Rockford University

What you'll study

The programme combines core historical methods with specialised study of medieval and early modern Europe. You will explore the political, religious and cultural transformations of the period through courses on the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the rise of early modern states. Teaching emphasises close analysis of primary sources, material culture and visual evidence alongside secondary historiography.

• Core modules: Historical Methods and Research; European History Survey (Medieval to Early Modern); Historiography.
• Period and theme modules: Medieval Society and Economy; The Renaissance and Humanism; Reformation and Confessional Cultures; Early Modern Political and Diplomatic History; Witchcraft, Gender and Social Control.
• Cultural and material approaches: Medieval Art and Architecture; Manuscripts, Paleography and Codicology; Everyday Life and Material Culture; Print Culture and the Book in Early Modern Europe.
• Language and source skills: Elementary Latin or another relevant historical language; reading skills for vernacular sources; palaeography and archival practice.
• Research and practical experience: Digital History methods; public history and museum practice; internships with local historical organisations; a senior capstone project or honours thesis involving original primary-source research.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold an appropriate secondary school qualification or equivalent; transfer students with relevant college credit are welcome. Admissions look for strong performance in humanities subjects and evidence of analytic and written communication skills. Standardised tests may be optional, but a competitive academic record and a personal statement demonstrating interest in medieval and early modern studies strengthen an application.

• Academic background: High school diploma or equivalent with solid grades in history, English and related subjects; college transfer applicants should provide transcripts of prior post‑secondary study.
• English language: International applicants must meet the university’s English-language requirement through recognised proficiency testing or prior education taught in English.
• Submission materials: Personal statement outlining your interest in the period, one or two academic references, and a writing sample are typically requested.
• Additional considerations: Previous coursework in history, languages (Latin, German, French, Italian) or archival experience is advantageous but not required.

Career prospects

Graduates develop strong research, writing and critical-thinking skills valued across many sectors. Typical career paths include teaching (with appropriate certification), museum or gallery work, archival and records management, heritage interpretation, conservation support roles, cultural resource management, publishing, and roles in non-profit or governmental cultural agencies. Many students also progress to postgraduate study in history, historical archaeology, library and information science, museum studies or law.

• Museum curator, museum educator or collections assistant
• Archivist or records manager in public and private archives
• Heritage and conservation sector roles, including interpretation and site management
• Secondary teaching (with postgraduate certification), public history and outreach
• Further academic research at MA/PhD level, or careers in publishing, libraries and cultural policy

Why study at Rockford University

Rockford University offers a liberal arts environment with small class sizes and close faculty mentoring, which suits the seminar and primary-source work central to medieval and early modern studies. The History programme emphasises undergraduate research, with opportunities for supervised capstone projects and internships with regional museums and cultural organisations.

• Faculty-led mentoring: Faculty with specialisms in European history provide close supervision for independent projects and honours theses.
• Experiential learning: Internships, local archival visits and partnerships with cultural institutions give practical experience in curation, archival practice and public history.
• Language and research training: Support for language study and palaeography prepares students to work with manuscripts and early printed texts.
• Preparation for next steps: Graduates are well positioned for careers in museums, archives, education and heritage, or for further graduate study.