Tennessee Technological University

What you'll study

The programme combines core training in historical methods and historiography with specialised courses on medieval and early modern Europe. You will study political, religious and cultural transformations such as the rise of medieval Christendom, the crusades, urbanisation, the Renaissance, the Reformation and the early modern state. Courses emphasise social and cultural history — family and gender, daily life, material culture, book and print culture, and the history of ideas.

• Core modules: historical methods, research seminar, historiography and public history practice.
• Medieval-focused modules: early medieval Europe, high medieval society and institutions, medieval religion and popular culture, manuscript studies and palaeography.
• Early modern-focused modules: Renaissance intellectual & artistic culture, the Reformation and confessionalisation, early modern political thought, and the history of print and reading.
• Skills and methods: archival research, primary-source analysis, paleography, languages (options to study relevant European languages), digital history tools and material culture analysis.
• Capstone and experiential learning: senior seminar or honours thesis on an individual research topic, internships with museums or archives, and opportunities for funded undergraduate research or study-abroad experiences in Europe.

The degree is structured to allow a balance between required history courses and electives, permitting students to tailor the programme toward more cultural, social, or intellectual history pathways and to take complementary modules from departments such as English, religious studies, anthropology or art history.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a high-school diploma or equivalent with a strong academic record and a demonstrated interest in humanities subjects. Typical entering students have completed courses in history, English and at least some study of a foreign language. Transfer applicants with college credit or an associate degree are accepted according to standard university transfer policies.

International applicants must meet the university's English-language proficiency standards. Mature applicants with relevant life or work experience are considered. For entry to honours-level projects or the senior thesis, students usually need to have completed core history prerequisites and to have achieved satisfactory grades in intermediate-level history courses.

Career prospects

Graduates with a concentration in Medieval and Early Modern European Cultural History pursue careers across the public and private sectors. The degree develops research, writing, critical thinking and information-management skills valued by employers.

• Museum and archive work: collections assistants, curatorial technicians, archival technicians or conservation support roles.
• Education and outreach: secondary-school teaching (with appropriate certification), museum education, heritage interpretation and public-history programming.
• Information and cultural industries: libraries, publishing, editing and cultural resource management.
• Public sector and non-profit: cultural policy, community heritage projects, grant writing and programme coordination.
• Further study: many graduates go on to graduate programmes in history, library and information science, museum studies, cultural heritage management, law or other professional disciplines.

Why study at Tennessee Technological University

Tennessee Technological University offers a liberal-arts environment with relatively small class sizes and accessible faculty, allowing close mentorship for undergraduates pursuing original research in historical subjects. The Department of History provides a solid foundation in research methods and opportunities to develop specialised skills such as palaeography and archival practice.

Students benefit from interdisciplinary connections across the campus — for example, with English, art history and the social sciences — and from experiential learning through local museums, historical societies and archives. The university supports undergraduate research projects and offers career services and internship assistance to help students move into postgraduate study or employment in cultural and heritage sectors.