Medieval Studies
Program Coordinator: Christina von Nolcken, G-B 331, 702-7977
Secretary: Natalie Gillihan, G-B 324, 702-8536
Program of Study
The Committee on Medieval Studies offers two options to undergraduates desiring to use the resources of the University for concentrated studies in the medieval period. Students may elect either to enter a Bachelor of Arts program in medieval studies or to pursue medieval studies in conjunction with another program through the judicious selection of courses.
Program Requirements
The purpose of the B.A. program with concentration in medieval studies is to allow students to become acquainted with a broad range of medieval materials from a variety of perspectives (historical, literary, artistic, theological, and so on) as a preparation for writing a B.A. paper on some aspect of medieval civilization. Students pursue the investigation of the Middle Ages through studies in historical, literary, and adjunct areas. A total of eleven courses is required, including at least three courses basically historical in nature, three courses of linguistic character, and two courses in other disciplines (e.g., art, music, philosophy, and theology). Each student should determine these courses in consultation with the adviser assigned by the program.
Students concentrating in medieval studies are expected to demonstrate competence in reading one language in which a significant body of medieval source material exists. Such competence is demonstrated primarily through the language courses and through the use of source materials in the B.A. paper. Latin is strongly urged for those working in Western materials, but other options, particularly for students interested in Byzantine, Jewish, or Muslim culture, are available. Students should consult the adviser regarding the three-course language requirement, which is to be used both for acquiring language skills, if necessary, beyond the general education requirement and for pursuing the reading of medieval texts.
The program also requires all concentrators to participate in a one-quarter reading and research course with a member of the committee who has agreed to advise them in planning and writing the B.A. paper; students should register for a reading course in this committee member's department. Their completed paper will ordinarily be read by at least two members of the committee representing different academic departments.
Students who wish to pursue medieval studies in conjunction with another program of study should choose their courses in consultation with the program coordinator.
Summary of Requirements
|
3 |
courses in historical studies |
|
3 |
language studies |
|
2 |
adjunct areas |
|
3 |
electives |
|
1 |
reading and research course |
|
- |
B.A. Paper |
|
|
|
| 12 |
Grading. Except for courses taught within the New Collegiate Division, there is no P/N or P/F grading in this concentration.
Honors. Consideration for honors is individually arranged with the program coordinator. For candidacy, a student must have completed a B.A. paper of the highest quality, and have a grade point average of at least 3.0 overall and at least 3.25 within the concentration.
Faculty
MICHAEL I. ALLEN, Assistant Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures and the College
DAVID BEVINGTON, Phyllis Fay Horton Professor in the Humanities; Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature and Comparative Literature, and the College
MICHAEL CAMILLE, Professor, Department of Art History and the College
PAOLO A. CHERCHI, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College
ROBERT DANKOFF, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and the College
ARNOLD DAVIDSON, Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College
FRED M. DONNER, Associate Professor, Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and the College
KATHRYN DUYS, Assistant Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College
CONSTANTIN FASOLT, Associate Professor, Department of History and the College
RACHEL FULTON, Assistant Professor, Department of History and the College
NORMAN GOLB, Ludwig Rosenberger Professor, Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and the College
RICHARD HELLIE, Professor, Department of History and the College; Chairman, Russian Civilization Program in the College
NORMAN W. INGHAM, Professor, Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures; Director, Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies
SAMUEL P. JAFFE, Professor, Department of Germanic Studies and the College
WILLIS JOHNSON, John Nuveen Instructor, the Divinity School
WADAD KADI, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
WALTER E. KAEGI, Professor, Department of History, Division of the Humanities, and the College
MUSTAPHA KAMAL, Instructor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
ROBERT KENDRICK, Associate Professor, Department of Music and the College
JULIUS KIRSHNER, Professor, Department of History and the College
JOEL KRAEMER, Professor, the Divinity School
RALPH LERNER, Professor, Committee on Social Thought and the College
BERNARD MCGINN, Professor, the Divinity School and Committee on General Studies in the Humanities; Program Coordinator, Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion
MARK MILLER, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language & Literature and the College
MICHAEL J. MURRIN, Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature and Comparative Literature, the Divinity School, and the College
ROBERT S. NELSON, Professor, Department of Art History and the College
Lucy Pick, John Nuveen Instructor, the Divinity School
ANNE WALTERS ROBERTSON, Associate Professor, Department of Music and the College
JAY SCHLEUSENER, Associate Professor, Department of English Language & Literature and the College
LINDA SEIDEL, Professor, Department of Art History and the College
JOSEF STERN, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee on General Studies in the Humanities, and the College
NOEL M. SWERDLOW, Professor, Departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics and History, Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the College
CHRISTINA VON NOLCKEN, Associate Professor, Department of English Language & Literature and the College
ELISSA WEAVER, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College
DONALD WHITCOMB, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
JOHN E. WOODS, Professor, Departments of History and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and the College
Courses
Historical and Civilization Studies
History
Hist 205/305. Byzantine Civilization I. W. Kaegi. Autumn.
Hist 206/306. Byzantine Civilization II. W. Kaegi. Winter.
Hist 218/318. Byzantine Empire, 1025-1453. W. Kaegi. Winter.
Hist 220/320. Europe in the Early Middle Ages. R. Fulton. Winter.
Hist 221/321. Europe in the High Middle Ages. R. Fulton. Spring.
Hist 234. Medieval Law and Society I. J. Kirshner. Autumn.
Hist 235. Medieval Law and Society II. J. Kirshner. Winter.
SocSci 240. Introduction to Russian Civilization I. N. Ingham, R. Hellie. Autumn.
Religious Studies
DivHC 220. Saints in the Medieval World. L. Pick. Autumn.
DivHC 221. Pilgrimage. L. Pick. Spring.
DivHJ 322. The Continuity of Neoplatonism in Islamicate Civilization. J. Kraemer, P. Walker. Winter.
DivHJ 326. Ibn Tufayl's Philosophical Novel, Hayy ibn Yaqzan. J. Kraemer. Autumn.
GS Hum 201. Judaic Civilization II: Rabbinic Judaism from the Mishnah to Maimonides (=Hum 201, JewStd 201). W. Johnson. Winter.
JewStd 479. The Problem of Evil and Providence in Jewish Thought/Philosophy (=Philos 319). J. Kraemer, J. Stern. Winter.
Near Eastern Studies
Arab/I 266/366. Survey of Classical Arabic Literature. M. Kamal. Winter.
NECiv 220. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I (=SocSci 220). W. Kadi. Autumn.
NEHist 286/386. History of the Islamic Middle East I: The Rise of Islam and the Caliphate (ca. 600-1100). F. Donner. Autumn.
NEHist 301. Islamic Origins. PQ: NEHist 286 or NECiv 220. F. Donner. Winter.
NEHist 302. Early Islamic Historical Tradition. PQ: NEHist 301 and reading knowledge of Arabic. F. Donner. Spring.
Language Studies
Classical Languages and Literatures
Latin 256/356. Latin Historical Writers: Caesar to the Epitomators. M. Allen. Winter.
Latin 260/360. Latin Palaeography I (to A.D. 1000). M. Allen. Winter.
English
Eng 149/349. Old English (=German 310). C. von Nolcken. Autumn.
Eng 152/352. The Monsters and the Manuscript: The Other Texts in the Beowulf Manuscript. PQ: Eng 149 or equivalent. S. Kim. Winter.
Eng 153/353. Arthurian Romance. M. Murrin. Autumn.
Eng 155. Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (=Fndmtl 257). C. von Nolcken. Winter.
Eng 156. Medieval English Literature. M. Miller. Spring.
Germanic Studies
German 324. Introduction to Middle High German and Early New High German Texts and Cultures (=LngLn 350). PQ: Knowledge of New High German. S. Jaffe. Autumn.
German 374. Faust: Three Variations. S. Jaffe. Winter.
Romance Languages and Literatures
French 311. Les Chansons de Geste. P. Dembowski. Winter.
French 321. The Middle Ages. K. Duys. Spring.
Ital 131-132-133. Italian through Dante. E. Weaver. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
Ital 207. Letteratura italiana dal Duecento al Quattrocento. F. Nasi. Autumn.
Adjunct Areas
Art History
ArtH 150. Art of the West: The Ancient and Medieval World. L. Seidel. Autumn.
ArtH 176. The Altarpiece. M. Camille. Spring.
ArtH 221/321. Medieval Paris. M. Camille. Spring.
ArtH 226/326. Pious Journeys: Pilgrimage and Devotional Practices of the Later Middle Ages. L. Seidel. Spring.
Music
Music 161. Music, Liturgy, and Art in Sacred Spaces (=ArtH 181, GS Hum 235). A. Robertson. Winter.
