Medieval Studies
MLitt or Diploma in Medieval Studies
Our taught postgraduate programme in Medieval Studies will appeal to you if you are interested in:
- the history and culture of Medieval Europe
- acquiring study skills to read and interpret medieval sources
- gaining an interdisciplinary insight into the medieval past
- creating a solid foundation on which to build a doctoral research proposal or teach in the humanities
- furthering your interest in medieval studies and life-long learning
- obtaining a full Master’s degree through one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study
Medieval Studies at Aberdeen
The Medieval Studies programme at Aberdeen offers you:
- An opportunity to study medieval subjects at one of Britain’s oldest universities (founded in 1495)
- Access to over 20 members of staff actively researching in the field of medieval studies (including Archaeology, Art History, Celtic, Divinity, English, French, History, Irish and Scottish Studies and Scandinavian Studies)
- A large and vibrant postgraduate community
- Five libraries with over a million volumes
- Three university museums
- Special libraries and Archives which contain unpublished medieval manuscripts as well as the University’s rich holding of pre-1850 books
- A historic city with the richest urban archive from medieval Scotland
- A rich archaeological landscape with many Pictish stones, medieval castles and prehistoric monuments within easy reach and set in beautiful countryside
- An annual programme of lectures, seminars and conferences of medieval interest
- A very high job placement success rate
Programme Structure
The Aberdeen Bestiary
Our programme is structured to give you as much flexibility as possible to pursue your particular interests at your own pace. You may take the programme:
- either as a postgraduate Diploma or, by additionally writing a dissertation, as a full Master’s Degree
- either in one year via full-time studies or two years via part-time studies
- (Note for non-EU overseas students: immigration regulations prevent an overseas student from studying part-time in the UK)
- either as a stand-alone scheme or as preparation for a research degree such as an MPhil or PhD – for example, as part of a 1+3 scheme funded by a grant-giving body such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council
Your studies begin in late September, and consist of 120 credits of taught courses taken across two semesters. By passing these courses you earn the Diploma. To obtain the MLitt you write an additional 60-credit dissertation during the summer months on a topic of your choice. The programme offers training and thematic courses as well as specialist supervision by the member of staff whose research interests match with your chosen topic of study. For full information, please click on the link Post-graduate Courses in Medieval Studies.
Assessment
Assessment is mostly based on written work and moderated according to university standards. For the award of the MLitt you are required to write a dissertation of 15,000 words in English.
Entrance Requirements
You should normally hold a 2(1) Honours Degree or equivalent.
If your mother tongue is not English you will also need to have an IELTS score of at least 6.5.
Old Aberdeen
Cost
Details of the costs involved in Postgraduate study at the University of Aberdeen can be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/postgraduate/finance.php
Grants and Scholarships
Several funding opportunities are offered by the University of Aberdeen on a competitive basis. You can apply to:
- the College of Arts and Sciences: will be offering a number of awards to postgraduate students
- the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy: will be offering a number of awards to postgraduate students
Other funding opportunities include:
- the Carnegie Trust: Scottish students with a first class honours degree can apply for a bursary from the Carnegie Trust (www.carnegie.org.uk)
- the Arts and Humanities Research Council: the AHRC provides fees and maintenance for UK students and fees only for European Union students (www.ahrc.ac.uk)
Also worth noting:
- the Overseas Research Student scheme: the ORS scheme makes awards competitively to outstanding non-EU nationals undertaking a research degree, usually a PhD, and lowers the fees payable to British levels. By taking an MLitt in History you may enhance your chances of obtaining ORS funding for PhD studies (www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/ORS)
Funding opportunities are limited for postgraduate research, but obtaining a Master’s degree in the first instance can provide a competitive advantage for students wishing to do doctoral research.
Making an Application
Applicants must submit copies of degree certificates and academic transcripts from their previous academic study and provide the details of one academic referee on the application form. Applicants may also send the reference letter, in a signed sealed envelope, directly to the school at the address below.
If you have any queries about making your application, please contact the Postgraduate Secretary
Postgraduate Applications Secretary
School of Divinity, History and Philosophy
50/52 College Bounds
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen AB24 3DS
Scotland, UK
Email dhp-pgs@abdn.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1224 272890
Fax: +44 (0)1224 273750
For more information about the MLitt in Medieval Studies, please contact the course co-ordinator Dr Frederik Pedersen.
Application deadline: International Students
All postgraduate taught programmes beginning in September 2013 have a deadline for submission of the 1st of July 2013. Any application received after this date, will not be considered for September 2013 but instead will be considered for the next available intake of September 2014. For more information on the intakes for each programme please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/prospectus/pgrad/ Please note this deadline is to ensure students have sufficient time to complete the application process and apply for their visa, and arrive in Aberdeen in time of the start of their programme.
There is no application deadline for those students classed as UK/EU for tuition fee purposes.