Culture of the European Renaissance (MA)

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 ask for one academic reference for taught 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.

Core modules

Optional modules

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

Teaching

You will be based at Warwick for most of your course, but will also have the option to study for a period of time in Venice (Italy) or Tours (France), depending on your choice of modules. At Warwick, during term 1, full-time students will take our core module, Renaissance Culture and Society, alongside a module of your choice 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 a further 60 CATS of optional modules of your choosing, which may include study off campus and lead into a period of study abroad. Term 3 and the summer focus on the dissertation. You will also be able to join the online palaeography, Latin and other skills classes delivered by the Renaissance Centre at different points during the year.

Part-time students take only the core module Renaissance Culture and Society in their first term, with a further 30 CATS of optional modules in the second, fourth, and fifth terms of the degree (i.e. year 1, term 2; year 2, term 1; year 2, term 2). They begin work on a dissertation topic in term 3 of their first year, and complete the dissertation in earnest during their second summer.

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 or Tours) for optional study 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.

Our degrees equip you with the skills and experiences needed to excel in your career. With access to exceptional career services, industry connections, and global opportunities, we’ll inspire and help you to aim high and achieve your goals. Our guidance ensures you graduate as

The median salary for University of Warwick 2021/22 postgraduates whose main employment was full-time work in the UK was £38,000 (based on 971 respondents - 17% of the total postgraduate population)*.

Previous graduates from the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance have gone on to work for employers such as*:

• PwC UK
• Universities, including Warwick, Coventry, Cardiff, Oxford Brookes
• Oxford University Press
• Jaguar Heritage Trust
• Shakespeare’s Globe
• UK Department of Education
• The Royal Household

They have pursued occupations such as the following*:

• PhD study
• Careers in academia
• Museums or galleries
• Archives
• Higher Education
• Fundraising
• Human Resources

Helping you find the right career

Your career path is unique to you. Our university careers team offer personalised support to help you develop your skills, plan your career path, and get experience at any point during your time at Warwick, and after graduation.

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

Discover more about postgraduate careers support at Warwick.

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

Our Postgraduate courses

• Culture of the European Renaissance (MA)
• Renaissance Studies (MA by Research)
• Renaissance Studies (MPhil/PhD)

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 2025/26 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