伦敦大学伯贝克学院

The MA Medieval History at Birkbeck is led by world-class academics, bringing their cutting-edge research into the classroom through a variety of groundbreaking subjects. The MA is distinguished in the UK by its global reach, and local depth: our expertise ranges from the Indian Ocean in the early middle ages, the archaeology of the high medieval Silk Road, and late medieval Italy, Germany, the Low Countries, France and the UK.

This programme is unique in its emphasis on writing histories of the middle ages that cross disciplinary boundaries - including archaeology, history, literature, art history and musicology - and in equipping its students with skills to analyse a vast range of sources, including castles, cathedrals and caravan inns, coins, pottery, clocks, bells and burial sites, alongside chronicles, parish records, illuminated manuscripts, maps, altarpieces and inscriptions. As a Medieval History MA student, you will also have the option to take modules organised by colleagues in the History of Art, English and other institutions within the University of London, to create a course tailored to your interests.

In the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology at Birkbeck, you will encounter dynamic researchers who are transforming their fields. Dr Rebecca Darley’s work on coin circulation in the regions surrounding the western Indian Ocean and Byzantine Empire is driving new understandings of early medieval economies, political, social and cultural change and exchange. Dr Kate Franklin’s path-breaking fieldwork in the Caucasus is rewriting the history of the Silk Road through charting the local experiences of this global trade route. Dr Matthew Champion’s research has profoundly shifted understandings of how time was perceived and experienced in the late middle ages. Professor Vanessa Harding’s work on death and burial in medieval cities, including London and Paris, and Professor John Henderson’s studies of Renaissance health and medicine, have had a lasting impact on the field, making our Department one of the world’s premier destinations for MA students seeking to understand the complex, challenging and confronting history of the medieval world.

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY

Graduates can pursue careers in research and archiving, education, the heritage industry, publication and the media, the charity sector and journalism. Possible professions include historian, higher education lecturer, or archivist. This degree provides a range of transferable skills, which may be useful in becoming a journalist, heritage manager, politician’s assistant, academic librarian, or museum/gallery curator.

We offer a comprehensive Careers Service to help you advance your career, while our in-house, professional recruitment consultancy, Birkbeck Talent, works with London’s top employers to help you gain work experience that fits in with your evening studies.