Ithaca College

What you'll study

The programme combines core historical methods with in-depth study of European cultures from roughly 500 to 1700 CE. You will follow a curriculum that emphasises primary-source analysis, interpretive frameworks in cultural history, and interdisciplinary approaches drawn from art history, literature and the history of science.

• Core courses: historical methods and historiography, research design and archival practice, and a senior capstone or thesis project grounded in primary sources.
• Medieval and early modern survey courses: topics such as Medieval Europe, the High Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation and Early Modern Europe.
• Cultural-specialist seminars: courses on religious culture, material culture and daily life, gender and family in the early modern period, intellectual history and the history of ideas, and the history of science and medicine to the seventeenth century.
• Skills and languages: palaeography and manuscript studies, training in Latin or other relevant languages, digital humanities methods for historians and tailored archival practicum.
• Experiential learning: supervised internships in museums, archives or cultural institutions, study abroad opportunities with partner universities in Europe, and funded independent research projects with faculty mentorship.

Course structure

Students typically combine required lower-division courses in methods and surveys with progressively advanced seminars. Upper-division work centres on specialised seminars and an independent research project or thesis supervised by a faculty member. Electives allow cross-listing with art history, religious studies, classics and theatre to support cultural-history approaches.

Entry requirements

Admission is at bachelor level and is based on a competitive secondary-school record alongside supporting materials. Applicants should demonstrate strong preparation in the humanities or social sciences and the ability to write analytically about historical topics.

• Required application materials include an official transcript, a personal statement articulating interest in medieval or early modern history, and at least one academic reference.
• Submission of a short writing sample or graded essay in history or a related field is recommended to demonstrate research and writing skills.
• Prospective students with prior college coursework should submit transcripts for transfer evaluation; transfer applicants may be asked to provide syllabi or course descriptions.
• International applicants must meet the College's English-language proficiency requirements (for example via recognised tests or equivalent qualifications).
• Successful applicants often show evidence of extracurricular engagement with history—archives, museums, archaeological fieldwork, or language study—but such experience is not mandatory.

Career prospects

A degree focused on Medieval and Early Modern European Cultural History develops strong research, writing and critical-thinking skills valued in a wide range of fields.

• Museums and archives: curatorial assistance, collections management, archival processing and public programming at cultural institutions.
• Education and public history: secondary teaching (typically following teacher certification), museum education, interpretation and historical consultancy.
• Heritage and cultural resource management: roles with historical societies, preservation organisations and government heritage agencies.
• Publishing, media and communications: editorial and content roles that leverage historical expertise and strong writing skills.
• Further study and research: graduate programmes in history, medieval studies, library and information science, museum studies or related disciplines leading to academic or specialised professional careers.
• Other professional paths: law, public policy, nonprofit leadership and cultural administration, where analytical thinking and research experience are assets.

Why study at Ithaca College

Ithaca College offers a liberal-arts environment with small class sizes and close faculty mentorship that benefits students working in archival and textual fields like medieval and early modern history. Faculty members combine traditional research in European cultural history with interdisciplinary projects and supervise student research and senior theses.

• Hands-on opportunities: internships and practicum placements with local museums, historical societies and archives are a routine feature of the programme.
• Study abroad and partnerships: exchange agreements and short-term programmes in Europe allow direct engagement with the archives, libraries and material culture central to the field.
• Interdisciplinary resources: easy cross-registration with related departments such as art history, classics and religious studies supports a cultural-history approach.
• Career support: the college's career services and alumni network help place students in internships and entry-level positions in museums, archives, education and cultural organisations.