Culture of the European Renaissance (MA) (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-V1PF

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

Location

University of Warwick

Culture of the European Renaissance (MA) (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-V1PF

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

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Find out more about our Culture of the European Renaissance Master's degree at Warwick

Explore the wide-ranging developments of the Renaissance world and develop your research and communication skills.

Warwick’s Centre for the Study of the Renaissance is an innovator and international leader in its field, bringing together over 40 specialists from Classics, English and Comparative Literature, History, History of Art, Liberal Arts and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. An optional term in Venice will let you experience first-hand the richness of Renaissance culture.

Course overview

This MA covers the period c.1300-c.1650 across Europe. It provides a foundation in the art, history, literature, philosophy, religion and science of the period, exploring their interconnections with the social and political context.

Strongly interdisciplinary, it is taught by academics drawn from the Departments of Classics, English, History, History of Art, Liberal Arts and from the School of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Skills from this degree

Advanced interdisciplinary understanding of the historical and cultural developments of the Renaissance
Advanced synthetic and analytical skills
Linguistic, palaeographical, and bibliographical skills
Research and Information management skills
Advanced written and oral communication skills

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Modules

Core modules

Module title

Credits

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

Module title

Credits

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Department specific funding and support

The Centre for the Study of the Renaissance offers scholarships of up to £6500 to suitable candidates, on a competitive basis. Contact the Centre’s administrator at renaissance@warwick.ac.uk for further details..

Teaching

You will be based at Warwick for most of your course, but with the option to spend either of term 1 or 3 in Venice (Italy) or Tours (France). If you choose to stay at Warwick in term 1, you will be able to choose two modules from a variety of options delivered by Classics, History, History of Art, English and Comparative Literature, and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. In term 2 you will take our core module, Renaissance Culture and Society, one module of your choosing and start preparing your dissertation topic (which you will write under supervision over the summer). You will also be able to join the online palaeography, Latin and other skills classes delivered by the Renaissance Centre.

Part-time students are recommended to take the Venice/Tours term in their second year. Alternatively, they can complete their whole degree at Warwick.

Class sizes

Class sizes tend to be small (five to twelve students), allowing plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.

Typical contact hours

MA modules typically run as seminars of two hours each, but you will have more like 6–8 hours a week of teaching if you avail yourself of the language and skills classes offered or paid for by the Centre.

Assessment

Our aim is to develop your research and writing skills to the point where you are able to present cogent, complex and original arguments based on your research of images, buildings, artefacts, documents and other primary sources.

Each individual module is assessed through essays. Normally you will write an extended essay (5,000 words) for each of your modules, in addition to a dissertation (currently 15,000 words). The dissertation is prepared over the late spring and summer and submitted in September. You will be requested to submit a literature review before starting on your dissertation.

You will receive close one-to-one tuition from members of staff to guide you through your programme of research and writing. Warwick modules are typically assessed by essay only.

Additional course costs

Travel abroad (Venice) for a term there and possible extra living allowances as the cost of living can be more expensive than in the UK.

Reading lists 

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window.

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogueLink opens in a new window.

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes.

Careers

Your career

Graduates from this course have chosen to progress to PhD study and/or pursue a career in academia, museums or galleries, archives, Higher Education and fundraising.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
Careers in the Creative Industries sector event
Working for More than Profit careers fair and sector event
Making applications

Department

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

The Centre for the Study of the Renaissance (CSR) is a world-leading research community based at the University of Warwick. It is one of two 'category one' research centres of the University. As an independent and interdisciplinary centre, it has very strong international connections and an active programme of MA and PhD study.

The CSR aims to support – through research, teaching, and outreach – the study of the period stretching from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, at Warwick and beyond. It is particularly dedicated to exploring Renaissance Studies in a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary way and within a context of international collaboration. It also promotes activities that intersect with the work of medievalists and early modernists.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

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Application deadlines

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

Applications close on 2 August 2026 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

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Why Warwick

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out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

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About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Culture of the European Renaissance (MA) (2026 Entry)

Culture of the European Renaissance (MA) (2026 Entry)

Find out more about our Culture of the European Renaissance Master's degree at Warwick

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Explore ways to connect with us

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

Page updates

About the information on this page

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