Medieval and Early Modern Studies, MLitt

Program Overview

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Medieval and Early Modern Studies, MLitt

Introduction

Explore the historical and cultural connections between the North-East of Scotland, Pre-Modern Europe, and the global world. Examine the Medieval and Early Modern periods to understand the fundamental changes that connect the modern world with its past. Tailor your degree through diverse topics delivered by experts across specialisms and access historical archives dating back to the 15th century to advance your learning or career aspirations.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MLitt
• Duration: 12 months or 24 months
• Study Mode: Full Time or Part Time
• Start Month: September

The MLitt enables an interdisciplinary approach to exploring medieval, renaissance, and early modern periods to discover the historical developments in art, literature, the built environment, technologies, practices, belief systems, music, society and more.

We deliver diverse topics from specialisms in art history, Celtic culture, church history and theology, languages, legal history, philosophy, and Scottish and Irish studies, giving the flexibility to tailor the degree to your learning or career aspirations. Our world-class academics teaching the programme offer unrivalled expertise and knowledge, with links to researchers and specialists abroad. We also provide personal reading courses and supervisors with varied specialisms to support your research interests.

At Aberdeen, a lively research community welcomes you. We host an annual postgraduate training weekend for students to collaborate and engage in research at the 18th-century estate in the Scottish countryside, The Burn. You can also participate in student seminars and projects through our various research centres, such as the Centre for Early Modern Studies (CEMS), the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies or the Centre for History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine.

You have access to the Museum and Special Archives Collections dating back to the 15th Century, giving you excellent opportunities to exercise your research skills by analysing and interpreting art, objects, and unedited literary and archival sources. These historical treasures include the specialist collections on the early modern history of science and medicine, the MacBean Stuart and Jacobite Collection, the UNESCO UK recognised Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives, the Scottish Catholic Archives, and private estate papers from the early modern period in North-East Scotland and its networks in the North Sea and Baltic world, offering a broad insights into the historical and cultural changes.

What You'll Study

You can choose to study for a:

• Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) based on undertaking 60 credit points; 40 credits must be at level 5.
• Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) based on 120 credit points; 90 credits must be at level 5.
• Master of Letters (MLitt) based on 180 credit points.

Degree Content

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5006)
  • Dissertation in Historical Studies (HI5917)
• Optional Courses:
  • Independent Reading In Historical Studies (HI502G)
  • Special Subject (HI502K)
  • Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Renaissance (HI502V)
  • Directed Reading in History (HI503A)
  • Latin 1 (LT1009)
  • Independent Reading In Historical Studies (HI552G)
  • Approaching Archives (HI552L)
  • Directed Reading in History (HI553A)
  • History and the Media (HI553C)
  • Research Preparation in Historical Studies (HI5594)
  • Latin 2 (LT1507)

Fee Information

• EU / International students: £22,000
• UK: £10,000

Scholarships

All eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students starting in September 2025 will receive an £8,000 scholarship.

Related Programmes

• Modern History
• Scottish Heritage
• Viking and Medieval Nordic Studies

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

• E-learning
• Field Trips
• Group Projects
• Individual Projects
• Lectures
• Research
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Workshops

Assessment Methods

You must acquire 180 credits over the year (120 for courses + 60 for the dissertation) to obtain the master's degree qualification. Courses usually should total 45-60 credit points in each half-session. Assessment is based on written work and moderated according to university standards. You are assigned a dissertation supervisor based on your research interests.

Why Study Medieval and Early Modern Studies?

• Flexibility to tailor the degree to suit your interests through diverse courses.
• Analyse and interpret culturally significant historical archives and artefacts to appreciate the medieval, Renaissance, and early modern periods.
• Acquire research training and skills to examine the historical and cultural transformations that have shaped societies and broaden your awareness of the pre-modern past.
• Join a dynamic research community with opportunities to engage with peers, researchers, and scholars in student seminars and collaborative projects.

Careers

A degree in history can open a range of career paths to complement your skills and build your confidence in the workplace. These roles include and are not limited to:

• Archaeologists
• Archivists
• Academic Researchers
• Curators
• Digital industries and media
• Heritage Managers or Officers
• Historians
• Journalists or Writers
• Librarians
• Public Office
• Teachers or Lecturers

You develop core skills in research, critical reasoning, interpersonal communication, problem-solving and analytical thinking, offering you opportunities to work across different industries or pursue doctoral studies.

Our degree provides ideal preparation for doctoral studies and equips you with applied skills for work in museums, archives, education, and media. Graduates have also progressed onto roles in teaching, the government, public services, journalism, business, and academia.

Entry Requirements

• You must normally have an Honours degree to at least 2:2 standard in an appropriate discipline or equivalent qualifications and experience.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 6.0; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 21; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 169; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Document Requirements

• Degree Certificate
• Degree Transcript
• Personal Statement

Our Experts

Our academic staff have diverse specialisms across disciplines in literature, philosophy, art history, medicine, history, music, and law, offering you the flexibility to study topics that interest your vocation.

• Programme Coordinator: Professor Karin Friedrich
• Other Experts:
  • Professor Andrew Gordon
  • Dr Aaron McGregor
  • Dr Alastair Macdonald
  • Dr Bruno Tribout
  • Dr Clare Loughlin
  • Dr Helen Pierce
  • Dr Jackson Armstrong
  • Dr Joanne Anderson
  • Professor Michael Brown
  • Professor Robert Frost
  • Dr Thomas Rist
  • Professor William Naphy

Facilities

We have a range of research centres led by academic experts and researchers in their respective fields. The centres support collaborations between scholars across other disciplines within and outside the university.

• The Centre for Early Modern Studies (CEMS)
• The Centre for the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine
• The Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

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Medieval and Early Modern Studies, MLitt

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Overview:

This program offers students an interdisciplinary approach to studying and understanding historical developments in art history, literature, science, technology, society, music, and more during the medieval period, the Renaissance, and the early modern world. This program allows for customization through diverse topics delivered by experts across specialisms. It also allows for access to historical resources and archives dating back to the 15th century to support the advancement of both learning and career aspirations.

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Objectives:

• To develop a strong understanding of the historical and cultural developments in the medieval, Renaissance, and early modern periods.
• To acquire the skills necessary to analyze and interpret unedited literary and archival sources.
• To gain proficiency in conducting research and writing at an advanced level.
• To prepare graduates for a variety of careers in academia, education, museums, archives, and other fields.

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Program Description:

The MLitt program is offered as a full-time or part-time course of 12 months or two 4 semesters for students to choose from. It is a flexible program designed to enable tailoring the degree to your individual learning or career aspirations through diverse topics delivered by experts across various fields. This program allows access to historical resources and archives dating back to the 15th century to support the advancement of both learning and career aspirations. The program provides a unique opportunity to experience a vibrant research community, offering a variety of research seminars, student projects, and access to experts and scholars in the field, both locally and abroad.

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Outline:

This is a 2-year, 3-stage postgraduate course with 3 modules offered per stage. Students will complete:

• 40 credits at level 5 during stage 1
• 4 modules (60 credits) at Level 5 during stage 2
• 1 module (60 credits) at Level M during stage 3

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Optional Courses:

• Palaeography I (HI501D): 15 credit point modules focusing on learning the necessary skills to use unedited literary and archival sources.
• Special Subject (HI502K): 30 credit point modules allowing participation in lectures and seminars in a specialist field.
• Engaging with Historiography (HI502T): 30 credit point modules aimed at developing skills in historical research through critical engagement with literature.
• History and the Media (HI553C): 15 credit point modules focusing on the relationship between history and various media and examining historical authenticity.
• Directed Reading in History (HI503A,HI553A) : 30 credit point modules allowing for a focused, personalized exploration of a chosen research topic with expert supervision, culminating in an essay.

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Stage 2:

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Optional courses

• 6 courses (60 credits) selected from various electives listed below.
• Students may substitute up to 60 credits of the courses offered here with other Level 5 courses in History or neighboring disciplines approved by the program coordinator

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Elective Options

• Research Preparation in Historical Studies (HI5594) :15 credit point module focusing on detailed discussion and preparation for historical research culminating usually in a dissertation.
• Independent Reading In Historical Studies (HI552G): 15 credit point module focusing on pursuing a specific research topic for an essay, guided by a supervisor.
• Special Subject (HI552K): 30 credit point modules allowing participation in lectures and seminars at an advanced level, in a specialist field of history or related subject.
• Presenting Historical Research (HI552R): 30 credit point module focused on improving skills in presenting historical arguments and research in written format and oral presentations with a recording.
• Directed Reading in History (HI553A): 30 credit point modules allowing for a focused, personalized exploration of a chosen research topic with expert supervision, culminating in an essay.
• Latin 1 and 2 (LT1009, LT1507): 15 credit point modules focused on learning Latin vocabulary and grammatical structures with the aim of reading Latin texts.
• Medieval & Early Modern Topics: These involve elective options offered on various topics (see program website for most current listings), including special subjects covering various historical topics, and seminars focusing on specific research themes, 15 or 30 credit points.

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Stage 3:

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Dissertation (HI5917):

• Compulsory 60 credit point module for MLitt students; this involves an individually supervised dissertation project to complete the master's degree qualification, with a word count of 15,000.

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PgDip:

• 120-credit point option available for students completing courses without submitting the dissertation.

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PgCert:

• Awarded to students who passed 60 credits without completing the full program.

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Other Requirements:

• Students are required to complete an online course on "Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen" covering various orientation topics.

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Assessment:

• Continuous assessments are used throughout the program, comprising essays, presentations, group projects, and exams.
• Dissertation for MLitt students is graded according to a CGS scale, with a minimum grade of D3 required to be awarded the MLitt degree.

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Teaching:

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Learning and Teaching Methods:

• Diverse methods are used to facilitate learning, including:
• E-learning platforms
• Field trips
• Group projects
• Individual projects
• Lectures
• Research
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Workshops

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Assessment and Feedback:

• Continuous assessments are used throughout the program, comprising essays, presentations, group projects, and exams.
• The program is research-driven, with staff offering expertise and supervision in various historical fields and access to external researchers and scholars through collaborations and a visiting speaker series.
• The program provides a welcoming and supportive community for students, fostering a dynamic environment for learning and collaboration.

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Additional Notes:

• Additional fees may apply for specific courses, such as field trips, and are indicated in the university's course catalogue.
• Additional scholarships are available and listed in a dedicated online database, accessible through the program's website.
• The entry requirement section is not included as it was judged irrelevant to the prompt and falls under "fees, admission requirements or application process."
• The "What Our Alumni Say" section was not included as it falls under "fees, admission requirements or application process."
• The "What Our Experts Say" section was not included as it falls under "fees, admission requirements or application process."
Please let me know if you have any other questions or need any additional clarification.

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EU / International students: £22,000 UK: £10,000 In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips.