Medieval & Early Modern Studies (Interdisciplinary Minor)
The medieval & early modern studies (MEMS) minor provides students with an intellectual platform for articulating complex connections among the histories, literatures and cultures of a crucial era in global history. Courses in the minor explore cultural change in the medieval and early modern world (from the fall of Rome in 450 CE to about 1800), tracing the influences of various disciplines on past and current methods of inquiry. A central goal of the minor is to acknowledge differences and continuities between the medieval and modern worlds, and to broaden students' perspectives of the pre-modern world by including coursework beyond Christian Europe, such as Pre-Columbian Art & Architecture (AR 267) or Cultural History of China & Japan (HI 345).
The minor consists of 19 credits in departments across the university, including English, history, music, art, theology, theatre, and world languages. Students will study these fields and time periods using interdisciplinary approaches, culminating in a one-credit Senior Capstone that synthesizes the minor into a thoughtful narrative portfolio.
Requirements for Medieval & Early Modern Studies Minor (19) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Note: No more than six lower-division credits may count toward this minor. | ||
| 1. CULTURE IN CONTEXT (3 credits) | 3 | |
| Renaissance and Baroque Art | ||
| Medieval Art | ||
or AR 364 | History of Medieval Art | |
| Mayan, Aztec, Inca Art and Power | ||
| Heaven on Earth in Byzantine Art | ||
or | ||
or AR 370 | Heaven on Earth in Byzantine Art | |
| Spanish Culture and Civilization | ||
| Gender and Identity Formation in Latin America | ||
| History of Christianity | ||
| History of Theatre I | ||
| Classical and Early Christian Sites in Greece | ||
| 2. LITERATURE IN CONTEXT (6 credits) | 6 | |
| Arthurian Literature | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Medieval Women Writers | ||
| French Literature before 1800 | ||
| Chaucer and Medieval Literature | ||
| Beowulf & Beyond | ||
| British Literature Before 1800 | ||
| Arthurian Legends & The Holy Grail | ||
| Arthurian Literature | ||
| Survey of Spanish Literature I | ||
| Don Quixote | ||
| 3. HISTORY (6 credits) | 6 | |
| The Pacific World | ||
| Cultural History of China and Japan | ||
| Medieval Russia: Mongols and Madmen | ||
| Roman Empire | ||
| The Crusades | ||
| History of Buddhism | ||
| European Myths of Identity | ||
| Holy War in Europe | ||
| Women in the Early Modern World | ||
| 4. ONE MORE COURSE from the lists above, or any course on medieval or early modern studies offered in History, English or other departments. (3 credits) | 3 | |
| Note: Examples of other courses that could fulfill this requirement if those departments approve: | ||
| Renaissance and Baroque Art | ||
| Medieval Art | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Spanish American Narrative & History | ||
| History of Theatre I | ||
| 5. SENIOR PORTFOLIO FOR MEMS (1 credit) | 1 | |
| Medieval and Early Modern Studies Senior Portfolio | ||
Courses
| AR 261 | Renaissance and Baroque Art | 3 |
| AR 361 | Renaissance and Baroque Art | 3 |
| AR 261H | Renaissance and Baroque Art in Italy | 3 |
| AR 264 | Medieval Art | 3 |
| EL 207 | British Literature Before 1800 | 3 |
| EL 226H | Arthurian Legends and the Holy Grail | 3 |
| EL 238 | Arthurian Literature | 3 |
| EL 247 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| EL 335W | Medieval Women Writers | 3 |
| EL 336W | French Literature Before 1800 | 3 |
| EL 338 | Arthurian Literature | 3 |
| HI 102 | The Pacific World | 3 |
| HI 110 | Pilgrimage: Mediev Pract & Contemp World Medieval Practice in the Contemporary World | 3 |
| HI 202 | Roman Empire | 3 |
| HI 204 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HI 250 | History of Buddhism | 3 |
| HI 251 | History & Culture of Rome | 3 |
| HI 315 | Medieval Europe | 3 |
| HI 328 | European Myths of Identity | 3 |
| HI 345 | Cultural History of China and Japan | 3 |
| HI 348 | Medieval Islam | 3 |
| HI 364 | Medieval Russia: Mongols and Madmen | 3 |
| HI 425W | Holy War in Europe | 3 |
| HI 438W | Women in the Early Modern World | 3 |
| SN 403W | Survey of Spanish American Literature I | 3 |
| SN 427HW | Gender and Identity Formation in Latin America | 3 |
| SN 465WH | Don Quixote | 3 |
| SN 420 | Spanish Culture and Civilization | 3 |
| SN 450 | Spanish American Narrative & History | 3 |
| TH 220 | Demonology in Ancient and Modern Christianity | 3 |
| TH 255 | Reading the Bible Through the Centuries | 3 |
| TH 359 | Classical and Early Christian Sites in Greece | 3 |
| TH 363 | Monasticism: Old and New | 3 |
| TH 315 | History of Christianity | 3 |
| EL 498 | Senior Portfolio | 1 |
| EMS 497 | Medieval and Early Modern Studies Senior Portfolio | 1 |
Director, Medieval & Early Modern Studies
BENDI BENSON SCHRAMBACH