Medieval History

The M.Phil in Medieval History offers well-qualified graduates in History, the Humanities and the Social Sciences an introduction to research in the political, social, cultural and religious history of Ireland, Britain and continental Europe across the Middle Ages. This one-year programme (or two years part-time) is designed to introduce students to a wide range of issues in, and approaches to, medieval history while also providing students with a rigorous training in research methods and relevant skills. The programme is built around the excellent research resources in both TCD and Dublin for the study of medieval history. The programme reflects the full range of exciting new research currently being undertaken in medieval history within the Department of History and School of Histories & Humanities. The course may also serve as an introduction to graduate study for students intending to pursue doctoral studies in medieval history.

Aims

The course aims to provide graduates with a critical awareness of key issues and questions in medieval history and a firm foundation in the research process. Students will be trained in the analysis and the presentation of their research findings and introduced to the methodological challenges of conducting research at postgraduate level. Each module within the degree programme introduces students to a defined theme or problem within medieval history, providing a tightly focused and in-depth introduction to a range of contemporary sources, interpretative problems and current debates. Through exploring these issues, approaches and methodologies, the M.Phil in Medieval History is designed to equip students with both the analytical and practical skills required for independent historical research.

Attendance and Requirements

The course begins in late September of each year, and requires either full-time study for one year or part-time for two years. Students are expected to attend all taught components of the course.

Methods of Study

Students are required to attend seminars, to participate in class activities, to complete all assigned tasks and to make class presentations. They will also submit research-based essays. For the dissertation element of the degree, each student will be assigned a supervisor who will provide academic guidance on their research project.

Course Structure

The course consists of three elements – (a) major subjects of study; (b) research training and skills modules; and (c) a dissertation of 20,000 words.

Major Subjects of Study (20 ECTS)

Students must complete one major subject of study in both Michaelmas and Hilary Terms. Each subject will be taught by means of a weekly two-hour seminar and is worth 10 ECTS credits. Availability of modules will alter from year to year and is also subject to student demand. These major subjects of study include:

• CL 7023 Classics and European Identity (Prof Anna Chahoud)
• CL 7020 The Eternal City: the Archaeology of the City of Rome (Dr Hazel Dodge)
• FR 7149 Arthurian Heroes and the Making of History (English Dept.)
• HI7146 Regnum and Sacerdotium in Narrative sources & Letters of the 11th Century (Professor I S Robinson)
• HI7143 Renaissance Kingship, c.1485-1513 (Dr David Ditchburn)
• HI7142 Saints and Sanctity in Ireland, Britain & Europe, 600-1500 (Dr David Ditchburn)
• HI7145 Viking Age Ireland
• Anglo-Norman Dublin (Professor S Duffy)
• HI7144 Settlement and Archaeology in Medieval Ireland (Professor Terry Barry)

Research Training and Skills Modules (40 ECTS)

This element of the M.Phil programme is designed to introduce students to the diverse resources and methodologies that historians encounter in their research while also equipping students with the practical language and paleographical skills that are required for studying medieval history.

• HI7137 Approaches to Historical Research - HI 7138 Approaches to Historical Research: Dissertation Preparation (10 ECTS)[compulsory]
• HH 7000 Academic Mentoring (5 ECTS) [compulsory]
• HH 7002 Elementary Latin (10 ECTS) [normally compulsory]
• HH 7004 Reading Late Latin (5 ECTS)
• HI 7107 Palaeography (10 ECTS) [normally compulsory]
• WS7050 Gender Theories (10 ECTS) [offered by Centre for Gender Studies. If appropriate this module may be taken instead of HI7106 and HH7004]
• if appropriate, modern language modules, available at a variety of levels, may be taken instead of Latin and/or palaeography modules.

Dissertation (30 ECTS)

The dissertation must be submitted by the last Friday in September of the year after starting (for full-time students) or two years after starting (for part-time students).

• Medieval History Dissertation
• Some recent M Phil Dissertation topics

Applications are normally accepted only from persons with a first or upper second class degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate Arts or Social Sciences discipline, e.g. history, philosophy, language studies, literature, political science, or European studies. Applicants with English as a foreign language should be aware that this course involves extensive written assessment. A high standard of English is therefore required: please contact the course coordinator to discuss this question. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 80 (Grade A) TOEFL paper-based test score : 570 TOEFL iBT® test: 88