Program Overview

In our Medieval History programme, you study the great sweep of history not just in Britain but around the world, from the transformation of the Roman Empire to Renaissance court politics, right in a city filled with the past that you're studying.

The word ‘medieval’ has been associated with lawlessness and brutality, but there is much more to the Middle Ages than this. The Middle Ages were a dynamic period of innovation, curiosity, and long-distance travel and exchange. Learning more about the medieval world, and why is exerts such a strong hold in modern imagination, helps you not only understand the past, but the world around us now.

In Year 1, your modules explore the nature of history as a discipline, and more. You will look at the changing assumptions, methods and definitions of history and explore the current concerns of historians. You will gain understanding of World and Global Histories to draw connections between your studies in Medieval History and the larger trends in the discipline of History. You will also gain an understanding of Medieval History over the large scale through modules that explore Medieval History from Britain to around the world.

In Year 2, your studies are more specialised, growing from the knowledge and skills you gained in your first year. Modules deepen your understanding of the practice of History, past, present and future, and prepare you for in-depth independent research in Medieval History. You will have opportunities to study historical themes related to a diverse range of times and places. Examples include: the Umayyad Caliphate of Iberia, the Crusader kingdoms, the first English 'Empire', and the European Renaissance courts. The medieval past is explored through themes such as war and violence, politics and justice, education and literacy, the everyday lives of women and men, or the Global Middle Ages. You will also have the opportunity to take a field trip, where you will learn about the past in the present through actively engaging with it on site.

In Year 3, you spend a year studying at one of our partner universities in Europe, USA or Canada, gaining a valuable experience, broadening your horizons by learning about another culture first-hand, and boosting your CV.

In Year 4, your focus is on your dissertation, an in-depth piece of guided independent research on a topic on Medieval History. Modules help you prepare and complete your dissertation, and understand how the past intersects with the world around us through film, television, gaming, novels, and more. You will take further focused studies in the medieval past; examples include the Black Death in Europe, the Wars of the Roses, the Middle Ages in computer games, the Viking ages, and more.

By studying Medieval History, you gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the medieval past, and valuable skills such as an ability to understand and analyse sources, and communication skills in a variety of media and situations. Medieval History, alongside inspiring extracurricular activities, such as field trips both in the UK and abroad, offers a wide and deep experience that opens up numerous career paths. Winchester students have secured work placements at leading historic and cultural venues such as the Mary Rose and British Museum. Our alumni can be found in heritage institutions, NGOs and charities, publishing, community organisation, the Civil Service, teaching, higher education, and local, regional and national government, just to name a few.