Career Information for Medieval Studies Majors

It is important to understand that employers hire people, not degrees. The skills and knowledge you develop as a result of your education, as well as in your work and community activities, have the greatest impact on hiring decisions. Listed below are some specific knowledge and transferable skills you will acquire as a result of your university education and your focus on Medieval Studies.

Specific Knowledge Skills
Valuable Transferable Skills
Some Career Options
Potential Employers
Websites

Specific Knowledge Skills

• An understanding of how philosophy, culture, history and the context of a time can and does influence present and future culture, society, community relationships and social/political development
• Knowledge of how to assess the potential impact of historical developments on modern society
• The skills to understand, examine and assess the historical/cultural roots of modern social institutions and other cultural phenomena and to make recommendations for future planning and development
• The ability to research and identify the basis and development of artistic and literary styles
• An informed appreciation of the culture and history of a given historical period and its place in history
• An understanding of how to explain and communicate the development of key modern social and cultural changes and developments to others
• Skills to assess the accuracy of historical information, costume and context and provide direction and input on the development and use of historical reference, materials and props

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Valuable Transferable Skills

Information-gathering and Communication Skills

• The skills required to identify and access a wide range of relevant information and resources
• The ability to compile and organize facts and information and to comprehend and apply new and/or unfamiliar information to different situations and settings
• Skills in preparing interesting, creative and informative presentations which target diverse audiences
• The ability to develop effective reports, presentations and materials using current technology

Thinking, Planning and Organizational Skills

• The ability to learn, understand and interpret information and apply knowledge to new situations
• The ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and effectively plan/manage time, data and resources
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to make well-reasoned decisions, think creatively and search for, identify and consider all sides of an issue
• Skills to effectively analyze and interpret a wide range of information and data to discuss, support and/or reject ideas, opinions, reports, theories and proposals

Teamwork and Management Skills

• Skills enabling you to work effectively as part of a team by identifying your role and contributing, through leading, teaching, motivating and/or encouraging others, to the success of the team
• An understanding of how to successfully identify, plan and contribute to the goals of a project
• The ability to oversee, supervise and/or contribute to a project from beginning to end including determining outcomes, planning details, making decisions, assigning roles and completing tasks

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Some Career Options for Medieval Studies Majors

(Additional education, training or experience may be required)

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Potential Employers 

For more career options and job descriptions, visit the following sites:

Career Cruising - www.careercruising.com. Please contact the Career Centre at 519.884.0710 ext. 4495 or careercentre@wlu.ca for the username and password.
Career Insider (Vault) - Access through the library website at www.wlu.ca/library. Click ’Find Articles and More’, click ’Databases by Title (A-Z)’ and then ’C’ - Career Insider (Vault). You need to access this resource from a Laurier computer or through the library’s remote access service.
National Occupational Classification - www.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc

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Websites

Ontario Classical Association 
Canadian Museums Association 
Canadian Archaeological Association
Society for Historical Archaeology 
Classical and Medieval Numismatic Society 
The Heritage Canada Foundation 
International Center of Medieval Art
Medieval Academy of America 
American Philological Association 
The American Classical League

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