Rochester Institute of Technology

What you'll study

The programme emphasises close work with primary sources, comparative cultural analysis and contextualising long-term social change across medieval and early modern Europe. Core topics typically include the formation of medieval polities and courts, the history of the Church and religious movements, the Renaissance and humanism, the Protestant and Catholic reformations, early modern urban and mercantile culture, gender and family life, and the rise of early modern states.

• Core skills and methods: source criticism, historiography, palaeography and codicology basics, historical argumentation and academic writing.
• Regional and thematic modules: medieval Europe, Byzantium, the Italian Renaissance, early modern England, France and the Holy Roman Empire, colonial encounters and cultural transfer.
• Materials and objects: material culture studies, book history and print culture, art and visual culture in historical context.
• Languages and texts: introductory Latin for historians with options to continue into later medieval and early modern Latin; opportunities to study relevant modern languages (for example, French, German, Italian) to support research.
• Digital and practical methods: digital humanities tools for text analysis and mapping, archival practice, curatorial methods and public history techniques.
• Capstone and experiential learning: a senior seminar or research thesis typically culminates the degree; students may undertake internships, co-op placements or practicum work with local museums, archives and cultural institutions.

Structure

The degree follows a liberal arts structure, combining history-major requirements with general education. Students move from introductory surveys and methods courses into increasingly specialised seminars and research-led modules in the later years, and are encouraged to complement historical study with electives in language, art history, library science, museum studies or digital media.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a secondary school diploma or equivalent with a competitive academic record. Strong performance in humanities subjects — such as history, literature, languages or social sciences — is advantageous. Admissions typically consider the whole profile: academic transcripts, personal statement, and one or more letters of recommendation. English language proficiency is required for non-native speakers (accepted tests include recognised exams such as TOEFL or IELTS). Prior experience with university-level writing or independent research is helpful but not mandatory.

Career prospects

Graduates move into a wide range of public- and private-sector roles where historical thinking, research skills and communication are valued. Typical pathways include:

• Museums, historic houses and heritage organisations — roles in curation, interpretation, education and collections management (often with further vocational training).
• Archives and libraries — archival assistants, special collections technicians and records management, frequently after postgraduate qualification in library and information studies.
• Public history and cultural resource management — working on exhibitions, digital interpretation, community history projects, and conservation partnerships.
• Education and outreach — secondary teaching (with required teacher certification) and public engagement roles.
• Research and postgraduate study — MA or PhD programmes in history, art history, medieval studies or related fields leading to academic careers.
• Transferable careers — publishing, journalism, law, government and non-profit roles that value analysis, writing and project management; digital humanities skills also open opportunities in data-driven cultural projects and tech–heritage collaborations.

Why study at Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester Institute of Technology offers a distinctive combination of traditional historical training and strong institutional support for applied, technical and interdisciplinary work. Students benefit from experiential learning through RIT’s cooperative education framework and from close ties to the city’s rich cultural resources, including museums, archives and research libraries for hands-on internships and collaborative projects.

The university promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration: history students can readily work with specialists in digital humanities, conservation, museum studies and information science, gaining practical skills such as digitisation, GIS mapping and digital exhibition design. Small seminars and faculty-led research projects provide opportunities for independent research, while campus resources and regional partnerships support postgraduate preparation and professional pathways in heritage and cultural sectors.