Courses
The GCMS offers two different postgraduate courses:
MA in Medieval Studies
PhD in Medieval Studies
The MA in Medieval Studies
The MA course in Medieval Studies is aimed at providing a sound training in the skills required of medievalists in all disciplines.It thus runs skills courses in Medieval Latin and Palaeography. These are aimed at getting students at least to a stage where they have a sound reading ability of both printed and manuscript texts; they are assessed through coursework and timed tests. Students also take a compulsory Research Methods module concentrating not only on skills required in all disciplines, such as bibliographic and annotational techniques, proof-reading, dissertation research and writing, and oral presentation, but also offering guidance on issues relevant to certain disciplines, such as the editing of literary texts, location of historical sources, artistic and architectural analysis, and the writing of learned papers and reviews. An important element is the series of research seminars and the Summer Symposium, in both of which many disciplines are represented. The Research Methods module is assessed by a portfolio of assignments submitted by each student, of which the five best assignments are counted for formal assessment.
In addition, MA(Res) students choose two Option Modules. Each Option is assessed by an essay of 4,000 words. Students needing to acquire a foreign language in order to have access to the scholarship of their area of interest may also take, instead of one of their Options, Reading in a Foreign Language for Medievalists. This is a language course supplemented by a targeted reading programme; they will then be assessed by a critical synthesis of up to 2,500 words of works read.
Finally, students write a dissertation of 18,000-20,000 words, on a topic of their choice.As part of this, an initial project portfolio is presented at the end of the Autumn term. Students make a formal oral presentation on their research in the Summer Term, and submit the Dissertation itself in September.
The course is flexible enough to allow students to specialise in what interests them most or what will be of most assistance to them in their research plans or in their professional development.To cite a recent example, a student interested in the evolution of armour was able to study his topic in an archaeological context in his Option and from an historical perspective in his Dissertation.All courses are geared to the student's existing knowledge and expertise: thus an advanced medieval Latin course is available as well as a beginners' course, and this is the case also for those wishing to study Old English as a Special Topic.
Flexibility of study
The Centre aims to be as flexible as possible in meeting the needs and interests of students.It is usually possible to arrange additional options on an ad hominem basis if someone wishes to study a particular topic.Teaching of the Latin, Palaeography and Research Methods is concentrated on Thursdays, to facilitate attendance by part-time students.The timetable of teaching for the Options and the Dissertation is arranged between student and supervisor on a mutually convenient basis.There is a considerable amount of personal tuition and contact.Students who take the part-time MA (Res) follow the Research Methods, Latin and Palaeography in the first year and the Special Topic and Dissertation in the second year, although this may be reversed if a student has difficulty attending on Thursdays in their first year.In addition, students may take the MA (Res) as a modular programme over five years.
Summary of Course Structure
The course consists of five assessed modules:
1. Researching the Middle Ages (20 credits; portfolio of coursework)
2. Latin and Palaeography (30 credits, coursework and timed test)
3. Option A (20 credits, one 4,000-word essay)
4. Option B (20 credits, one 4,000 word essay) OR one 2,500-word critical
synthesis)
5. Dissertation (90 credits, research portfolio, oral presentation and 18,000-
20,000-word dissertation submitted in September)
PhD in Medieval Studies
The GCMS welcomes applications to do a PhD in any area covered by the collective staff expertise, either from within the University or from outside, provided the proposed topic is of an interdisciplinary nature.(Applicants intending to concentrate on one discipline are invited to apply to one of the departments involved in the Centre.)Those without enough expertise in the medieval period are encouraged to do the MA (Res) first.Given that the normal completion period for a PhD is regarded as three years, this would mean the total commitment was four years: less than the total required in some PhD programmes overseas.