Hi, I am finishing off a masters degree in medieval history, and have an idea for a phd. My question is, would I need to be proficient in Latin? I have been fortunate in my masters to find English translations of most of the sources I'm looking at, but I'm guessing for a phd I would need to study a greater range of materials. My Latin is almost non-existent, though I am considering doing a course in Latin before applying for a phd.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

My medieval historian friends are all doing latin courses and spend a lot of time translating, depends what particular area though I suppose. Can't hurt though, can it?

(Disclaimer - I'm not a medieval historian)
Yes, there will come a time when the source you need has not yet been translated. Also, the quality of existing translations/editions can vary, and you might well want to consult the manuscripts yourself.

With some Phd programmes you can do a module in Latin during the first year as part of research training - might be worth looking into as an alternative to taking time out beforehand to learn it?

but don't forget that you may still need someone to translate it for you as the latin you learn may not be the latin of the material , so although it amy help you with some things, others may well be too difficult. personally I hated latin and never got on with it at all, so maybe I'm biased