MA Early Modern and Renaissance Studies

Program Overview

The Early Modern and Renaissance Studies MA at Birkbeck University offers a comprehensive exploration of the period from 1400-1700 through interdisciplinary perspectives. Students engage with literature, history, material culture, and visual arts, developing critical thinking, research, and communication skills. The program provides flexibility for tailored study and supports career paths in academia, research, and cultural institutions.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Early Modern and Renaissance Studies MA:

• Focus: Explores the Early Modern and Renaissance period (c. 1400-1700) from various disciplinary perspectives including:
• Literature
• History
• Material culture
• Visual arts
• Duration: 1 year full-time, or 2 years part-time
• Format: On-campus
• Overall Aim:
• Provides a holistic and integrated approach to the study of Early Modern and Renaissance cultures.
• Guides students in exploring and analyzing the richness of this era through interdisciplinary research methods.
• Flexibility:
• Option modules allow tailored exploration of specific interests within Early Modern and Renaissance timeframes.
• Flexibility for individual research interests or returning to studies for personal enrichment.

Highlights:

• Access to renowned research resources (libraries, galleries, museums, manuscripts) for conducting original and scholarly research.
• Participation in the London Renaissance Seminar featuring presentations and discussions by leading scholars in the field.
• Recognized excellence: Birkbeck ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
• Financial support available through Master's bursaries and studentships.

Outline:

• Compulsory Module (30 credits): Medieval and Early Modern Worlds
• Option Modules (180 credits):
• Gothic in England: Architecture, Liturgy and Identity 1170-1360
• Ideas Transmission History
• Imagined Landscapes of the Middle Ages
• Lessons from the Medieval and Early Modern Body
• Magic, Science and Religion in the Renaissance
• Me, Myself and You: Histories of Self and Belonging, 1500 to the 21st Century
• Medievalism: Re-presenting the Middle Ages
• Songs of the Earth: Texts and Landscapes in Early Medieval England
• The Silk Road: Imagining Global Cultures from the Middle Ages to UNESCO and BRI
• The Woman Question: Medieval to Renaissance
• To See the World in a Grain of Sand: Reading and Writing Microhistories
• Dissertation (60 credits): 15,000-word research project on a chosen topic related to the Early Modern and Renaissance period.
• Specific lecture schedule for each module.

Assessment:

• Primarily assessed through coursework (e.g., essays, commentaries, presentations, curation of material culture and visual arts).
• Specific weighting of different assessment types (coursework vs. presentations).

Teaching:

• Primarily taught through evening seminars and short lectures.
• Additional teaching formats may include:
• Field trips
• Site visits
• Museum and archive visits
• Individual support provided through a Personal Tutor.
• Names and brief biographies of faculty teaching specific courses or modules.
• Details of any unique teaching approaches employed in the program.

Careers:

• Typical career paths for graduates:
• Archivist
• Researcher
• Teacher/Lecturer
• Journalist
• Publisher
• Arts administrator
• Museum/gallery curator
• Museum education officer
• Librarian
• Heritage manager
• Editor
• Skills developed through the program valuable in:
• High-level oral and written communication
• Postgraduate research
• Presenting arguments at a postgraduate level

Other:

• Birkbeck offers various study and learning support services for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• These services include:
• Learning Development Service: assists with planning workload, research, writing, exam preparation, dissertation writing, improving written English, numerical skills and more.
• Disability and Dyslexia Service: provides support to students with additional learning needs due to disabilities or dyslexia.
• Counseling Service: assists students facing emotional or psychological difficulties during their studies.
• Mental Health Advisory Service: supports students experiencing short-term or long-term mental health difficulties during their studies.
• "Careers and Enterprise" service provides career support and guidance throughout students' time at Birkbeck and beyond.

Part-time home students: £5,400 per year Full-time home students: £10,800 per year Part-time international students: £9,915 per year Full-time international students: £19,830 per year