The Centre for the Study of the Renaissance is a well established multi- and inter-disciplinary research centre with a high international reputation. With more than 30 staff members from the Departments of English and Comparative Literature, History, History of Art, Theatre Studies, Classics, French and Italian involved in its activities, the Centre has one of the world’s largest concentrations of expertise on the Renaissance. Members’ interests include, but are not limited to, the classical tradition, religious and social history, intellectual culture, the relationship of Latin and the vernacular, and the history of art and performance.

niversities world-wide (in particular with the Warburg Institute in London and the Newberry Library in Chicago), and maintains an Erasmus student exchange with the University of Paris (Sorbonne) and the University of Venice (Ca’ Foscari). Its initiatives are supported by a variety of national and international funding bodies, including the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Research Areas

Classical tradition

Several members of staff are interested in the continuing influence, during the Renaissance, of ancient works and authors, including Aristotle, Plato, Augustine, and the Bible.

Social and Religious History

This is an area of special interest to staff members in the Department of History, particularly for the areas of Britain, France, central Europe, and Italy.

Visual Culture

The Department of History of Art has particular strengths in Italian and Nederlandish art, but staff with interests in visual culture are present throughout the Faculty of Arts.

Literature, Language and Culture

The Departments of Classics, French, Italian, and English and Comparative Literature include a high number of Renaissance specialists, also in areas such as theatre and performance (not limited to Shakespeare). Literature tends to be studied contextually and comparatively.

Intellectual History

The history of ideas, and the influence of ideas through manuscript and print (or through genres such as translations and commentaries), are subjects of interest to numerous staff members across departments. Ideas are firmly placed within their social and cultural context.

History of Science and Medicine

Several staff members study developments within Renaissance science and medicine which are profitably compared with the persistence of ‘pseudosciences’ (such as astrology) and magic, and the concurrent pressures of religious thought and reform.

Research Degrees

MA by Research (MAR)

Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Students who already have a considerable base of knowledge, and who have a firm idea of where their interests lie, may choose the MA by Research. The degree requires no coursework; the main focus is a 40,00-word dissertation, supervised by an appropriate member of staff. You will be encouraged to undertake relevant research-skills training and, where appropriate, further language study.

• More information on the MA by Research
  

Master/ Doctor of Philosophy (MPhil/PhD)

Duration: 3 years full-time, 5 years part-time

This degree requires no coursework; the main focus is a dissertation of 80,000 words, completed under the supervision of an appropriate member of staff. You will be encouraged to undertake relevant researchskills training and, where appropriate, further language study.

You may apply if you already have (or are finishing) an MA, you wish to pursue further research, and have a clear project in mind, which can be pursued under the direction of a Warwick staff member. Students are initially registered for the MPhil, and upon completion of a successful upgrade are placed on the track for the PhD.

• More information on the MPhil
• More information on the PhD
  

Taught Master’s Degree

MA in The Culture of the European Renaissance

Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Places available: 15

This taught MA is an interdisciplinary course of study offering a broad survey of the Renaissance period, both across disciplines and throughout Europe. It will appeal to students who have taken their undergraduate degrees in English or Comparative literature, Theatre Studies, History, History of Art, Music, Religious Studies, Classics, or Modern Languages (especially French, Italian or Spanish).

The course consists of a year-long, interdisciplinary core module, supported by methodology and researchtraining classes; two modules (one each term) chosen from the offerings of allied departments; and a dissertation of 15,000 words.

• More information on the MA in The Culture of the European Renaissance
  

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Prospectus Entry

Related Links:

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance Homepage

Postgraduate Research Study at the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

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Postgraduate Fees

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