Admissions and Funding
Graduate School orientation at the Century Center in downtown South Bend
Admissions
Application Deadline: January 4th.
Applicants are notified of admission decisions in March.
Admission to the Medieval Institute is highly competitive. Generous financial aid is available in the form of graduate student stipends and tuition scholarships.
Application Documents and Materials
Notre Dame uses an online application.
A complete application consists of the following:
- A statement of purpose and C.V.
- Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended
- For all non-native speakers of English, TOEFL scores
- Three letters of recommendation
- A fifteen-page writing sample that demonstrates both the ability to assess and engage with secondary scholarship and the ability to work with primary sources in their original languages
Optionally, you may include your GRE scores.
We do not require applicants to have a master's degree. Nonetheless, many students find that they are better prepared for our program after pursuing a graduate degree in another program.
Successful applicants generally have very strong GRE scores, solid training in the medieval world (as shown on their transcripts and in the writing sample), and a sound grasp of medieval and modern languages (as shown on their transcripts; for more information, see Language Requirements).
Applicants should have a strong background in at least one medieval research language (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or Arabic) and at least one modern research language beyond English. Because of our rigorous medieval language exams, we usually only accept students who have already attained at least intermediate proficiency in a medieval research language (Latin, Greek, or Arabic). Other medieval languages such as Old English or Old Norse do not currently fulfill this requirement.
See our Admissions FAQ and the Graduate School for more information about the application process.
Financial Support
Students in the Medieval Institute receive generous funding packages. Highlights include
- Full tuition scholarship
- A stipend for at least five years
- Generous support for travel, research, and conference attendance
- Significant subsidies for health care premiums
- A research support fund
Some students may be awarded premier fellowships from the Graduate School. These fellowship are offered on a competitive basis and provide an increased stipend and other benefits.
Medieval Institute students receiving a stipend serve as teaching or research assistants in years two and three. Other assignments are possible. Students have no service obligation in years one, four, and five.
Our students are also competitive in applying for outside fellowships to study abroad for a year.
For more information on funding, consult the most current MI Graduate Handbook or visit the Graduate School website.