What is medieval history?
The middle Ages refers to the era in European history spanning from the decline of Roman civilization in the 5th century CE to the period of the Renaissance. The exact starting point of the Renaissance varies, often considered to be in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century depending on regional and contextual factors. This overview provides a brief introduction to the middle Ages.
Distinguishing Between Ancient History, Medieval Era, and Modern History?
| ANCIENT HISTORY | MEDIEVAL HISTORY | MODERN HISTORY |
| 6000 BC – 650 AD | 500 AD – 1500 AD | 500 AD-Present Day |
| .During this historical era, the prevalent utilization of bronze and iron tools played a pivotal role in shaping composite human societies that later developed into expansive empires . Around 1000 BC, it’s estimated that the global population was approximately 72 million. By 500 AD, this figure had risen to around 209 million. Top of Form | . Numerous scientific and technological advancements occurred during this time, including notable inventions like gunpowder and the expansion of trade routes between Asia and Europe .Between 500 AD and 1500 AD, the global population increased from 210 million to 461 million. | .These technological progressions paved the way for a fresh era of enlightenment, accompanied by the emergence of new governmental systems that superseded their predecessors. .Between 1500 AD and 2020 AD, the global population surged from 460 million to 7 billion. |
Here are the general admission requirements to medieval history
| Degree | Credits(may vary) | Duration(may vary) | Admission requirements(may vary) |
| Associate degree | 60 credits | 2 years | GED/Meet GPA Requirements |
| Bachelor’s degree | 120 credits | 4 years | HSE/Official High School Transcripts/Minimum Required GPA |
| Master’s degree | 40-60 credits | 2 years | A Bachelor’s degree in a related field. |
Accredited Associate degrees in medieval history
1.Austin Community College
Program: AA in history
Tuition: $67 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by SACSCOC
Financial aid: Available with 61% of the students receiving the aid.
This program delves into the development of ancient, medieval, and early modern civilizations in Europe, spanning up to the year 1660.
2.Santa Monica College
Program: AA in history
Tuition: $84 per credit hour
Accreditation: the program and school are accredited by WASC
Financial aid: Available with 75% of the students receiving the aid.
Our curriculum encompasses history from diverse regions worldwide, spanning the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. Our goal is to equip students for various career paths, including education, politics, law, public administration, and librarianship, among others. Students are presented with opportunities to refine skills in critical reading, effective writing, and the examination of historical texts.
3.Community College of Philadelphia
Program: AA in history
Tuition: $159 per credit hour
Accreditation: the program and school are accredited by MSCHE.
Financial aid: Available with 73% of the students receiving the aid.
Students become familiar with the methods and tactics employed by historians, employing historical texts encompassing primary and secondary sources. Additionally, they gain insights into the processes involved in historical composition.
4.Northern Virginia Community College
Program: AA in history
Tuition: $185.01 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by SACSCOC.
Financial aid: Available with 32% of the students receiving the aid.
This course covers the overarching history of Western civilization, spanning approximately from 3000 BCE to 1600 CE. It aims to provide students with a foundational grasp of the distinctive attributes of early Western civilization’s historical evolution during this period. Students will explore significant transformations in politics, economics, society, intellect, culture, and religion that contributed to the shaping of the Western world.
5.Southern New Hampshire University
Program: AA in liberal arts
Tuition: $330 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by NECHE.
Financial aid: Available with 51% of the students receiving the aid.
It is tailored to enhance your academic, personal, and professional growth. With the completion of each course, you’ll acquire practical skills that can empower you to actively engage with society as a globally aware individual.
Accredited bachelor degrees in medieval history
1.Columbia University
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $682 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by MSCHE.
Financial aid: Available with 50% of the students receiving the aid.
The Medieval and Renaissance Studies program offers an interdisciplinary approach, allowing students to integrate a focus on medieval or Renaissance civilization with a major or concentration in one of the following departments:
- Art History and Archaeology
- Classics
- East Asian Languages and Cultures
2.University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $728 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by WSCUC.
Financial aid: Available with 70% of the students receiving the aid.
Students studying medieval history at UCLA gain from the presence of robust programs in medieval Latin and vernacular languages and literature (including Celtic, English, French, German, Italian, Old Norse, Portuguese, Spanish, and Slavic languages), and associated fields like art history, anthropology, and archaeology.
3.University of Michigan
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $738 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by HLC.
Financial aid: Available with 40% of the students receiving the aid.
The Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program offers interdisciplinary studies of the medieval period and its connections to the early modern era.
4.University of California
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $749.13 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by WSCUC.
Financial aid: Available with 70% of the students receiving the aid.
UC Berkeley Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies offers a Medieval Studies minor. Students study the medieval era’s diverse aspects, including literature, art, history, and more.
5.University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $961.56 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by SACSCOC
Financial aid: Available with 74% of the students receiving the aid.
The Medieval and Early Modern Studies program at UNC-Chapel Hill acknowledges that investigating the periods from the sixth to the eighteenth centuries contributes insights into the roots, achievements, and complexities of the present-day world.
6.Fordham University
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $973 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by HLC.
Financial aid: Available with 30% of the students receiving the aid.
You’ll explore a wide range of artistic, literary, scholastic, and cultural topics that contribute to the depth and richness of medieval civilization. Our experienced faculty from diverse fields will guide you through the study of prominent figures such as Cervantes, Dante, Augustine, and Aquinas
7.University of Notre Dame
Program: BA in History
Tuition: $1,320 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by HLC.
Financial aid: Available with 70% of the students receiving the aid.
The Department of History offers a concentration in Medieval Studies. Students explore the medieval period through interdisciplinary coursework covering history, literature, art, and culture.
8.Harvard University
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,641 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by NECHE.
Financial aid: Available with 55% of the students receiving the aid.
The Medieval Studies secondary field offers a comprehensive exploration of the middle Ages from diverse perspectives and various academic disciplines. This approach benefits from the extensive medieval teaching and research at Harvard, which boasts faculty experts in over twenty departments, programs, and schools.
9.Princeton University
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,794 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by MSCHE.
Financial aid: Available with 65% of the students receiving the aid.
The Program in Medieval Studies aims to promote interdisciplinary exploration of the medieval era (c. 500-1500), encompassing areas such as art, literature, music, religion, philosophy, science, politics, and economic and social structures.
10.Yale University
Program: BA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,998.33 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by NECHE.
Financial aid: Available with 53% of the students receiving the aid.
Yale offers courses and resources for studying medieval history, allowing students to engage with the cultural, social, and intellectual aspects of the period.
Accredited online master’s degrees in medieval history
1.University of York
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $855 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by HLC.
Financial aid: Available with 20% of the students receiving the aid.
Our innovative interdisciplinary pathway explores the cultures of the Islamic world, encompassing literature, history, archaeology, art, and architecture. With our experienced staff, you have the opportunity to tailor your own program, showcasing the intricate connections spanning the medieval Mediterranean and extending into regions like Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Anatolia, Central Asia, and East Africa.
2.University of Toronto
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $980 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and the program are accredited by CACME.
Financial aid: Available with 20% of the students receiving the aid.
The MA program at the Centre for Medieval Studies is renowned for its interdisciplinary nature. Students have the freedom to select from a diverse range of courses and participate in the Sept/April Latin exams. Additionally, MA students are eligible to join the Summer Latin Program.
3.University of St. Andrews
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,075 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by SACSCOC
Financial aid: Available with 95% of the students receiving the aid.
This interdisciplinary course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of various theoretical approaches and ongoing discussions within history, art history, divinity, languages, and literature. It allows students to explore subjects aligned with their personal interests while also broadening their perspectives beyond individual disciplines.
4.University of Bristol
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,452 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by CIPD.
Financial aid: Available with 67% of the students receiving the aid.
The program introduces a unique approach to studying medieval culture and society. As a student, you’ll engage in research-led instruction and skills-based training across a diverse range of disciplines. These include history, literature, languages, manuscript studies, music, religion, and classics.
5.University of Oxford
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,622.95 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by Privy Council.
Financial aid: Available with 49% of the students receiving the aid.
This program empowers you to utilize diverse disciplinary approaches when delving into the study of the middle Ages. It underscores language proficiency and the honing of skills in paleography and codicology. Additionally, you can explore learning a new medieval language. You’ll engage in a fundamental research methods course and select from a selection of taught option papers.
6.Fordham University
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,657 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by HLC.
Financial aid: Available with 30% of the students receiving the aid.
Our program provides specialized courses in medieval studies and an extensive range of courses from participating departments’ graduate programs. These departments include art and music history, classics, English, history, modern languages and literature, philosophy, political science, and theology.
7.University of Notre Dame
Program: MA in medieval studies
Tuition: $1,880 per credit hour
Accreditation: the school and program are accredited by HLC.
Financial aid: Available with 70% of the students receiving the aid.
The program provides students with outstanding technical training combined with a profound comprehension of the middle Ages. This understanding is built upon mastery of sources and languages, encompassing all aspects of medieval life and culture. The Medieval Institute encourages applications from highly accomplished students aspiring to teach and conduct research on the middle Ages. With generous fellowship support and minimal service commitments, students can dedicate themselves fully to their studies.
Job outlook for medieval history degrees
The employment outlook for historians is anticipated to increase by 4 percent from 2021 to 2031, roughly in line with the average growth rate for all professions.
On average, there are projected to be around 300 job openings for historians each year over the next decade. A significant portion of these openings is expected to arise from the necessity to replace workers who transition to other fields or leave the workforce, often due to retirement.
In May 2021, the median annual wage for historians stood at $63,940. The median wage represents the point at which half of the workers in the field earned more than this amount and half earned less. Those in the lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,310, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $118,380.
Source: U.S. BLS
Is a degree in medieval history worth it?
Yes, Exploring Medieval history can facilitate a deeper comprehension of contemporary cultures and societies. This program additionally offers the opportunity to enhance research and analytical proficiencies, skills that can be valuable in a range of career paths.
The history of Medieval Europe underpins Western Civilization, offering insights into the origins and development of the governments, economies, institutions, and culture of both the United States and Europe.
