The Licence in Mediaeval Studies (LMS), the Institute’s post-doctoral academic programme, was initiated in 1998–1999. Four applicants from Canada, the United States, and Europe were accepted in the charter year: Harald Anderson, Kathleen G. Cushing, Barry Graham, and Thomas Falmagne. Since then, the programme continues to attract a broad range of scholars working in medieval studies.

Admission
Applicants for the Institute’s Licence in Mediaeval Studies must have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree at a recognized institution. The degree should have been approved (if not awarded formally) normally within the previous five years. Candidates should submit a proposal indicating the nature of the research which they would undertake at the Institute and letters of support from two scholars who are familiar with their work, along with a curriculum vitae and an official transcript (where applicable) of their graduate studies. Publications may be submitted as well, if desired. Consideration will be given to the candidate’s academic record as well as to the weight and appropriateness of the research proposal. Candidates will be expected to come prepared with the languages needed to deal with original sources in their field of study. English will be the language of instruction and discussion.

On admission, the candidate will have the status of Research Fellow, and an Academic Advisor will be appointed from among the Fellows of the Institute. On submission of a completed research project deemed suitable for publication by the Institute Council, the candidate will be eligible for the degree of Licence in Mediaeval Studies. The finished research project must be submitted within two years after initial registration in the Licence programme.

Programme
The programme will consist of the mandatory Interdisciplinary Research Seminar, in which all candidates will participate along with Institute Fellows, Mellon Fellows, and other interested scholars, including those from the Graduate Faculty of the University of Toronto. Meetings of the seminar are listed on the Calendar. There are no further course requirements. The object of the programme is to provide optimum opportunity for the development of the candidate’s personal research in the context of the Institute’s library resources and the interdisciplinary nature of the traditional Licence programme at the Pontifical Institute. The candidate should bear this in mind and envisage the development of the proposed project accordingly. This development will be accomplished through the scholarly exchange of the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar and through personal contact with Fellows of the Institute. The content of the Seminar will depend from year to year on the needs and interests of those participating, but the governing principle will be to incorporate into the established research interests of each Research Fellow the various disciplines and interdisciplinary approaches which have characterized the Institute’s scholarly traditions from its inception.

Financial Assistance
The following Fellowships are available for candidates in the LMS programme: the Michael Sheehan Fellowship (for candidates working in the area of history or law); the Synan Fellowship (mediaeval philosophy or theology); and the Sloan Fellowship (the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and/or Christian theology). Monies awarded to applicants will be at the discretion of the Committee on Associates and Awards. Grants to cover tuition are likewise available on application. Candidates for the Licence should complete the Request for Financial Aid, attached to the Licence application (see below).

Facilities and Residential Accommodation
Candidates for the Licence will be provided with a private study and full access to the facilities of the Institute Library. The Institute cannot provide residential accommodation, but applicants may apply to the Secretary of the Institute for information about accommodation in the vicinity. Applicants are encouraged to consult the University of Toronto’s student housing website. All candidates for the Licence have access to the facilities of the University of Toronto. A brief guide, by way of orientation, is available elsewhere on this site.

Applications
The Licence application form is now available for easy downloading as an Acrobat (PDF) document. Copies are also available from the Registrar, Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 59 Queen’s Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C4. Applicants may also contact Barbara North, Institute secretary, for further information (phone 416 926 7142; fax 416 926 7292). The deadline for applications every academic year is 15 March. Council’s decision will be issued not later than 30 April. A tuition fee of $2,500 will be charged. As described above, grants are available to cover tuition.

Application may initially be made for a period of one year. In only very exceptional circumstances, may the Research Fellowship be extended for a second year. In that event, the applicant will be expected to request renewal at an appropriate time and submit a report on work done to date. Assessment will take into account the quality of the candidates’ work and of their regular contribution to the Research Seminar and the ongoing scholarly discourse of the Institute community.