Director's Message

Welcome to the Medieval Studies Minor!

In our program, we encourage students to combine their interests in the Middle Ages - European and Global - with a well-rounded academic background in the foundational courses that make up this interdisciplinary program. You’ll be able to handle medieval manuscript pages and cuneiform tablets, delve into the origins of the Christian-Islamic conflict, look at the ways in which Oriental culture entered the West through trade and warfare, understand the religious origins of our current political and gender perceptions, and study art, music, literature, philosophy, and much, much more. And of course, you can indulge your love of costuming, food, performance, weaponry, recreation, and gaming through both classroom and social activities.

Many of our minors have participated in undergraduate research and presented their work at scholarly conferences, which has helped them with graduate school applications and scholarships as well. If you’re interested in the Middle Ages - whatever your perception of them may be - then please join us!  If you have any questions about the minor, please feel free to contact me by phone (803/323-4557), e-mail (kosterj@winthrop.edu), or in one of my offices (Bancroft G07 or 228), or talk to any of the other faculty members on the MDST committee.

Best wishes,

Dr. Jo Koster
Director, Medieval Studies Program 
Professor, Department of English