Degrees In Medieval Church History

Medieval church history involves the study of the entire medieval society.

Many colleges and universities offer degree programs in medieval studies with concentrations in medieval church history. Any complete study of medieval history necessarily requires examination of the large role of the church during that time. Degrees in this area either form the basis for further education or lead to academic positions in teaching, research and writing.

Medieval Studies

Medieval studies programs, such as the one offered by the University of Oregon, focus on the time period from A.D. 300-1500 and combine disciplines from several departments. The program at Oregon draws upon history, art history, language studies, religious studies, music and the development of the English language. The University of Notre Dame offers studies through its Medieval Institute, which was founded in 1946 to study the cultures and people of the medieval world; the program includes church history with the Institute offering lectures and conferences to further its purposes.

Bachelor's Degree Programs

Students seeking a bachelor's degree in medieval history enroll in courses like early Christian art and history courses on the middle ages in Europe. Religious courses center on the history of Christianity and eastern Christianity. At a program such as the one at Notre Dame, students can choose medieval church history as a concentration area, and graduation requirements mandate four interrelated courses in medieval church history from a minimum of two departments like history and theology. Undergraduates in the medieval program at the University of Oregon contemplating graduate work take two years of Latin in addition to art, history and religion.

Master's Degrees

Students seeking a Master of Arts in Medieval Church History usually already possess a bachelor's degree in religion, theology or history; they should also be proficient in either Greek or Latin. Typical courses at the master's level include ancient and medieval church history and the writing of church history. Graduate students will take seminars and write research papers, often conducting the research by reading texts written in Greek or Latin. Such a master's degree can be an end in itself -- for students seeking a career in religious education -- or can be the next step towards a doctoral degree. The University of Notre Dame offers a master's program, but only as a prerequisite to entering its doctoral program; the Catholic University of America offers a master's without admission to its doctoral program.

Doctoral Programs

Doctoral degrees in medieval church history prepare students for teaching, writing and research at the college or university level. Students continue their studies of medieval texts in original languages and expand upon their area of concentration within medieval church history. The Catholic University of America, located in Washington D.C., offers doctoral students a concentration that includes the Byzantine, or Eastern, Church. The specialization chosen by each student will be continued in their professional life, both in teaching courses and publishing research papers.

Tags: church history, medieval church, church history, medieval church history, Notre Dame