University of Hawaii at Manoa

What you'll study

The programme combines advanced coursework in European cultural history with intensive training in primary-source research and historiography. Core study areas typically include medieval social and religious history, early modern political and cultural transformations, intellectual history, and the history of art and material culture. You will study methodological and theoretical approaches to culture and society, palaeography and manuscript studies, and languages and sources relevant to European research (for example medieval Latin, early modern vernaculars or reading knowledge of French, German, Italian or Spanish where appropriate).

Structure is research-focused: students complete a set of graduate seminars, participate in a research colloquium, and undertake supervised archival work leading to either a substantial master's thesis or a capstone research project. Seminars emphasise close reading of primary texts, comparative cultural approaches, and training in archival and digital research tools. Elective options enable interdisciplinary study across art history, religious studies, literature and material culture, and opportunities exist to pursue joint or cross-listed courses with other departments.

• Graduate seminars in medieval and early modern Europe
• Historiography and research methods
• Language and palaeography workshops for working with primary sources
• Archival training and digital humanities tools for historical research
• Research colloquium and thesis supervision

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally hold a recognised bachelor's degree in history or a closely related discipline with a strong academic record. Successful candidates typically demonstrate prior coursework in European history or relevant language training and show clear potential for independent research. Your application should include a statement of purpose that outlines your research interests, academic transcripts, two or three academic references, and a writing sample that demonstrates your ability to work with historical evidence.

International applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency through an accepted examination or other university-approved means. Additional department-specific expectations, such as language preparation or preparatory readings, may be outlined during the admissions process.

Career prospects

Graduates commonly progress to doctoral programmes in history and related fields, or move into professional roles that value strong research and communication skills. Typical career paths include academic teaching and research, work in museums and archives, library and curatorial positions, heritage and conservation organisations, cultural policy and public history roles, publishing and editorial work, and research or analyst positions in government and NGOs. The programme’s emphasis on primary-source work and languages also prepares graduates for specialist archival or editorial projects and for roles in cultural resource management.

Why study at University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa offers a supportive, research-oriented history department with faculty whose expertise spans global and comparative approaches, enabling students to place European cultural history in broader transregional contexts. The university’s libraries, including strong special collections, provide access to printed and manuscript resources, and the campus fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across art history, religious studies and literary studies. Small seminar sizes mean close supervision for thesis work and regular opportunities to present in departmental colloquia. Located in a diverse Pacific hub, the department encourages comparative and cross-cultural perspectives that can enrich studies of medieval and early modern Europe.