York Minster Studentship
This studentship will provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to undertake a placement with York Minster, one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals. See below for further details about this studentship research project.
York Minster is the mother church of the Northern Province and the Cathedral for the Diocese of York. It is a centre for Christian life in the North of England and is one of the most iconic and famous buildings in the United Kingdom.
York Minster has been a place of prayer and pilgrimage for almost 1,400 years and worship is still at the heart of Minster life. It is also a gothic masterpiece in stone and stained glass. It is a magnet that draws people to visit the City of York and is a defining symbol of the ancient “capital of the North”. Each year around 700,000 people from all over the world come to explore the Minster, and visitor surveys find a high level of satisfaction from their experience. It is one of the centres of York’s lively cultural life, hosting many concerts and exhibitions alongside the daily pattern of worship and prayer.
York Minster’s collections consist of over 300,000 objects, from stained glass, silver and furniture to archaeology, stonework and textiles. The Minster is home to an Accredited Museum, the Undercroft Museum, the largest Cathedral Library in the country with over 90,000 volumes, and archival records and manuscripts dating back a thousand years.
Placement Project - St William of York
The tomb of St William, the patron saint of York, is in the crypt of York Minster. Archbishop of York during the turbulent years of the mid-twelfth century, William fitz Herbert was recognised as a saint in the decades following his death and was formally canonised in 1226. St William’s life and cult has left a lasting legacy at York Minster, including in its stained glass and collections.
2026 will mark 800 years since the canonisation of St William. To support the ways in which York Minster will mark this anniversary, this placement will involve undertaking research and preparatory scoping work for an exhibition. This will include working with archival materials at York Minster Library and Archives, as well as the collection.
Open to students from the Department of History of Art on the MA in History of Art and or a related pathway degree (i.e. Architectural History and Theory/British /Medieval Art and Medievalisms/Modern and Contemporary).
Studentship applications are welcomed from all full-time students, and part-time students in their second year of study, regardless of fee status (Home, EU or Overseas).
Application deadline: Monday 27 January 2025, 12pm GMT
Please send your CV and statement to histart-placements@york.ac.uk from your University of York email address by 12.00 p.m. on Monday 27 January 2025.
You will be required to:
1) Upload your CV.
2) Describe in no more than 500 words your interest in, and suitability for, this partnership opportunity. In particular, we will be looking for:
- your awareness of, interest in and commitment to the period/theme/collection(s) of the partner institution (please note the project outline described above);
- any relevant skills, knowledge and/or experience;
- how you see the award fitting in with and facilitating your career plans.
You are advised to consult the information on this page and the Minster's own website before you apply.
Interviews of short-listed applicants will take place in the week of 3 February 2025.
Please email histart-placements@york.ac.uk if you have any questions.
The placement will be for 3 weeks full-time in May and/or June 2025 (or an equivalent number of days stretched over a longer period of time).
Further details about the studentship research project to be confirmed.
Applications will be viewed by members of the Department of History of Art and shared with staff from York Minster. Applications and any details they contain will not be shared beyond the remit of the project or used for any other purpose.