Description
The Master’s in History, Civilisations and Heritage includes theory-based, methodology-based and applied course units, whilst an important role is also given to research activity.
This Master’s programme comprises three subject pathways (‘Classical Literatures’, ‘Medieval Studies’ and ‘Ancient History’), which are geared towards professions in research, heritage and teaching. The subject pathways draw chiefly on the scientific output of university lecturer-researchers and of the researchers affiliated with the Université Bordeaux Montaigne joint research unit, Ausonius. This multidisciplinary research team, which is recognised internationally, brings together specialists in Hellenistic and Roman texts (literary specialists and philologists) with historians and archaeologists of Ancient and Medieval history. The specialised course units taught within the three subject pathways provide an in-depth study of the sciences from Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages, their specific interrogations and their unique methodologies. Moreover, students become familiar with research activity in these fields: they attend seminars and scientific events held by the Université Bordeaux Montaigne joint research unit, Ausonius.
Students are sometimes also involved in the organisation of these events. Ultimately, one of this programme’s priorities is to encourage openness between these close and complementary disciplines and so some of the seminar units are merged with other programmes. It is this multidisciplinary approach that makes this Master’s programme – which is the only one of its kind in France – so original.
Objectives
The Master’s in Medieval History is one of the three possible subject pathways that can be chosen within the Master’s in History, Civilisations and Heritage.
The programme aims to shape future specialists in Medieval History. From the first year, students who choose to enrol in this subject pathway following their undergraduate History Licence degree will receive a high-level of training. They will also have the option of undertaking an advanced and rigorous introduction to the other two subject pathways (‘Ancient History’, ‘Classical Literatures’). The course units correspond closely to the lines of research currently being investigated by the Université Bordeaux Montaigne joint research unit Ausonius, and the cluster for excellence, Labex. The same is true of the seminar units and research workshops. ‘Taster’ seminar units enable students to discover neighbouring academic fields, either within the framework of this Master’s programme, or within other Master’s programmes (Master’s in Archaeology, Medieval Literature, Al-Andalus Studies etc.). Students are trained in the use of research tools via the Sources workshops, which focus on Medieval diplomacy in text-based sources and also in other categories of sources (from archaeology, iconography and cartography).
The methodological training is completed by a common core curriculum that introduces students to scientific writings, the digital handling of data (digital humanities) and classical languages (Latin, Greek). The production of a ‘pre-dissertation’ in the first year, and then a full dissertation in the second year, constitutes one of the key learning processes for acquiring research skills.
In addition, students may help to organise study days and participate in colloquiums and seminars, which follow current research trends and practices on an international level.
Training content
Two years of study: Master 1 (M1) and Master 2(M2)
In Master 1, students on the ‘Medieval History’ pathway follow the organisation of the Master’s in ‘History, Civilisations and Heritage’ as a whole. There is a unit block entitled Course Choices M2 with four course units per semester. For the chosen discipline, this brings together the theoretical learning assimilated in the research seminar units with the technical and methodological training acquired via the workshops. ‘Taster’ seminar units allow students to gain training in neighbouring and complementary disciplines from the other two subject pathways within this Master’s programme, or from the Master’s programmes entitled ‘Archaeology and Sciences for Archaeological Purposes’, ‘Literature and Humanities’, or ‘Foreign and Regional Languages, Literatures and Civilisations’.
This interdisciplinary and methodology-based training is consolidated by four further unit blocks. There is a block entitled Cross-disciplinary Skills (units include Documentation, with the backing of the Robert-Étienne library at the Maison de l’Archéologie; Modern Languages; ‘taster’ seminar units) and another entitled Common Core Curriculum (units include Methodology: Introduction to Scientific Writing; Digital Humanities, backed by the geomatics team at the Ausonius joint research unit; Classical Languages: Latin and Greek, to different levels).
The production of a ‘pre-dissertation’ in the first year, and then of a full dissertation in the second year, enables students to develop their skills in research and scientific writing. In the second year, course units are thus concentrated in the first semester. The second semester is reserved entirely for the completion of the research-based dissertation.
Master 1: First year of two-year Master’s programme
Other than the unit blocks entitled Cross-disciplinary Skills and Common Core Curriculum, which are the same for all three of the subject pathways, the programme of study in Medieval History is organised around a unit block entitled Course Choices M2. For each semester this is composed of four course units. The first course unit is a research seminar unit corresponding to the axes of research currently underway at the Université Bordeaux Montaigne joint research unit Ausonius: Society, Power and Justice (Semester 1); Space and Territories (Semester 2).
The second course unit is a thematic research workshop with a choice of two subjects. These include the Medieval Mediterranean: the Iberian Peninsula or Islam (Semester 1), and the Medieval history of the Midi region: Representations and Cartographies or Urban Archaeology in Semester 2).
The third course unit is a sources workshop on Medieval Diplomacy. Finally the fourth course unit is a cross-disciplinary workshop that opens out onto associated disciplines, either within the framework of this Master’s programme, or within other Master’s programmes (Master’s in Archaeology, Medieval Literature, Al-Andalus Studies etc.).
The pre-dissertation in Master 1, which is evaluated at the end of Semester 2 as part of the Methodology and Common Core Curriculum unit blocks, explores a subject chosen by students in conjunction with their research supervisors. Students carry out an initial assessment of the sources, bibliography, research question and study axes. This ‘pre-dissertation’ enables students to lay the foundations for their full dissertation in Master 2.
Master 2: Second year of two-year Master’s programme
In the second year of this two-year programme, most of the course is dedicated to the production of a research-based dissertation. In support of this, students follow a programme of research training in the first semester, which includes a historiography seminar unit and two additional course units based on the scientific programmes and activities of the Université Bordeaux Montaigne joint research unit, Ausonius (e.g. master classes, scientific activities). Students also participate in colloquiums and a student-organised study day.
Access condition
Find information regarding enrolment procedures and the supporting documents to be provided, according to your profile and your level of studies :
Identifier ROME
- K2108 : Enseignement supérieur
Career pathways
By definition, professions related to higher education and research within universities and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) constitute key employment opportunities for students of all three pathways within this Master’s programme. But the programme of study also leaves students the option of moving into other professions, particularly those related to heritage and culture. This Master’s also constitutes an excellent scientific training for those students who wish to work in secondary education (in particular, training for the competitive university examination for the recruitment of History teachers, known as ‘Agrégation’).
Students who wish to continue along their chosen subject pathway with further study may enrol as doctoral candidates. This is provided that their marks throughout the Master’s programme are of a satisfactory standard (particularly for the dissertation element).