University of Wisconsin–Parkside

What you'll study

The programme combines broad historical training with specialised study of medieval and early modern Europe. You will study political, religious and cultural change from the late antique and medieval periods through the Renaissance and Reformation into the early modern era, emphasising cultural mentalities, social practice and material culture.

• Core historical methods and skills: courses in historiography, research methods, archival practice, and historical writing.
• Medieval Europe: topics such as kingship and lordship, monasticism, pilgrimage, crusading, and everyday life in medieval towns and villages.
• Early modern Europe: the Renaissance, the Reformation and confessionalisation, state formation, and the cultural history of science and art.
• Language and palaeography: introductory Latin and palaeography for reading manuscripts, and opportunities to pursue further language study relevant to source work.
• Specialist seminars: thematic modules on subjects such as gender and family, religion and ritual, book history, and visual and material culture.
• Public and digital history: modules on museum studies, archival management, digital humanities tools for historians, and community-based projects.
• Capstone project or honours thesis: an independent research project supervised by a faculty member that brings together close source analysis and sustained argumentation.

Students combine general education requirements with a sequence of upper-level electives in medieval and early modern topics. There are opportunities for internships with local museums and archives and for collaborative research with faculty.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a recognised secondary school qualification or equivalent. Admissions typically consider academic transcripts, a personal statement demonstrating interest in history and the humanities, and letters of recommendation where available. Some applicants may also supply a short writing sample to illustrate preparedness for research and writing at undergraduate level.

For international applicants, proof of English language proficiency is required if previous study was not in English. Mature applicants and those with prior college experience are considered on the basis of post‑secondary records and relevant experience.

Career prospects

Graduates develop strong research, analytical and communication skills that are valued across many sectors. Typical career paths include:

• Museums and heritage: curatorship, collections management, education and interpretation.
• Archives and records management: archival processing, preservation and public access work.
• Education and teaching: secondary school teaching (with appropriate certification) and adult education roles.
• Public history and cultural organisations: programme development, community outreach and tourism interpretation.
• Publishing, libraries and media: editorial, research and content roles.
• Law, public service and non-profit sector: roles requiring strong writing, analysis and project management.

Graduates also commonly pursue further study at graduate level in history, heritage studies, museum studies, library science or related disciplines.

Why study at University of Wisconsin–Parkside

University of Wisconsin–Parkside offers small class sizes and close faculty mentoring, enabling undergraduates to engage directly in research and source-based projects. Faculty in the history programme have strengths across medieval and early modern studies and supervise honours theses and independent research.

The campus’s location near regional museums, archives and cultural institutions supports internships and public history placements. Students benefit from interdisciplinary links across humanities departments and from opportunities to gain practical experience in museum practice, archival work and digital history methods. The programme emphasises experiential learning, preparation for graduate study, and transferable skills that serve a wide range of careers.