Medieval Studies Careers

Professional Issues Workshops

The Center for Medieval Studies regularly sponsors graduate student workshops that cover a variety of topics of interest to graduate students seeking career and professional advice. Past workshops have treated such themes as how to put together an academic curriculum vitae; how to write an abstract for a scholarly conference; and a series on compatible careers, which invited past graduates to discuss non-university professions open to those with M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the Humanities. 

Online Resources

Medieval Academy of America webinars:

• "In and Beyond the Digital: Career Pathways for Humanists" (May 13, 2020)
• "Medieval Freelancing 101: Para-academic Work" (Sep. 8, 2020)
• "Medieval Freelancing 101: Working Beyond Academia" (Sep. 23, 2020)

General Websites:

• An Inside Higher Ed discussion of job expectations, and how institutions are changing to meet the professionalization needs of their students
• A report on current job opportunities for graduate-degree holders
• The number one source for resources/support for those seeking ways to find a job using their humanities degree
• For historians, but with important links to many sites for those with humanities training
• A clearing-house for discussions on non-academic employment
• Versatile PhD hosts "panel discussions" featuring members who are currently working in various industries
• Listserve WRK4US (a forerunner to VPhD)

Other Potential Careers for Medievalists

Sometimes the most difficult part when looking for a career is identifying possible industries into which your skills can transfer. The list below is a starting point for your research into compatible careers.

For careers in Philanthropy:

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy: the seminal news journal of the philanthropic field with a jobs section geared towards mid-level and higher positions
• A close second to the Chronicle, the Non-Profit Times is the go-to source for information on the non-profit sector, also with a jobs section
• The Idealist, along with the goal of being an online community of people and organizations trying to make the world a better place, has a great jobs section with opportunities worldwide)
• A news service from the Foundation Center, the go-to source for information on foundations and grant-making, jobs section included
• Association of Fundraising Professionals: the largest professional association for fundraisers, it offers news, training, accreditation, and career services.
• The Non-Profit Quarterly is a credible, research-based articles for nonprofits about management, governance, and public policy, no jobs section, but it is a solid source of information on issues affecting the non-profit industry.)
• CSRwire: the leading global source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news.

For Librarian/Special Collections and DH careers:

• The American Library Association
• The ALA's "Librarian Careers"
• The Society for American Archivists
• The Digital Humanities Summer Institute
• Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities Digital Humanities Resources

For an introduction to careers in the world of book publishing:

• Bookjobs.com

Twitter Feeds

The following hash-tags offer a running commentary and source of information for compatible careers: #altac, #postac, #phdchat. Follow the links on these topics according to your interests.

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Learn more about careers that are compatible with a graduate degree in medieval studies with our Resource List.

Read in this article about examples of Fordham students in the humanities who have found employment in the technology industry as a result of their degree.