I would prefer to study history rather than something like medieval studies so that I may recieve training in historical methodology. Also, it would be preferable if the program had some interdisciplinary qualities. Minor archival training would also be nice. My ideal field of study would be the late medieval period, particularly western, though that is easily susceptible to change. An MA program that could lead to a P.h.D. would also work just as well as a pure P.h.D. program, particularly as I have little experience with German (but a fairly considerable amount in latin and a some in french).
Is their any advice? I apologize for not offering more information.
Thanks!
Are you currently an undergrad? Is history your major? Why not pose these questions to one of your history profs, preferably someone who knows the strengths of various history departments.
Yes, these kinds of questions are difficult to answer here because there likely aren’t any medievalists who could recommend a program. Moreover, you pick a PhD program based on specific interests, and you didn’t give specific enough interests - just the late medieval period. I don’t even personally know when that is (being a psychologist) but I would imagine that you’d need to narrow it down a bit more (like what about the late medieval period? Art, literature, medicine, the role of women, the evolution of religion, change in government structures?)
So ask your history profs but also look at books written by historians in your field - where do they work? And look at reputational rankings of history programs like the National Research Council (or even U.S. News) for an idea of where to look. Don’t use the rankings as a reliable indicator of anything other than broad groupings of schools (like top 30), but it could be a useful place just to know what website to go to.
University of Toronto’s Center for Medieval Studies is one of the best places for medieval studies. St.Louis, Notre Dame and several other U.S. schools have good medieval programs. In the U.K. there is Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Leeds and more.
I think it would be a mistake to apply for the PhD. First, iyou need a very specific topic/question for a PhD proposal. Most B.A.'s do not have the knowledge or experience to develop a good PhD proposal. Second, I think it is best to get the M.A. first to see if graduate work is for you, and if you are still interested in medieval history after the M.A…
I am a medievalist. I have a B.A. and M.A. in medieval history though in the M.A. I focused on Late-Antiquity. I have been accepted to several prominent medieval PhD programs but I am thinking of changing fields. If you hope to teach medieval history can be very limiting. The fact that it is difficult to find a medieval history graduate program tells you that there are not many medieval teaching jobs.
MAs also cost money, so I would be careful about getting one first and make sure that you can afford the costs and don’t rack up too much debt. If you can get into a PhD program without an MA, that would be the more financially secure option. Look for MAs that potentially fund students (although that might be less common in history).
Maybe it’s different per field, but in my field there are a lot of BA graduates who developed enough knowledge in the first 3-4 years of their PhD program to do a dissertation proposal. You don’t have to do one the minute you enter grad school, and the first few years are supposed to help prepare you for that.