One traditional area of study is Western Europe, but students are encouraged to work in other cultural areas, such as Byzantine, Islamic, East Asian, Judaic or Slavic cultures. It is also recommended that concentrators take during their freshman or sophomore year the introductory course, Medieval Perspectives. Other courses that can be applied to the concentration in Medieval Cultures are listed below.
Program in Medieval Studies
Medieval Cultures Track
Medieval Cultures focuses on the sixth through the fifteenth centuries and combines interdisciplinary perspectives on this period with an in-depth study of one or two related disciplines.
Medieval Cultures Track
Medieval Cultures focuses on the sixth through the fifteenth centuries and combines interdisciplinary perspectives on this period with an in-depth study of one or two related disciplines.
Requirements
Ten courses approved by the Program in Medieval Studies, including two courses in medieval history and one 1000- or 2000- level course that uses primary texts in a medieval language. Interested students are invited to discuss their plans with an appropriate faculty member of the Program. A concentration proposal should be prepared in consultation with the faculty adviser and submitted to the Program Director for approval.
Honors
Honors are awarded to students who, in addition to completing the required courses, present a meritorious honors thesis. The thesis permits students to synthesize various disciplines or interests or to pursue a new interest in greater depth. To be eligible for Honors, students must complete a minimum of six approved courses in Medieval Studies by the end of their third year with more grades of A than B. Students should apply for admission to Honors and should meet with their faculty adviser(s) no later than spring of the junior year to plan the thesis project. Accepted candidates write the thesis in a two-semester course sequence under the supervision of a director and second reader drawn from the Medieval Studies faculty.
The Medieval Studies DUG is group of concentrators that plans events and activities intended to build a sense of community within the Medieval Studies concentration.
Select concentration programs pursued by former students provide insight into the mix of courses concentrators have taken in the past.
Late Antique Cultures centers on the third through the ninth centuries inclusive and studies human activity in all its variety unrestricted by the conventional demarcations of “classical” and “medieval.”