The MA in Medieval and Early Modern Studies provides excellent grounding for progressing to study at PhD level in an area of particular interest.

By participating on the course, you will also develop skills and personal attributes that are transferable into the professional career world.

Experiencing the vibrant and supportive postgraduate community within the institute enhances social and interpersonal skills that are much sought-after by employers.

The Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies is a renowned centre for research, spanning the late third century to the late eighteenth century. The Institute runs a specialist Masters degree in the subject.

The Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) is a renowned international research centre that turns the academic spotlight on a fascinating range of subjects and themes relating to the period AD c.300-c.1800.

The IMEMS offers an MA in Medieval and Early Modern Studies that is intended as preparation for future doctoral research in the subject. Teaching is interdisciplinary in nature and provided by subject specialists from departments that include Archaeology, Classics, English, History, Modern Languages and Cultures, Philosophy and Theology.

Study activity draws on the unique archives, libraries and collections that are available in the University, the city of Durham and the internationally famous Durham Cathedral.

Thousands of rare books, manuscripts and artefacts, held in places such as the world–class Oriental Museum and the Cosin’s Library dating from the seventeenth century, are available for research purposes.

In keeping with its interdisciplinary nature, IMEMS hosts the Medieval and Early Modern Student Association which is run by postgraduates and is open to students from across the University who are studying relevant courses. Its goal is to promote the sharing of the ideas, questions, and challenges emerging from Medieval and Early Modern research.

For more information see our department pages.

Facilities

As befits a UNESCO World Heritage site, the facilities available to IMEMS include a stunning collection of libraries and museums.

The World Heritage site itself comprises the Norman castle and later cathedral and is home to several unique collections. The University’s Palace Green Library includes medieval manuscripts and the contents of Durham Priory Library are being digitised, providing an extraordinary research opportunity.

Other specialist facilities include the Museum of Archaeology and its collection of artefacts on Durham’s medieval and early modern past, and the Oriental Museum, the only museum in the north of Britain devoted entirely to the art and archaeology from Western Asia to Japan.