What constraints are there in choosing a topic and angle for an MA dissertation or, subsequently, a PhD thesis?
Graduate students in Medieval Studies at Queen’s have considerable freedom regarding their research. Having developed your research interests through the taught modules on offer (and an optional independent study module), you will be well-equipped to formulate a dissertation topic that engages these interests. Furthermore, your dissertation will have an element of original research which has the potential to contribute to existing scholarship. While you should be able to locate this research within the peer-reviewed domain of Medieval Studies, there are few restrictions on both the content and structure of the work. Throughout the early stages of your dissertation or thesis, you will work with your supervisor(s) to delimit the scope of your project and ensure both its manageability and its original character. The methodological approaches you take in your work will often be foregrounded, and might range from codicology (the study of manuscripts and books) to literary criticism, history
