Byzantine Studies MRes

This programme is intended for students who have a background in Byzantine Studies and, normally, some knowledge of Greek. It comprises a major individual research project, supervised by a specialist in the field of study, and taught elements which provide the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of Byzantium through a range of modules in archaeology, art, history, literature and numismatics.

Course fact file

Type of Course: Combined research and taught

Study Options: Full time

Duration: 1 year full-time

Start date: September 2013

Details

The course can be pursued in the following pathways:

  • Byzantine Art
  • Byzantine History
  • Late Roman and Byzantine Archaeology

Each pathway consists of 60 credits of coursework and 120 credits achieved through a 20,000 word supervised research project on topic of your choice in Byzantine Studies. We recommend that you discuss your proposed research project with a potential supervisor before applying.

Modules

Byzantine Art pathway

Co-ordinator: Professor Leslie Brubaker

Compulsory modules:

  • Byzantine Art and Architecture
  • Methodologies of Byzantine Studies

Optional modules:

  • Greek language (intensive course for beginners)
  • Medieval Greek texts
  • A language or other course chosen in consultation with the co-ordinator

Dissertation in Byzantine art/architecture

Byzantine History pathway

Within this pathway, particular themes, periods and events are analysed through a critical reading of the primary sources and an examination of the way in which the sources are used to construct modern narratives.

Co-ordinator : Dr Ruth Macrides

Compulsory modules:

Aspects of Byzantine History, including

  • Methodologies of Byzantine Studies
  • Byzantine Society
  • The Fourth Crusade
  • History as Literature
  • Literature as History

Optional modules

  • Greek language (intensive course for beginners)
  • Medieval Greek texts
  • A language or other course chosen in consultation with the co-ordinator

Dissertation in Byzantine History

Late Roman and Byzantine Archaeology pathway

This pathway provides an opportunity (unique in the U.K.) to study the archaeology of the Late Roman to Late Byzantine eras, within a variety of frameworks - theoretical, practical, and historical. It encourages you to explore important aspects of history for which texts offer an insufficient documentation. Lectures introduce the settlement-archaeology, monuments, and all other major kinds of artefacts, in four major chronological divisions; the discipline’s origins and development, and its interface with environmental and comparative archaeologies. The focus is on the Balkans, the Aegean, and Anatolia.

Co-ordinator: Dr Archie Dunn

Compulsory modules

  • Byzantine Archaeology and Material Culture
  • Methodologies of Byzantine Studies

Optional modules

  • The Late Roman and Byzantine Economy
  • Modern Greek for Postgraduates
  • Medieval Greek texts
  • Other courses in practical archaeology or in Byzantine Studies chosen in consultation with the co-ordinator

Dissertation in late Roman or Byzantine Archaeology

Fees and funding

We charge an annual fee. Fees for 2013/14 are currently as follows:

  • Home / EU: full-time - £3,900; part-time - £1,950
  • Overseas: full-time - £12,140

Learn more about fees and funding.

Scholarships and studentships

Scholarships to cover fees and/or maintenance costs may be available.
For further information, visit the College of Arts and Law scholarships page or email financialsupport@bham.ac.uk

International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

 

Entry requirements


Learn more about entry requirements

International students

Academic requirements

We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

English language requirements

You can satisfy our English language requirements in two ways:

How to apply

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages

Apply now

Learning and teaching

The Byzantine Studies MRes forms part of the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies (CBOMGS) which is the only centre in the UK which brings all of these subjects together within a single unit. CBOMGS aims to provide a stimulating environment for cross-disciplinary research and inter-cultural dialogue for the wider research community, meaning that you’ll benefit from the insight of academic staff and peers from across the College of Arts and Law.

You’ll also become part of – and contribute to – the vibrant international community of the College of Arts and Law Graduate School which offers dedicated research resources and a supportive working environment. Our team of academic and operational staff are on hand to offer support and advice to all postgraduate students within the College.

Employability

The University of Birmingham has been ranked 9th in the UK and 55th in the world, for post-qualification employability in a global survey of universities commissioned by the International Herald Tribune.

Graduates with a postgraduate degree in Byzantine Studies can boast a wide combination of skills that can be applied in many types of work and which employers regard very positively. That’s why historically, over 91% of Byzantine postgraduates have been in employment or further study within six months of graduating.

Not only will your degree provide excellent preparation for employment, this will be further enhanced by the employability skills training offered through the College of Arts and Law Graduate School.