Undergraduate award: Certificate in the Study of Medieval England

The Bayeux Tapestry is 70 metres long and 50 centimetres tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William, Duke of Normandy challenging Harold II, King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hasting.

Join expert tutors and fellow students to explore a fascinating range of material from a multidisciplinary perspective. We’ll consider Medieval England’s shifting power relationships, the impact of climate change and epidemics, the evolving landscape and agricultural changes, and the importance of cultural transformation.

Why choose this course with us?

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Course Dates

Course information

Course highlights

During this part-time online certificate course, you will:

combine the disciplines of art history, architecture and landscape archaeology to interpret the Medieval period
develop key study and writing skills

Join us on this flexible, part-time course to explore the rich array of medieval documents, buildings, landscapes, archaeology and artefacts that survive in archives, landscapes, museums and galleries, sometimes in remarkable numbers and states of preservation. By the end of this course, you’ll have developed an interdisciplinary overview of these materials to address some big questions about the culture, society, art and architecture, and landscape archaeology of this historical period.

As part of our learning community, you will:

consider the influence of climate change and deadly epidemics on social and economic structures
understand how agricultural conservatism and innovation attempted to meet these challenges
investigate the character and evolution of different aspects of medieval culture and society
examine the rise of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and their associated sculptural decorations, as well as new and original art forms such as narrative stained glass
appreciate the importance of changes in ideas expressed in art and religion in cultural transformation
trace English social and economic history through medieval archaeology, settlements, fields, pastures and other aspects of the landscape

Course breakdown

This course will run from 9 October 2026 to 9 June 2027.

Most of the teaching for each term will usually take place on Wednesday evenings, with occasional social sessions taking place on Saturdays. Exact teaching dates and times will be confirmed in the course guide upon enrolment.

Michaelmas term: The Landscape Archaeology of Medieval England

Course (unit 1) start date: 9 October 2026
Unit 1 end date: 6 January 2027

This unit demonstrates how English social and economic history is traced in medieval settlements, fields, pastures and other aspects of the landscape. The first part of the course takes the period from 1000 to 1350; the second focuses on the later Middle Ages until about 1540. It begins with an examination, through the landscape, of the radical changes around the time of the Norman Conquest in landholding and settlement; it moves on to explore the influence of rapidly-increasing populations and international markets on settlements, field patterns and non-arable land use; the final sessions of the course critically assess how, and why, landscapes and settlements saw sometimes radical evolution from the later 14th century.

Lent term: Culture and Society in Medieval England

Unit 2 starts: Week commencing 4 January 2027
Unit 2 end date: 24 March 2027

Rather than a chronological narrative of the period, the emphasis of this unit is on the culture and society of Medieval England, including its physical expressions, and how it changed and developed over time. It makes extensive use of primary sources drawn from a range of disciplines, including documentary and archaeological material. Topics for study include: the structure of English society during the Middle Ages and the changing and contested relationships between its constituent ‘classes’; the archaeology of medieval English society and life, looking at evidence drawn from both settlement and burial sites; and the impact on society and culture of factors such as war and pestilence.

Easter term: Art and Architecture in Medieval England

Unit 3 starts: Week commencing 29 March 2027
Unit 3 end date: 9 June 2027

The period from 1000-1530 saw a flowering of all the arts of painting, sculpture and architecture as well as new and original art forms such as narrative stained glass. This unit traces the rise of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and its associated sculptural decorations, the rich local resources of paintings and all kinds of liturgical fittings such as metalwork, embroidery and ivory carving. We shall bring these approaches together in a case study of Ely Cathedral where we can find art and architecture from across the chronological range studied.

After the course

Why not consider applying for our Certificate in the Study of Early Medieval England

Students who have successfully completed 2 certificates can apply to be awarded the Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education in the Study of Early Medieval and Medieval England, worth 120 CATS credits at level 4.