Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Director
Ineke Murakami, Ph.D.
Department of English

The purpose of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program is to give students broad, multidisciplinary training in the history and culture of Europe from late antiquity through the early modern period. As an Interdisciplinary Studies major with a faculty-initiated concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and as a minor, the program offers a wide range of courses and serves as a guide for anyone with a special interest in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The major is especially recommended as a second major for anyone considering going on to graduate study in some aspect of medieval and/or early modern studies.

Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

General Program B.A.:

A minimum of 36 credits: 9 credits from the core courses, 3 credits in Art History, 3 credits in History, 3 credits in Literature and Cultures, 3 credits in Philosophy, 3 credits in Global Perspectives, and 12 elective credits from courses listed or specially approved by the Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. In the case of courses marked “approval required,” the Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies will determine appropriateness on a case-by-case basis. Courses that conform to the intent and content of the program but are not listed below may be counted towards fulfilling the requirements upon approval by the program director.

Majors are encouraged to have an elementary reading ability in Latin. In addition, it is strongly recommended that majors acquire at least an elementary reading ability in one modern Western language other than English.

Core courses: 9 credits

  • A ARH 331 Monks, Monarchs, and Medieval Art
  • A ARH 342 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1450-1600
  • A ENG 330 Literature of the Middle Ages
  • A ENG 331 Literature of the Earlier Renaissance
  • A ENG 332 Literature of the Later Renaissance
  • A HIS 235 Early and Medieval Christianity
  • A HIS 336 History of the Early Middle Ages
  • A HIS 337 The High Middle Ages
  • A HIS 338 The Italian Renaissance, 1300-1530
  • A HIS 339 Renaissance and Reformation in 16th Century Europe
  • A HIS 346 The History of England I
  • A PHI 311 History of Medieval Philosophy

Art and Music courses: 3 credits

  • A ARH 230 The Art of Medieval Knighthood
  • A ARH 275 Medieval Visual Perspectives on Life, Death, and Cultural Conflict
  • A ARH 303 Artistic Encounters in the Early Medieval World
  • A ARH 332 Gothic Art and Architecture
  • A ARH 442 Early Painting of the Netherlands
  • A ARH 499Y Research Seminar in Art History (approval required)
  • A MUS 230 Music History I
  • A MUS 287 University Chamber Singers (approval required)

History courses: 3 credits

  • A HIS 391 Topics in European History (approval required)
  • A HIS 463 The Byzantine Empire 300-1453

Literatures and Cultures courses: 3 credits*

  • A ENG 291 British Literary Traditions I       
  • A ENG 342 Study of an Author or Authors before the Mid-18th Century
  • A ENG 346 Studies in Shakespeare    
  • A ENG/A WSS 362 Critical Approaches to Gender and Sexuality in Literature (when appropriate; approval required)
  • A ENG/A WSS 368 Women Writers (when appropriate; approval required)
  • A ENG 411 Topics in British Literature and Culture (when appropriate; approval required)       
  • A FRE 202 French Literature (when appropriate; approval required)
  • A FRE 455 Life and Letters (when appropriate; approval required; taught in French)
  • A HIS/A JST/A REL 253 Medieval & Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians
  • A ITA 315 Italian Civilization: From the Etruscans to Galileo     
  • A ITA 441 Women, Men, Love, and Politics of the Italian Renaissance
  • A MRS 497 Independent Study and Research in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (approval required)
  • A SPN 311 Hispanic Literature through the Golden Age
  • A SPN 482 Cervantes

*In addition to the courses listed, appropriate genre or topics courses offered by the English Department will also be accepted, with the approval of the Director of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program.

Philosophy courses: 3 credits

  • A PHI 311 History of Medieval Philosophy
  • A PHI 312 Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Philosophy

Global Perspectives courses: 3 credits       

  • A EAC/A HIS 471 Change in Medieval China
  • A EAS 478 The Silk Road
  • A HIS/A JST/A REL 253 Medieval & Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians

NB: Latin is not required, but is strongly recommended.

Honors Program

Honors students will take a structured sequence of coursework focusing upon the main areas of study offered in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies curriculum.

Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies - Honors Curriculum (36 credits)

General Program B.A.:

A minimum of 36 credits: 3 credits in Art History, 3 credits in English, 3 credits in History, 18 credits in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 9 honors credits as advised by the Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Art History courses: 3 credits

  • A ARH 331 Monks, Monarchs, and Medieval Art
  • A ARH 342 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1450-1600

English courses: 3 credits

  • A ENG 330 Literature of the Middle Ages
  • A ENG 331 Literature of the Earlier Renaissance
  • A ENG 332 Literature of the Later Renaissance

History courses: 3 credits 

  • A HIS 235 Early and Medieval Christianity
  • A HIS 336 History of the Early Middle Ages
  • A HIS 337 The High Middle Ages
  • A HIS 338 The Italian Renaissance, 1300-1530
  • A HIS 339 Renaissance and Reformation in 16th Century Europe
  • A HIS 346 The History of England I

Medieval and Renaissance Studies electives: 18 credits

Art History

  • A ARH 230 The Art of Medieval Knighthood
  • A ARH 275 Medieval Visual Perspectives on Life, Death, and Cultural Conflict
  • A ARH 303 Artistic Encounters in the Early Medieval World
  • A ARH 331 Monks, Monarchs, and Medieval Art
  • A ARH 332 Gothic Art and Architecture
  • A ARH 342 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1450-1600
  • A ARH 442 Early Painting of the Netherlands
  • A ARH 499Y Research Seminar in Art History (when appropriate, approval required)

East Asian       

  • A EAC/A HIS 471 Change in Medieval China

English

  • A ENG 330 Literature of the Middle Ages
  • A ENG 331 Literature of the Earlier Renaissance
  • A ENG 332 Literature of the Later Renaissance
  • A ENG 341 Chaucer
  • A ENG 342 Study of an Author or Authors before the Mid-18th Century
  • A ENG 346 Studies in Shakespeare       
  • A ENG/A WSS 362 Critical Approaches to Gender and Sexuality in Literature (when appropriate; approval required)
  • A ENG/A WSS 368 Women Writers (when appropriate; approval required)
  • A ENG 411 Topics in British Literature and Culture (when appropriate; approval required)

French       

  • A FRE 202 French Literature (when appropriate; approval required)
  • A FRE 455 Life and Letters (when appropriate; approval required; taught in French)

History

  • A HIS 235 Early and Medieval Christianity
  • A HIS/A JST/A REL 253 Medieval & Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians
  • A HIS 336 History of the Early Middle Ages
  • A HIS 337 The High Middle Ages
  • A HIS 338 The Italian Renaissance, 1300-1530
  • A HIS 339 Renaissance and Reformation in 16th Century Europe
  • A HIS 346 The History of England I
  • A HIS 391 Advanced Topics in European History
  • A HIS 463 The Byzantine Empire, 300-1453

Italian

  • A ITA 315 Italian Civilization: From the Etruscans to Galileo
  • A ITA 441 Women, Men, Love, and Politics of the Italian Renaissance

Judaic Studies

  • A HIS/A JST/A REL 253: Medieval & Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians

Music

  • A MUS 230 Music History I
  • A MUS 287 University Chamber Singers (approval required)

Philosophy

  • A PHI 311 History of Medieval Philosophy
  • A PHI 312 17th and 18th Century Philosophy

Religious Studies

  • A HIS/A JST/A REL 253: Medieval & Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians

Spanish

  • A SPN 311 Hispanic Literature through the Golden Age
  • A SPN 482 Cervantes

Departmental Offerings

  • A MRS 298 Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
  • A MRS 398 Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
  • A MRS 497 Independent Study and Research in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (approval required)

Honors courses: 9 credits as advised

The research project is the focus of the Honors Program and must draw upon at least two of the fields offered in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program. In addition, it must have at least two of the following features: use of primary resources; research conducted in a language other than English; production of an annotated bibliography to develop a historiographic analysis. In the final semester of her or his senior year, the student will present the project formally to an Honors Committee composed of selected members of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies faculty. The student will also produce a major paper on the research project, which will be evaluated by the project’s faculty supervisor and another reader from one of the disciplines represented in the project.

Selection:

The student should have declared the Interdisciplinary Studies major with a faculty-initiated concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and completed at least 12 credits in the major. Her or his overall grade point average must be at least 3.25, with a grade point average of at least 3.50 in courses for the major. To be considered, interested students should submit a letter of intent to the director of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program. Students may apply beginning in the spring semester of the sophomore year through April of the junior year.