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Studies & Degrees in Renaissance Studies

Renaissance Studies is the interdisciplinary study of European culture and society in the centuries between the Middle Ages and the modern world, and of Europe's contacts with the rest of the world in that period. Students combine history, literature, art history, philosophy, religion, music and languages instead of working inside one discipline. They read primary texts, look closely at works of art and learn to work with archives and early printed books.

Few universities teach the Renaissance on its own. It is usually joined to the Middle Ages in programmes called Medieval and Renaissance Studies, or placed under the wider label Early Modern Studies. The periods covered are long. New York University describes its programme as running from the collapse of the Roman empire to about 1700, Duke University speaks of the twelve-hundred-year period from 500 to 1700, and The Ohio State University has a Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies that covers late Antiquity to the early modern era.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's major. At US colleges the subject is a major within a bachelor's degree, often combined with a second major. Ohio Wesleyan University has a Renaissance track in its Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies programme: three foundation courses, six core courses, two electives and an interdisciplinary capstone project in the final year. Most of its students combine the major with English or History. The Medieval and Renaissance Studies major at New York University requires nine courses and 36 credits. Duke University offers a major, second major or minor, with a curriculum of more than a hundred courses.
  • Minor or major modification. Ohio Wesleyan lists a Renaissance Studies minor, and Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia a minor in Medieval, Renaissance and Reformation Studies. Dartmouth College lets students modify another major with Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
  • Master's degrees. Utrecht University teaches a two-year research master's in Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies in English, with Renaissance Studies as one of four specialisations. For 2026-2027 its statutory fee for Dutch and other EU/EEA students is €2,694 and its institutional fee for non-EU/EEA students is €21,342. University College London (UCL) offers an Early Modern Studies MA that lasts one calendar year full time or two part time; one of its three compulsory modules is Reframing the Renaissance. UCL lists tuition fees for 2026/27 of £16,800 for UK students and £35,400 for overseas students, full time.
  • Doctorate. At Yale University, Early Modern Studies is a combined PhD. Students first apply to the doctoral programme of a partner department and join the combined degree afterwards. Duke offers PhD students a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Ohio State lists a graduate certificate too.

Languages matter in this field, because the sources are in Latin, Italian, French and other languages. Requirements differ by programme: at Yale, for example, the language requirement follows that of the student's main department.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 17 active schools for Renaissance Studies. Eleven are in the United States and two in the United Kingdom; Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada have one each.

The US schools include The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Duke University, Saint Joseph's University, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Ohio Wesleyan University, New York University, the University of California Santa Barbara and Ithaca College. In the United Kingdom the list has University College London and the University of London. On the European continent it has Utrecht University, Aarhus University and the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, and in Canada the University of British Columbia.

The programmes described here are taught in English. Time abroad is often part of the degree: Ohio Wesleyan, for instance, encourages its students to spend a semester or a year in Florence, Paris, London or Athens. At universities where no programme is described above, ask which department teaches the Renaissance and in which language.

Careers

Renaissance Studies trains research, writing, languages and the reading of difficult sources. It does not lead to one profession. The universities name these directions:

  • research and university teaching, after a PhD; the Utrecht research master's is designed to give access to PhD programmes
  • the heritage sector and cultural industries, which UCL names together with academia
  • education, publishing, law and library sciences, where Saint Joseph's University says its students have gone on to work
  • professional schools and careers in business and education, according to New York University

No official statistics track employment for this subject on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a degree only in Renaissance Studies?

Rarely. Most universities teach it together with medieval studies or as part of early modern studies. Ohio Wesleyan University has a separate Renaissance track and minor.

Which period does Renaissance Studies cover?

The Renaissance itself falls roughly between the 14th and the 17th century, but programmes are broader. Duke University covers 500 to 1700, and New York University the time from the collapse of the Roman empire to about 1700.

How long does a master's degree in this field take?

The Early Modern Studies MA at UCL takes one calendar year full time. The research master's in Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Utrecht University takes two years.

Do I need to know Latin or Italian?

It depends on the programme. Language requirements are set by each university and department, so check them before applying.