Renaissance Studies MA by Research

Find out more about our MA by Research in Renaissance Studies degree at Warwick

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MA by Research

1 year full-time

6 October 2025

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

University of Warwick

Take the MA by Research in Renaissance Studies under the supervision of a specialist member of the Centre. Warwick's Centre for the Study of the Renaissance provides an interdisciplinary research environment where you will complete a research project, choosing from a wide range of specialist areas such as book history, history of science, classical reception, social and religious history, history of visual culture, history of education, and literature and theatre.

As this is a personal research project, the choice of the composition of your supervisory team and the methodology of your research will depend on your chosen topic.

You will complete a dissertation of 40,000 words under the direction of academic staff from the Centre’s allied departments (Classics, English, History, History of Art, Liberal Arts and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures). Single or joint supervisions are possible.

You are encouraged to audit the core module of the Taught MA, develop your language skills, and attend the training sessions offered by the Centre, including Latin for Research, Palaeography, and academic writing skills. The starting month is flexible. The MA by Research is an excellent stepping-stone to embarking on a PhD. Nonetheless, most students will find that our taught MA will prepare them more fully to do further research.

Teaching and learning

You will be able to attend skills training, language, and palaeography sessions organized by the CSR and other departments, and audit some taught MA modules in Renaissance Studies.

Areas for PhD supervision:

• History of the Book and Reading Practices
• Religious Art, Polemics, Thought, and Literature
• The Classical Tradition (including neo-Latin and vernacular cultures; Plato; Aristotle)
• The History of Ideas (especially science and medicine, ethics and politics)
• Theatre and Performance (especially in England)
• Gender; Society and Power
• Court and Civic Culture
• Renaissance Learned Culture (including humanist circles, academies, universities)
• Popular Culture
• Visual Culture and Debates on the Arts
• Venetian Economy, Art and Culture
• Travel, Colonialism and the New World

Full details of our research interests are listed on the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance web pages.

You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.

Find your supervisor using the link below and discuss with them the area you'd like to research.

Explore our Centre for the Study of the Renaissance Staff Directory to see our staff and their current research interests.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.

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

• 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.

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.