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[virmundi]

I realize that it is very difficult to get an academic job as a medievalist... however, my question is this:

I'm currently an undergrad at a school that does not have a strong curriculum in medieval studies as an undergraduate. There are 3-4 medieval classes in the
curriculum of my school. Am I committing academic suicide and destroying my chances of being accepted into a good graduate school program by attending
a university with weak medieval offerings? I'm making fine progress in Latin, and I don't think that I will have an issue having excellent reading skills in Latin and
two other languages prior to applying to grad school. As such, I'm primarily concerned about whether the lack of undergrad course work in medieval studies will be
a nail in the coffin of getting into a prestigious program.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[watermarkup]

First:
What do you mean by "medievalist?" Medieval historian? Anglo-Saxonist? There are medievalists in most humanities disciplines, and some non-humanities disciplines. Medievalists have a harder time finding positions in some disciplines, and a less hard time in others. Typically, though, the disciplines where most medievalists work are ones where everyone can have a hard time finding a position.

Second:
As far as your undergrad curriculum, do you mean, say, courses in medieval history, or on-the-books courses in a Medieval Studies program, like MEDSTUD 101, 201, 301? The first is fairly common, the second is extremely uncommon.

Third:
Latin is good. If you're going to be working on medieval Europe, make sure those other two languages include German.

Fourth:
Relax. I know a lot of medievalists. None of them got to where they are today based on their undergrad medieval coursework. It can't hurt to have it, but there are other things that could hurt you more.

[virmundi]

First:
What do you mean by "medievalist?" Medieval historian? Anglo-Saxonist? There are medievalists in most humanities disciplines, and some non-humanities disciplines. Medievalists have a harder time finding positions in some disciplines, and a less hard time in others. Typically, though, the disciplines where most medievalists work are ones where everyone can have a hard time finding a position.

Well, I have been made to understand that *any* medievalist field is failrly competitive if it is related to Europe, but in my particular instance, I am thinking of medieval historians of western Europe.

Second:
As far as your undergrad curriculum, do you mean, say, courses in medieval history, or on-the-books courses in a Medieval Studies program, like MEDSTUD 101, 201, 301? The first is fairly common, the second is extremely uncommon.

Mea culpa! I should have been more specific. I am referring to courses in medieval history that are spread across departments like our history, English, and philosophy departments. We have no dedicated Medieval Studies program.

Third:
Latin is good. If you're going to be working on medieval Europe, make sure those other two languages include German.

Yes, German is a definite. French also seems to be a common requirement . . . I haven't figured out an area (physically) of specialization as of yet, so I am not sure about additional languages, although I'm pretty sure that while the Byzantine empire is fascinating, that I probably will not choose Greek!

Fourth:
Relax. I know a lot of medievalists. None of them got to where they are today based on their undergrad medieval coursework. It can't hurt to have it, but there are other things that could hurt you more.

Okay. I'll try to relax. My issue is that I'm attempting to switch careers from the IT field, where I earned a good paycheck, but then ended up miserable, to a field that I'm absolutely in love with, which is medieval history. I'm almost 30, so I'm trying to make judicious choices about what I do to achieve my goals. So, while we are on the topic -- would you be ever so kind as to elucidate on the things that I should be avoiding that could hurt me more? :-)

Thank you kindly!

[secretweapon]

Okay. I'll try to relax. My issue is that I'm attempting to switch careers from the IT field, where I earned a good paycheck, but then ended up miserable, to a field that I'm absolutely in love with, which is medieval history. I'm almost 30, so I'm trying to make judicious choices about what I do to achieve my goals. So, while we are on the topic -- would you be ever so kind as to elucidate on the things that I should be avoiding that could hurt me more? :-)

How about freaking out too much?  ;-)

I can see where you are coming from, knowing that you are a mature student and are trying to be very focused.  At this point, take all the medieval classes on offer, really work on your language skills, and get the best grades you can. 

[hegemony]

Many universities have few medieval offerings, and grad schools know this.  So it will probably not affect your chances of acceptance; most applicants are in your boat.  The reason you might favor a university with a Medieval Studies degree is to get a leg up on the subject yourself: if you're going to spend four years and untold thousands to get a degree, you might as well put the time and money into a subject that will serve you well in the long run.  Your knowledge base would be broader when you got to grad school, and there'd be a little less scrambling.  (Though you're still ahead of people who didn't take Latin as an undergrad.)  Another option is to get a second B.A. at a school that has a Medieval Studies major, which generally takes one year.  If you're in a position to study abroad, foreign programs may offer medieval courses that you can't get at your home institution.  There are also various exchanges between American universities, so you can attend one for a year and take medieval courses there.  But maybe you're asking because you're stuck living near a university with few medieval offerings?  If moving isn't in the cards, rest assured that you can still get into a grad program without more experience than your university offers.

[zharkov]

If your goal is to become a professor of medieval history or medieval studies, you need to find out what it takes to be hired into such a job because of the oversupply of humanities PhDs.

Wild guess, there are 10 or 20 top programs with decent placement rates in medieval history, and many more with dismal to iffy placement rates. Research those top programs to figure out what you need to be accepted, and ideally, accepted with full (or good) funding. In addition to coursework and your GPA, field experiences, publications, internships, GRE scores, and probably other things will help you get in.  But you yourself need to do that research to find what these programs are really looking for, my list is just a list of "usual suspects."

[mended_drum]

The short answer is "no."  It doesn't really matter that your undergrad institution has few if any medieval offerings.  Make sure that your language skills are strong.  Latin is essential (but don't dismiss Greek so quickly; the whole area of Byzantium is a wonderful field to explore) and one more language will set you on a strong path.  Don't narrow yourself too soon.  Even assuming you don't change your mind about the field, medieval studies is innately interdisciplinary, so knowledge of the sciences, religion, philosophy, art history--all of those general education courses--will be valuable when you least expect it.  It is nearly impossible to do research in the field without a strong liberal arts foundation.

[margarete]

Would it be possible for you to write a thesis or do an independent study with a good-sized paper attached?  It would allow you to pick a topic that interests you and plays to your strengths or even one that covers possible holes in your academic background.  It could also give you a lengthy, worked-over writing sample for your grad application that would show your potential for real scholarly work and your commitment to your field.

ETA: It could also help you discover if large-scale research is something you really enjoy and want to spend the rest of your life doing.  Hopefully you would love it and produce a great paper.

[katherineparr]

Also, could you enroll in medieval classes (history, art history, literature, archaeology...) at a nearby college or university during the summer? I can imagine a graduate application that included 4-5 courses taken over the summer. You could then say, "My home institution offered few courses but excellent language preparation. So I chose to work on my language competency during the academic year and enhance my general knowledge of the medieval era as an auditor during the summer."

This approach might also provide more potential recommenders - they can help get you in to top programs.