University of San Francisco

What you'll study

The programme combines advanced historiographical training with close work on primary sources to explore topics such as medieval Christianity, the Renaissance, the Reformation, early modern political culture, urban life, gender and sexuality, material and visual culture, and book history. Core seminar work emphasises critical approaches to evidence and theory, including historiography and methods courses that cover archival research, palaeography, and the use of printed and manuscript sources.

Students normally take a mix of required seminars and electives. Typical modules and seminar topics include:

• Historiography and Methods: contemporary approaches to historical research, source criticism, and research design.
• Medieval Europe: political, religious and social transformations in the high to late medieval period.
• Early Modern Europe: the Renaissance and Reformation, state formation, and intellectual history.
• Material and Visual Culture: art, monuments, and everyday objects as historical evidence.
• Book History and Manuscript Studies: palaeography, codicology and the circulation of texts.
• Special Topics Seminars: focused offerings on subjects such as medieval women, religious conflict, urban culture, or economic life.

Most students pursue either a research thesis supervised by departmental faculty or a substantial capstone research project. The programme commonly requires competence in one or more relevant languages (such as Latin, French, German, or Italian) sufficient for reading primary sources; language training or directed reading courses are available to meet this need. Students are encouraged to take advantage of internships, archival visits, and collaborations with nearby museums and libraries to support applied research.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a recognised bachelor’s degree in history or a closely related discipline, with strong academic performance. The department looks for evidence of aptitude for graduate-level research, which may be demonstrated through a writing sample, undergraduate coursework, or relevant research experience. Typical application materials include official transcripts, a statement of purpose outlining research interests, two or three letters of recommendation from academic referees, and a writing sample (such as a term paper).

Where applicable, applicants whose first language is not English must meet the university’s English proficiency requirements. Some applicants may be asked to demonstrate or develop language competence in Latin or modern European languages relevant to their research. The department assesses each application holistically; professional experience in archives, museums, or teaching can strengthen an application.

Career prospects

Graduates from this concentration pursue a range of careers that draw on advanced historical skills in research, analysis, and communication. Common pathways include:

• Doctoral study and academic careers in history or related fields.
• Work in museums, historic houses, and cultural heritage organisations, including curatorial, collections, and interpretive roles.
• Archivist and records-management positions in libraries, religious institutions, and public agencies.
• Public history and heritage consultancy, developing exhibitions, education programmes, and outreach.
• Publishing, journalism, research and policy roles where research and writing skills are essential.
• Teaching at secondary or community college levels (often combined with certification or additional pedagogical preparation).

The programme’s emphasis on primary-source work and languages equips graduates to translate specialist research into public-facing projects, grant proposals, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Why study at University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco offers this programme within a small, research-active department that provides close faculty supervision and a collaborative cohort environment. Students benefit from access to USF’s Gleeson Library Special Collections and Archives, which holds rare books and manuscript materials useful for medieval and early modern studies, as well as from proximity to San Francisco’s rich cultural institutions—museums, libraries and historical societies—that support internships and public-history projects.

USF’s Jesuit educational mission emphasises critical thinking, ethical reflection and social engagement, which shapes teaching and research across the programme. Interdisciplinary opportunities with departments such as Religious Studies, Art History, and Classics allow students to build complementary skills. Small seminar sizes, mentorship from faculty with active research programmes, and strong ties to the local cultural sector make the University of San Francisco a practical base for advanced study in medieval and early modern European cultural history.