University of San Diego

What you'll study

This programme grounds students in broad historical methods and chronology while allowing sustained concentration on medieval and early modern Europe. Core work covers historiography, research methods and historical writing alongside surveys of European developments such as medieval political institutions, the rise of towns, the Renaissance, the Reformation, empire and early modern state formation.

• Source-focused courses: close reading of chronicles, legal codes, letters, religious texts and visual sources; training in palaeography and the interpretation of material culture where available.
• Thematic modules: religion and reform; gender and family; urban life and commerce; art, ritual and popular culture; war, diplomacy and empire.
• Regional and comparative studies: Byzantium and Latin Christendom, Iberia and the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Habsburg world, cross-cultural encounters between Europe and the wider world.
• Research and methods: seminars in historiography, archival research, digital history tools, and instruction in constructing sustained historical arguments.
• Independent work: options for a senior thesis or capstone project under faculty supervision, internships with local museums or archives, and study-abroad placements that provide access to European archives and collections.

Entry requirements

Applicants to the University of San Diego undergraduate History programme are normally expected to hold a completed secondary school qualification appropriate to their country, with a record of strong academic achievement and rigorous coursework in the humanities. Admissions consider the whole applicant: academic transcripts, personal statement, and letters of recommendation are important components. International applicants should demonstrate proficiency in English through recognised tests or prior education in English-medium institutions where required by the university.

Because the programme emphasises research and writing, successful applicants typically show evidence of strong reading and communication skills. Transfer students should provide college transcripts and may be asked to submit syllabi for prior courses to determine credit transfer.

Career prospects

A degree specialising in medieval and early modern European cultural history prepares graduates for a wide range of careers that value research, critical thinking and communication. Common career pathways include:

• Museums, galleries and heritage organisations — roles in curation, collections management and public programmes.
• Archives and libraries — archival processing, cataloguing and preservation work, often with opportunities to develop specialised skills in manuscript handling and digital archiving.
• Education — secondary teaching (with additional teacher certification where required) and adult education in cultural institutions.
• Public history and cultural resource management — exhibition design, site interpretation and community-based history projects.
• Publishing, journalism and communications — editorial work, research for media or content creation for cultural organisations.
• Graduate study and professional schools — many graduates go on to MA and PhD programmes in history or related disciplines, or pursue professional degrees in law, library and information science, or museum studies.

Why study at University of San Diego

The University of San Diego provides a small-college environment within a research-active university, enabling close mentorship by faculty and opportunities for one-to-one supervision on research projects. As a liberal-arts programme, the History department encourages interdisciplinary approaches, allowing students to combine medieval and early modern study with courses in Classics, Art History, Religious Studies, and Modern Languages.

Students benefit from experiential learning through internships with regional museums, historical societies and archives, and from study-abroad programmes that facilitate direct engagement with European archives and cultural sites. The campus commitment to undergraduate research and the availability of faculty-led projects make USD a strong choice for students seeking a personalised, research-oriented education in medieval and early modern European cultural history.