Education

Would you like to delve deeper into the cultural history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance than your current academic programme does? Are you keen to acquire more in-depth knowledge and to widen your historical perspective through intensive interdisciplinary training? Are you interested in scholarly historical research and perhaps undertaking a PhD in history? Or would you like to pursue an academic career or hold a high-level position in the cultural sector? Then the advanced Master of Arts in Medieval and Renaissance Studies is an ideal springboard. This programme can also be taken part-time.

Profile

The aim of this interdisciplinary programme is to prepare students for the independent study of the cultural and intellectual history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance by means of a series of specialised seminars. Starting from texts, the programme addresses a wide spectrum of issues in the fields of philosophy, theology, religion, language and literature, historiography, law, and the history of education and of science. Special attention is devoted to the relation between text and image, the afterlife of Antiquity and the significance of the Low Countries in the cultural history of Western Europe.

This programme is accessible to students who have obtained a Master's degree in linguistics and/or literature, in history, in art history, in philosophy or in theology. Prospective students will only be admitted, however, once their educational background has been evaluated. Special attention will be given to prospective students:
- general knowledge of the cultural history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (Master's level);
- acquaintance with modern and old languages (an elementary knowledge of Latin is an asset);
- ability to read, speak and write effectively in English, as well as comprehend texts in French;
- basic knowledge of the methodology used in historical-philological research and/or in art history (e.g. palaeography, iconology, codicology).

For specific admission requirements, click on the desired programme in the 'Choose your courses of study' section.

Objectives

The aim of this programme is to prepare students to carry out cultural and historical research on the medieval and Renaissance periods, in terms of both history of ideas and history of mentalities. It aims to provide an innovative and interdisciplinary study programme in the area of cultural studies where methodology and content are complementary with socio-economic and institutional research.

Graduates will:
- exhibit sufficient familiarity with manuscripts or old editions, the publishing of texts, their interpretation, and/or the study of illustrations;
- be able to independently formulate and research a problem, and present the results in an adequate manner;
- exhibit competence in innovative and groundbreaking research and be in a position to make a contribution to the process of knowledge development and situate the contribution culturally and historically.

After graduation

Graduates are eligible for participation in research projects, academic appointments, and career positions in the cultural sector.

Spotlight

Research on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance at K.U.Leuven enjoys a very strong international reputation thanks to the various efforts of numerous dedicated research centres, such as the De Wulf-Mansion Centre (philosophy), Aristoteles Latinus, Illuminare (illuminated manuscripts), the Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae, the Research Unit for the History of the Middle Ages, and the Institute for Medieval Studies, which monitors the contacts between these centres.

Strengthened by its expertise in ancient and modern languages, K.U.Leuven's historical-philological research strongly emphasizes the interdisciplinary study of texts. In the Leuven context, special attention is devoted to the role of the Church and its stimulating influence on intellectual life.

Contact

Faculty of Arts
Blijde Inkomststraat 21 box 3301
3000 Leuven, Belgium
tel. + 32 16 32 50 13
(URL/STB-manamas@arts.kuleuven.be)STB-manamas@arts.kuleuven.be

Useful links

(URL/http://www.arts.kuleuven.be/info/manama_medieval)Visit this programme's website.

Download this brochure

Download this Master's brochure.