University of Southern Mississippi

What you'll study

This programme combines advanced coursework with a sustained research project or thesis. Core study areas include medieval and early modern cultural history, the history of religion, intellectual and literary culture, social and material culture, and the transmission of texts and ideas across Europe. Students learn primary-source skills such as palaeography, codicology and manuscript studies, alongside quantitative and qualitative research methods tailored to historical enquiry.

• Historiography and research methods: theories of historical interpretation, archival practice, research design and professional skills for historians.
• Medieval Europe: political, social and religious structures; monasticism; crusading movements; vernacular literatures and material culture.
• Early modern Europe: Reformation and confessional cultures, print culture and the spread of ideas, courts and patronage, urban and commercial transformations.
• Textual and source studies: paleography, manuscript traditions, editing early texts and using digital repositories.
• Optional and interdisciplinary modules: topics in art history, music history, intellectual history, or classical and modern languages as available.
• Thesis or capstone project: intensive original research under faculty supervision, or a structured capstone for those on a non-thesis route.

Coursework typically balances seminars, directed reading, language or skills training, and hands-on archival work. Students may take advantage of digitised European collections, local archival projects and interdisciplinary collaboration with departments such as English and Art History.

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally hold a bachelor's degree in history or a closely related discipline with a strong academic record. Typical supporting materials include academic transcripts, a statement of purpose outlining research interests in medieval/early modern Europe, at least two academic letters of recommendation, and a writing sample demonstrating research and analytical skills.

Familiarity with relevant languages (for example Latin, French, German, or Italian) is advantageous for specialised study; programmes often offer elementary/reading language support but advanced language competence strengthens applications. International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency in line with university regulations.

Career prospects

Graduates from this programme move into a wide range of professions that value advanced research, critical analysis and primary-source skills. Common career paths include:

• Further academic study at the doctoral level and roles in higher education and research.
• Museum and heritage work: curatorship, collections management and interpretation.
• Archives and librarianship, including working with special collections and digital preservation projects.
• Public history and cultural resource management, including work with historical societies, interpretive centres and government agencies.
• Publishing, editorial work, and research roles in media or cultural organisations.
• Education and outreach roles; note that secondary teaching typically requires additional certification depending on jurisdiction.

Why study at University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi offers a supportive, small-cohort environment with close mentoring from faculty experienced in European and comparative history. Students benefit from research training that emphasises primary-source competence and methodological breadth, preparing them for both academic and applied careers.

The campus houses the McCain Library & Archives and strong special collections which, together with access to extensive digital repositories and interlibrary loan networks, support sustained research into medieval and early modern sources. The department encourages interdisciplinary work across humanities programmes and offers opportunities for teaching experience and funded assistantships where available.

Located in Hattiesburg, the university combines an engaged scholarly community with practical opportunities for public-facing research, regional partnerships, and participation in conferences and collaborative projects relevant to cultural and historical studies.