Office of the Registrar
Faculty of Arts (2009/2010)
8.23 Medieval Studies

Program Supervisor: Dr. S. McGrath, Department of Philosophy

A multi-disciplinary program in Medieval Studies is offered for candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts; it may be taken only as a second Major program in conjunction with a disciplinary Major, or as a Minor program.

The objective of the program is the integrated study through core courses of a historical and cultural period, the Middle Ages, here defined as the period between Antiquity and the Modern Age. Such an approach, coordinating the methods and subjects of several disciplines, mirrors the pluralistic and interreligious framework of the age and provides context for the study of a student's first Major.

8.23.1 Major Program

Students majoring in Medieval Studies shall discuss their program with the Program Supervisor or delegate.

Students electing Medieval Studies as their second Major shall complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in courses which shall include the following:

  1. Medieval Studies 2000 and either Medieval Studies 2001 or Medieval Studies 2002

  2. Six credit hours from Medieval Studies 3000, 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, 3005 and 3006.

  3. Six credit hours in courses at the 4000 level chosen from either Medieval Studies 4000-4020 or List A.

  4. Classics 1120 and 1121.

  5. An additional 12 credit hours in courses either from the Course List or on List A below normally to include at least 6 credit hours taken in courses at the 3000 level or above. Additional courses may be chosen in consultation with the Program Supervisor.

  6. No more than 6 credit hours in courses counted for a student's first major may be counted towards the Major in Medieval Studies.

8.23.2 Minor Program

Students pursuing a minor in Medieval Studies shall discuss their program with the Program Supervisor or delegate.

Students electing Medieval Studies as a Minor shall complete a minimum of 24 credit hours in courses which shall include the following:

  1. Medieval Studies 2000 and either Medieval Studies 2001 or Medieval Studies 2002

  2. Six credit hours from Medieval Studies 3000, 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, 3005 and 3006.

  3. Three credit hours in courses at the 4000 level chosen from either Medieval Studies 4000-4020 or List A.

  4. An additional 9 credit hours in courses either from the Course Descriptions or from List A below, normally to include at least 3 credit hours taken in courses at the 3000 level or above. Additional courses may be chosen in consultation with the Program Supervisor.

  5. No more than 3 credit hours in courses counted for a student's major may be counted towards the Minor in Medieval Studies.

8.23.3 List A: Other Courses Approved For Inclusion in Medieval Studies Major and Minor Programs Subject to the Foregoing Regulations

Not all these courses may be offered each year; students should check with departments with regard to availability and prerequisites.

2000 level courses or equivalent

3000 level courses

4000 level courses

Archaeology 2480

Biology 4270

Classics 1120

English 3021

Classics 4271

Classics 1121

English 3500

Classics 1130

English 3501

English 4500

Classics 1131

English 3600

English 4501

Classics 2200

English 3700

English 4600

Classics 2205

  • French/Linguistics 3302

English 4601

Classics 2300

German 3911

German 4300

Classics 2305

History 3011-3020

German 4301

English 2110

History 3780

History 4000-4010

English 2600

Linguistics 3500

English 2601

  • Religious Studies 3591

French 2550

German 2900

German 2910

History 2320 (same as MST 2001)

History 2330 (same as MST 2002)

Linguistics 2500

Music 1002

Music 2005

Religious Studies 2130

Russian 2900

8.23.4 Course Descriptions

In accordance with Senate's Policy Regarding Inactive Courses, the course descriptions for courses which have not been offered in the previous three academic years and which are not scheduled to be offered in the current academic year have been removed from the following listing. For information about any of these inactive courses, please contact the Head of the Department.

Medieval Studies courses are designated by MST.

2000

The Cultural Legacy of the Middle Ages

will survey the formative cultures of the Middle Ages - Latin, Celtic, Arabic - as well as the rise of the new vernacular cultures, Germanic and Romance. Literary trends such as the reliance on authority, the emergence of national epic and the development of court literature will be studied. The course examines the interplay of all the arts - literature, music, art and architecture.

2001

Medieval Europe to 1050

(same as History 2320) is a survey of the economic, social, political and cultural developments of the early Middle Ages.

Note:

Credit may be obtained for only one of MST 2001 or History 2320.

2002

Medieval Europe, 1050 to the Reformation

(same as History 2330) is a survey of the economic, social, political and cultural developments of Europe in the high and late Middle Ages.

Note:

Credit may be obtained for only one of MST 2002 or History 2330.

3000

Medieval Books

(same as English 3002, History 3000, Religious Studies 3000) is an examination of the development and role of the manuscript book during the Middle Ages. Topics covered will include book production and dissemination; authors, scribes and audiences; and various kinds of books (e.g. glossed Bibles, anthologies, books of hours, etc.) and their uses.

Prerequisite: MST 2000, 2001 or 2002 or permission of the instructor.

Notes:

  1. MST 3000 may be substituted for a Greek and Roman Studies course in both the Classics degree programs (Honours, Joint Honours and general degree) and the Greek and Roman Studies degree programs (Honours, Joint Honours and general degree).

  2. Credit may be obtained for only one of MST 3000, English 3002, History 3000 or Religious Studies 3000.

3001

Art, Architecture and Medieval Life

(same as History 3020, Archaeology 3001, Folklore 3001) is an examination of the development of medieval art and architecture and of the ways in which they mirror various aspects of life in the Middle Ages. The course will include a discussion of art and architecture in the countryside, in the town, in the castle, in the cathedral and in the cloister.

Prerequisite: MST 2000, 2001 or 2002 or permission of the instructor.

Notes:

  1. It is recommended, but not obligatory, that students should have successfully completed one of the following courses: Archaeology 2480, Folklore 1000 or 2000, History 2320, MST 2001, History 2330, MST 2002, MST 2000.

  2. Credit may be obtained for only one of MST 3001, History 3020, Archaeology 3001, or Folklore 3001.

3002

Folklore in Medieval Society

- inactive course.

3003

Christian Thought in the Middle Ages

(same as Religious Studies 3560) is a study of the development of Christianity in the West from the eleventh century to the eve of the Reformation, through an examination of its principal thinkers and the most significant societal forces and events: the crusades, the universities, monasticism, religious dissent, and mysticism.

Note:

Credit may be obtained for only one of MST 3003 or Religious Studies 3560.

3004

Medieval Philosophy

- inactive course.

3005

Medieval Latin

- inactive course.

3006

Women Writers in the Middle Ages

(same as Women's Studies 3001 and English 3006) will study selections from the considerable corpus of women's writings in the Medieval period, as well as issues which affected women's writing. All selections will be read in English translation.

Note:

Credit may be obtained for only one of MST 3006, Women's Studies 3001, English 3006 and the former MST 3351.

3710-3729

Special Topics in Medieval Studies

is available only as part of the Harlow Campus Semester.

4000-4020

Special Topics in Medieval Studies

are seminars on such general, interdisciplinary or comparative subjects as, e.g., Popular Culture in the Middle Ages, The Medieval Stage, The Medieval Court, The Religious Orders, Women in Medieval Society, Medieval Universities, Scholasticism, Dante's Divine Comedy, Medieval Historiography, Arthurian Romance, Jewish Medieval Communities, Muslim Art and Architecture and The Byzantine World.

Prerequisite: MST 3000 or 3001 or permission of the instructor.