Medieval European History

About the Program

Medieval, Byzantine and Early Turkic/Ottoman history are important and growing fields of graduate study at Rutgers University. Our faculty includes a group of internationally recognized scholars who are able to provide expert training in the fundamentals of medieval research as well as guidance in specialized fields of learning. Students who come to Rutgers have access to significant opportunities for furthering their interest in the Middle Ages, ranging from guest lectures and events sponsored by the university's Program in Medieval Studies to convenient access to world class museums and manuscript repositories in the greater metropolitan New York area.

We aim to give our students maximum flexibility in their course of study and most students follow individualized courses of study that vary according to personal interests. The core course for the major field in medieval history is "Readings in Medieval History," a survey of major secondary works that have defined the field. Students choose other advanced courses from offerings derived from specific faculty research interests, and are also welcome to pursue medieval courses in other departments as part of their major field preparation. A minor field is also a required part of our program and students are free to select the minor field they find most beneficial. Minors in global and comparative history or women's history are particularly popular, and both fields are highly recommended for students whose major field is medieval history.

In addition to cultivating major and minor fields, students concentrating in medieval history also need to develop proficiency in the languages relevant to their field. Latin is the core language required for every research field and most fields also require knowledge of French and German. Students specializing in Byzantine history also need a solid foundation in ancient Greek. To ensure proficiency in medieval Latin, we require our students to pass the PhD level exam administered by the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto as part of their degree requirements. Proficiency in other languages is measured by written exams administered directly by the History Department. We are able to train students in all of these languages if necessary, but in our admission process we are likely to give preference to applicants who have established a foundation in at least one of the pertinent languages before arrival

We will be happy to arrange for prospective students to visit campus and meet professors and current students.

Graduate Faculty