The minor in Medieval Studies (MDST) offers you the opportunity to acquire an understanding of the historical, cultural, and social forces that shaped our world during the Middle Ages.
Whether it’s studying Anglo-Saxon treasure, tracing the development of western Christianity,
or critically examining 15th century French manuscripts, the medieval studies minor
educates students about culture and society from late antiquity to the Renaissance.
A minor in medieval studies is useful preparation for advanced study in many fields,
from history to literature to art to politics, as well as for those students who have
an existing interest in the period. Students study the forms and systems that governments,
organizations, and individuals created to address problems and challenges from the
fifth through the fifteenth centuries.
Explore
Study real manuscripts from the Middle Ages at the archives with medieval studies faculty.
Make Connections
Discover how the Middle Ages informs many aspects of popular culture today, from Sherlock Holmes to Skyrim.
Engage
From on-campus workshops about Viking womens’ crafts to study abroad excursions, get hands-on experience while studying the Middle Ages.
Students in medieval studies can participate in a wide variety of experiences, from studying Winthrop’s collection of medieval manuscript fragments to visiting European castles to intervening at art museums and archaeological sites, gaining global knowledge as they pursue their cultural, historical, and intellectual interests in the Middle Ages. Minors frequently participate in undergraduate research activities that enrich their college experience and better prepare them for their future endeavors. The wide variety of courses and hands-on opportunities in the minor encourage students to:
engage in intensive examination of various material and conceptual aspects of culture
from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance; analyze medieval
culture through multiple disciplines, including literature, philosophy, religion,
political theory, the arts, music, architecture, history, archaeology, and/or language;
demonstrate their understanding of cultural issues in the period from an interdisciplinary
perspective
recognize and articulate both continues and discontinues between the worldviews of
medieval culture and those of our own culture.
The minor consists of 18 credit hours, six hours of which must be numbered above 299. In addition to MDST 300 (Introduction to Medieval Studies), students select additional courses from a list including anthropology, art and architectural history, dance, English, French, history, Latin, religion, theatre, and assorted special topics courses. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of undergraduate research experiences for credit.
MDST 300 (3) Introduction to Medieval Studies
6 hrs from the following list:
ARTH 342 (3) Medieval European Art and Architecture
ENGL 512 (3) Middle English Literature (excluding Chaucer)
HIST 542 (3) Medieval European History
PLSC 351 (3) Ancient and Medieval Political Thought
RELG 316 (3) Christian Thought from Origins to the Reformation
and 9 hrs of additional courses, including additional courses from the list above
or from the following list:
MDST 203 (3) Studies in the Middle Ages
MDST 305 (3) Research in Medieval Studies
MDST 350 (3) Studies in the Middle Ages
MDST 510 (3) Topics in Medieval Studies
ANTH 220 (3) Introduction to Archaeology
ANTH 322 (3) Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
ARTH 175 (3) Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Art
ARTH 342 (3) Medieval European Art and Architecture
DANT 385 (3) Dance Hist: Prim Cultures-19th C.
ENGL 307 (3) The Arthurian Tradition
ENGL 507 (3) History & Development of Modern English
ENGL 511 (3) Chaucer
FREN 550 (3) Medieval French Literature
HIST 112 (3) World Civilizations from 950-1750
HIST 346 (3) History of England to 1603
HIST 542 (3) Medieval European History
LATN 101 (3) Elementary Latin I
LATN 102 (3) Elementary Latin II
LATN 201 (3) Intermediate Latin
RELG 220 (3) Reading Biblical Texts
RELG 313 (3) Introd to Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
RELG 314 (3) New Testament
THRT 385 (3) Theatre History and Literature
Topics courses in ARTH, ARTT, DANT, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, MUST, PHIL, RELG, SPAN,
THRT, and WMST, and MLAN 330 or MLAN 530 may be included if they address an appropriate
topic.
Coordinator
Dr. Gregory Bell
bellgd@winthrop.edu
366 Bancroft
803/323-4674
