Medieval & Early Modern History

Medieval and early modern history covers one of the most formative periods in the development of European society, culture, and politics, from the centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire through the Renaissance, the Reformation, and into the era of revolutionary change that preceded the industrial age. It is a period of extraordinary complexity and consequence, encompassing the Crusades and the establishment of universities, the Black Death and the printing press, the encounter between Europe and the Americas, and the religious wars that reshaped the continent. Studying this period means engaging with sources that require careful interpretation, from chronicles and charters to household accounts and personal letters.

At the University of Chichester this three-year programme guides you through these centuries in a structured and engaging way, from the aftermath of the Norman Conquest through Tudor England and into the Napoleonic era. You will develop the historical skills of close reading, archival analysis, and sustained argument, learning to construct well-evidenced interpretations of complex events and to engage critically with the scholarship that has been built up around them. The discipline develops a rigorous and sceptical way of thinking about evidence and causation that is genuinely transferable to professional life.

Graduates in history work in education, heritage, archives, libraries, museums, publishing, journalism, the civil service, law, and a wide range of other professional contexts. The analytical and writing skills developed in a history degree are valued wherever complex information needs to be understood and communicated clearly. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in history, heritage studies, archiving, or related fields, while others pursue professional development in law, journalism, or public administration.

For those drawn to the medieval and early modern periods in particular, careers in university research, heritage management, and cultural tourism offer rewarding applications of the specialism developed in this degree.