6 hours a week in the first two semesters. During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned supervisor.

Assessment:

The course is assessed through a diverse range of assignments, including the 15,000 word MA dissertation.   

Course Fees:

Please see the tuition fee pages for current tuition fees. Please note that all fees are subject to an annual increase. 

Funding:

Funding opportunities may be available, please check our funding calculator for details.

Why study MA Medieval Britain and Europe at Aberystwyth University?

•  Study just five minutes away from one of five UK copyright libraries, the National Library of Wales

• History has been taught in Aberystwyth since 1872, making our department the oldest in Wales and one of the foremost in Britain

• Our Department has strong links with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments, the National Library of Wales, Ceredigion Archives and the Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

• Opportunity to participate in the activities of the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS), a joint research partnership between Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities

• A rich programme of visiting speakers, workshops and seminars 

• A lively postgraduate community of fellow-medievalists

• All our lecturers are research active and are recognised as leading authorities in their respective fields

• Opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of this course 

• Benefit from small group teaching

• Aberystwyth University is a top 50 university for research power and intensity – REF 2014

Careers

Graduates from the Department of History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth have expansive and varied careers. Many of our Masters graduates go on to PhD study and academic careers.  Others go on to careers in:

• museums and archives

• heritage administration

• tourism

• public administration

• the civil service

• local government

• teaching

• journalism

• the broadcast media

• publishing

Skills

This course will empower you to:

• Increase your critical faculties

• Develop study and research skills

• Develop strong writing and analytical skills as well as the capacity to work independently

• Develop your abilities in structuring and communicating complex ideas clearly, accurately, and authoritatively

• Interrogate historical practices at an advanced level

• Develop practical skills and hands-on experience in researching medieval history

• Develop an advanced understanding of Latin syntax, grammar and vocabulary

How will I learn?

This course can be studied one year full-time or 24 to 36 months part-time, and is delivered primarily through seminars and workshops.

The core module, Research Methods and Professional Skills in History, will also require students to attend Departmental Research Seminars, which will offer access to wider international networks and approaches (with, over the years, speakers from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, the UK and the US).

Throughout the year students will also receive workshops to aid them in researching and writing their dissertation, and during the final semester, students will arrange their level of contact time with their assigned dissertation supervisor.

What will I learn?

This course consists of six 20 credit modules and a 60 credit master’s dissertation. Students study a core module which discusses British society in context of the 12th–14th centuries. Alongside this, students undertake core research training modules, including a specialist module on Palaeography & Diplomatic (medieval manuscript handwriting), one Latin research training module, and a module on Research Methods and Professional Skills in History.

Students then choose their remaining two modules from a variety of optional modules. For an idea of optional modules available, please see the Modules tab. 

In the final semester, students complete their MA dissertation, an original research project (15,000 words) undertaken under the close supervision of a specialist within the Department.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment for this course is via a mix of essays, exams, practical exercises and translation exercises.

The Research Methods and Professional Skills in History module will be assessed via an oral assessment of MA conference presentation, an assessed outline of an MA conference presentation, a critical assessment of a departmental research seminar, and a dissertation research proposal. 

Successful submission of the MA dissertation in the final semester leads to the award of an MA.