Medieval Studies

Here, you’ll learn by doing. With hands-on opportunities at some of the world’s finest cultural institutions, you’ll gain the skills and experiences employers seek. Few locations around the world can rival the opportunities that New York offers in terms of internships, libraries, archives, and museums.

And in addition to the big-city energy of New York, you’ll have a tight-knit, supportive campus community, eager for you to thrive. Fordham's Center for Medieval Studies—home to the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, one of the most visited and respected websites in the field—provides a community of scholarship that emphasizes intellectual diversity, depth of study, and rigorous scholarship.

Medieval studies allows you to take a wide variety of courses to meet your requirements. You might take Gender and the Body in the Middle Ages, where you’ll receive an overview of medieval ideas of original sin, sex, and gender identity; Hobbits/Heroes/Hubris, where you’ll study the evolving definition of heroism in tales like Lord of the Rings; and Know Your Enemy: The Devil in History, which examines the character and representation of the Devil in Western culture, from the Hebrew Scriptures to the modern day.

With New York City as your college town, you’ll have access to some of the world’s finest cultural institutions. Students have interned at places like

• The New York Historical
• American Museum of Natural History
• The Met Cloisters
• The Morgan Library 
• The United Nations 

You’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our 100+ programs across more than 50 countries. You might even consider joining your fellow students on the Camino de Santiago study tour of medieval Spain, which covers the last 200 miles of the famous pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

Medieval studies majors and minors have the opportunity to pursue independent research in a variety of ways, including an Honors thesis, a tutorial, or collaborating with professors on their research or on digital projects of Fordham’s renowned Center for Medieval Studies.

You’ll be prepared for careers in fields as varied as teaching, museum curation, publishing, and nonprofit administration. By focusing on critical thinking, sound argumentation, and clear communication, you’ll stand out across a range of possible fields. Our graduates go on to earn prestigious fellowships, attend law school, and more.

At Fordham, you’ll use AI as a tool to enhance your learning. As a medieval studies major, you might use machine learning to help translate archaic languages, transcribe historical texts, or streamline and organize your research process.

You’ll also be able to earn credentials and paid micro-internships through IBM SkillsBuild’s Getting Started with AI course. All Fordham students and graduates have access to AI training through RamConnect, the University’s alumni and experiential learning platform.

Above all, you’ll learn skills that can’t be replaced by AI, such as critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and integrity.