With three semesters left as an undergrad, one of my professors has made an offer to assist with a research paper that I can use as a writing sample for grad school. I'm looking to get my master's in either: Museum Studies, Historic Preservation, or Material Culture Studies. I would like to work in a museum as a curator. I'm having trouble trying to pick a topic. I have the professor for two class and he said I could do the paper for either class (it's not mandatory). The classes are Medieval History and Russian History. Because I want to do museum work, I would like to tie that into the paper. The biggest problem I'm having is trying to find a topic with something to prove. He wants a paper that proves something. I'm pretty much open to anything related to Medieval or Russian History and as long as it ties into museum or preservation work.

Also, if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it. I wasn't sure where to put it

Do you have any particular area of medieval studies you're interested in? I'm only asking because historically my interests lie more toward Early Modern Europe and the Renaissance so medieval is a bit out of my expertise.

Otherwise:

a) illuminated manuscripts? I know several museums( the J. paul Getty museum) is famous for its illuminated manuscript collections and it might be a topic to bring up since a lot of them were drawn or commissioned during the medieval period if I remember correctly.

b)specific collections or issues dealing with the preservation or collecting of medieval artifacts

I'm mostly interested in Medieval Europe and Czars of Russia.

I would like to write about something with b. but I don't know what to prove with it. If I say, I think it's important to save these, I don't have a reason why. Same goes with collecting and preservation of Russian artifacts