Programs for Late Antique and Early Medieval Britain?

[whatleycc1126]

Hey there,

I am looking for programs that have professors specializing in late antique and early medieval Britain. My research interest is in Early Scotland, historical archaeology and ideas of identity and ethnicity, particularly dealing with the interactions between the Picts and the Scots, but also going forward toward the turn of the millennium.

I have a partial list, including Boston College, Notre Dame, St Andrews and Penn State. I'm looking for programs that are particularly strong in early British history, but those are understandably few and far between. Does anyone have suggestions for such programs?

thanks in advance!

[wetheplants]

I don't know if I have too much information on them yet (I'm in the same program-hunting boat you are) but both Cambridge and Oxford have Medieval programs and a lot of faculty. Maybe worth perusing their faculty list and see if anyone's doing the same kind of thing you are? And I know both are well known for their Medieval programs.
I have a friend who went to Kings in London for a Medieval masters. It's a well known school and although they didn't particularly have the women and gender kind of focus she was looking for, they're supposed to have a strong department, if a bit traditional.

[dr. t]

Most of the biggest names are in the UK - Christopher Loveluck, John Blair, etc. A lot of people here will discourage you from a degree in the UK, though. Thus, I would also look at places where you have faculty interested in the Continent for the same period. 

[wetheplants]

Most of the biggest names are in the UK - Christopher Loveluck, John Blair, etc. A lot of people here will discourage you from a degree in the UK, though. Thus, I would also look at places where you have faculty interested in the Continent for the same period. 

I've definitely heard this over the forums too... do people discourage Americans from the UK track JUST because of the funding? Or are there other reasons? 

(I'm in the unusual situation of not having to worry about funding, so I want to know if there are other reasons!!)

[dr. t]

Lack of funding, duration of program, lack of generals, lack of teaching experience, and hands-off nature of adviser relationships are the things most commonly mentioned.

[wetheplants]

Lack of funding, duration of program, lack of generals, lack of teaching experience, and hands-off nature of adviser relationships are the things most commonly mentioned.

Are those things more for a PhD program, then? I think most MA degrees don't have a teaching component.

[dr. t]

Are those things more for a PhD program, then? I think most MA degrees don't have a teaching component.

 

They're all for PhD. An MA in medieval studies from a UK institution is actually a fairly common track.