University of York medieval studies students recognised at graduation awards

University of York students were celebrated at a graduation ceremony earlier this month.

Multiple prizes were awarded to MA Medieval Studies students for coursework and dissertations.

Topics ranged from Viking poetry to transgender experiences in the Middle Ages.

Students from the University of York’s Centre for Medieval Studies were recognised for their academic achievements earlier this month, as the university celebrated its 2024/25 graduates and prize winners.

The ceremony took place on 8 January, marking the graduation of the latest MA cohort and the announcement of several subject-specific awards within the MA in Medieval Studies programme.

Garmonsway Coursework Prize

The Garmonsway Coursework Prize is awarded to the student or students with the highest coursework average across the MA in Medieval Studies class.

This year’s prize was awarded jointly to Nora Besley and Mallory Moss, recognising consistently high performance across their assessed work during the degree.

Garmonsway Dissertation Prize

The Garmonsway Dissertation Prize is awarded to the student with the highest scoring MA dissertation.

The 2025 prize was awarded to Naoki Matsumoto for their dissertation ‘In a bind: the Krakow student, the Melk reform and the transgender experience in the Middle Ages.’

The project was recognised for its academic quality and original engagement with medieval sources and themes.

Olivia Toubkin Prize for Old Norse studies

The Olivia Toubkin Prize is awarded each year for the highest scoring essay on an Old Norse topic, specifically within the Viking Poetry module.

This year’s prize was awarded to Jessica Sherburn, recognising excellence in research and analysis within Old Norse literature and culture.

Richard III Prize

The Richard III Prize is awarded for the best MA dissertation on a fifteenth-century medieval topic relating to the British Isles or Western Europe.

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The 2025 winner was Beth Harckham-Edwards, for her disseration ‘The lost tomb of Earl Thomas Beauchamp II and Countess Margaret Ferrers of Warwick, St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Warwick.’

The dissertation was praised for its focus on late medieval history and its contribution to the study of burial, memory, and material culture.

The awards highlight the breadth of research undertaken by students at the Centre for Medieval Studies, with topics covering gender history, Viking poetry, religious reform and late medieval archaeology.

The Centre, which brings together staff and students from across disciplines at the University of York, is internationally recognised for its teaching and research in medieval history, literature and culture.

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