A 10th-century diagram depicting the interconnections between aspects of the world.

Medieval and Renaissance Studies examines the global cultures and kingdoms that flourished from ca. 250–1700 CE. The minor encourages students to deepen their understanding of the people of Europe, Byzantium, and the Muslim world from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance. We compare these societies in terms of power, identity, belief, and representation.

A 10th-century diagram depicting the interconnections between aspects of the world.

About Medieval and Renaissance Studies

The Medieval and Renaissance Studies Minor encourages students interested in the cultures and polities that flourished from (ca. 250-CE-1700) to deepen their understanding of these worlds through an interdisciplinary program of study. Heirs to ancient empires and creators of complex cultures, societies in northern Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and areas of Asia and Africa offer fascinating opportunities to watch communities and cultures coping with timeless problems of power, identity, meaning and belief. Students explore these topics through written, archaeological, material, and visual evidence in pursuit of a rich, multi-dimensional understanding of other peoples and other worlds. The minor is open to students in ANY major who wish to expand their knowledge of this important and fascinating period of human history and all of the cultures and connections that contributed.

A total of 42 credits (usually 7 courses) is required for the minor: 18 credits in “Core” courses, 18 credits in “Supporting” courses; and a capstone seminar. In addition to the capstone seminars listed below, students may count — with prior approval of both the course instructor and the minor coordinators — another advanced course (at the 200 or 300 level) as a capstone course provided that the minor pursues a substantial interdisciplinary research project on a topic within the period covered by the minor.

Optional Off-Campus Programs

Off-campus study can be an important part of the minor. Students interested in study abroad as part of the concentration are advised to consult with their academic advisers in deciding when to go off-campus and with the minor coordinators to discuss the range of programs available and potential programs of study. Courses taken abroad may count for up to two “core” courses (12 credits) and two “supporting courses” (12 credits).

Requirements for the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Minor

42 credits are required for the minor:

I. Core Courses (3 courses/18 credits required):

  • ARBC 185: The Creation of Classical Arabic Literature
  • ARCN 246: Archaeological Methods & Lab
  • ARTH 101: Introduction to Art History I
  • ARTH 102: Introduction to Art History II
  • ARTH 155: Islamic Art and Architecture · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 203: Intersectional Medieval Art
  • ARTH 213: The Medieval Book as Art and Object
  • ARTH 235: Revival, Revelation, and Re-animation: The Art of Europe’s “Renaissance” · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 263: Architectural Studies in Europe Program: Prehistory to Postmodernism
  • ARTH 321: Arts of the Chinese Scholar’s Studio
  • ARTH 324: The Sexuality of Jesus Christ · not offered in 2023-24
  • CHIN 258: Classical Chinese Thought: Wisdom and Advice from Ancient Masters · not offered in 2023-24
  • CLAS 124: Roman Archaeology and Art
  • ENGL 114: Introduction to Medieval Narrative · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 144: Shakespeare I
  • ENGL 203: Other Worlds of Medieval English Literature · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 216: Milton · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 244: Shakespeare I
  • ENGL 281: Living London Program: Reading London, Writing London
  • ENGL 285: Textual Technologies from Parchment to Pixel · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 310: Shakespeare II · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 381: Living London Program: Reading London, Writing London
  • HIST 100: Confucius and His Critics
  • HIST 131: Saints and Society in Late Antiquity · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 135: Making and Breaking Institutions in the Middle Ages: Structure, Culture, Corruption, and Reform · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 137: Early Medieval Worlds in Transformation · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 138: Crusades, Mission, and the Expansion of Europe · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 139: Foundations of Modern Europe
  • HIST 150: Politics of Art in Early Imperial China · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 159: Age of Samurai
  • HIST 169: Colonial Latin America
  • HIST 201: Rome Program: Building Power and Piety in Medieval Italy, CE 300-1150 · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 206: Rome Program: The Eternal City in Time: Structure, Change, and Identity · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 231: Mapping the World Before Mercator · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 232: Renaissance Worlds in France and Italy · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 233: The Byzantine World and Its Neighbors, 750-ca. 1453 · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 235: Making and Breaking Institutions: Structure, Culture, Corruption, and Reform in the Middle Ages
  • HIST 236: The Worlds of Hildegard of Bingen
  • HIST 238: The Viking World
  • HIST 243: The Peasants are Revolting! Society and Politics in the Making of Modern France
  • HIST 245: Ireland: Land, Conflict and Memory · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 278: The Aztecs and Their World
  • HIST 289: Gender and Ethics in Late Medieval France · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 331: Regional States: Boundaries and Horizons in Fourteenth-Century Italy · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 332: Image Makers and Breakers in the Premodern World · not offered in 2023-24
  • LATN 243: Medieval Latin · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 111: Introduction to the Qur’an · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 122: Introduction to Islam
  • RELG 162: Jesus, the Bible, and Christian Beginnings
  • RELG 231: From Luther to Kierkegaard
  • RELG 234: Angels, Demons, and Evil
  • RELG 235: Religion and Identity in the Medieval Middle East
  • RELG 278: Semantics of Love in Sufism · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 282: Samurai: Ethics of Death and Loyalty · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 227: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Early Modern Spain · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 301: Greek and Christian Tragedy · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 318: Islamic Spain · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 330: The Invention of the Modern Novel: Cervantes’ Don Quijote · not offered in 2023-24

II. Supporting Courses  (18 credits required):

Note: all courses listed as “core courses” also qualify as “supporting courses.”

  • ARBC 185: The Creation of Classical Arabic Literature
  • ARBC 315: Readings in Premodern Arabic Anthologies · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARBC 387: The One Thousand and One Nights
  • ARCN 111: Archaeology of the Americas
  • ARCN 211: Coercion and Exploitation: Material Histories of Labor · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARCN 222: Experimental Archaeology and Experiential History
  • ARCN 246: Archaeological Methods & Lab
  • ARCN 395: Archaeology: Science, Ethics, Nationalism and Cultural Property
  • ARTH 101: Introduction to Art History I
  • ARTH 102: Introduction to Art History II
  • ARTH 155: Islamic Art and Architecture · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 165: Japanese Art and Culture
  • ARTH 166: Chinese Art and Culture · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 203: Intersectional Medieval Art
  • ARTH 209: Chinese Painting · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 213: The Medieval Book as Art and Object
  • ARTH 235: Revival, Revelation, and Re-animation: The Art of Europe’s “Renaissance” · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 236: Baroque Art
  • ARTH 263: Architectural Studies in Europe Program: Prehistory to Postmodernism
  • ARTH 323: Idolatry · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTH 324: The Sexuality of Jesus Christ · not offered in 2023-24
  • ARTS 117: Living London Program: Visualizing Renaissance England · not offered in 2023-24
  • CHIN 258: Classical Chinese Thought: Wisdom and Advice from Ancient Masters · not offered in 2023-24
  • CLAS 124: Roman Archaeology and Art
  • DGAH 264: Visualizing the Ancient City
  • ENGL 114: Introduction to Medieval Narrative · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 144: Shakespeare I
  • ENGL 203: Other Worlds of Medieval English Literature · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 205: “Passing Strange”: Shakespeare’s Othello and its Modern Afterlives
  • ENGL 206: William Shakespeare: The Henriad
  • ENGL 207: Princes. Poets. Power
  • ENGL 208: The Faerie Queene
  • ENGL 209: Much Ado About Nothing: A Project Course · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 214: Revenge Tragedy · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 219: Global Shakespeare · not offered in 2023-24
  • ENGL 244: Shakespeare I
  • ENGL 310: Shakespeare II · not offered in 2023-24
  • EUST 111: The Age of Cathedrals · not offered in 2023-24
  • GEOL 245: “When the Earth Shook…” Earthquakes in Human History and Lab · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 131: Saints and Society in Late Antiquity · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 136: The Global Middle Ages
  • HIST 137: Early Medieval Worlds in Transformation · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 138: Crusades, Mission, and the Expansion of Europe · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 139: Foundations of Modern Europe
  • HIST 159: Age of Samurai
  • HIST 201: Rome Program: Building Power and Piety in Medieval Italy, CE 300-1150 · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 206: Rome Program: The Eternal City in Time: Structure, Change, and Identity · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 231: Mapping the World Before Mercator · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 232: Renaissance Worlds in France and Italy · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 233: The Byzantine World and Its Neighbors, 750-ca. 1453 · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 235: Making and Breaking Institutions: Structure, Culture, Corruption, and Reform in the Middle Ages
  • HIST 236: The Worlds of Hildegard of Bingen
  • HIST 238: The Viking World
  • HIST 243: The Peasants are Revolting! Society and Politics in the Making of Modern France
  • HIST 245: Ireland: Land, Conflict and Memory · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 246: Making Early Medieval England · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 278: The Aztecs and Their World
  • HIST 288: Reason, Authority, and Love in Medieval France · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 289: Gender and Ethics in Late Medieval France · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 331: Regional States: Boundaries and Horizons in Fourteenth-Century Italy · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 332: Image Makers and Breakers in the Premodern World · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 334: Voyages of Understanding
  • HIST 335: Finding Ireland’s Past
  • IDSC 150: Plague, War and Crisis: Reading Hobbes Reading Thucydides, Books 1-2: Plague and Democracy · not offered in 2023-24
  • IDSC 151: Plague, War, Crisis: Reading Hobbes Reading Thucydides: Books 3-5 Revolt and Revolution · not offered in 2023-24
  • IDSC 152: Plague, War, Crisis: Reading Hobbes Reading Thucydides: Books 6-8 Catastrophe and Coup · not offered in 2023-24
  • LATN 233: The Catilinarian Conspiracy · not offered in 2023-24
  • LATN 234: Julius Caesar: the Gallic and Civil Wars · not offered in 2023-24
  • LATN 255: Biography, History, and Empire in Tacitus’ Agricola · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 194: Chamber Music
  • PHIL 113: The Individual and the Political Community · not offered in 2023-24
  • PHIL 270: Ancient Greek Philosophy
  • PHIL 272: Early Modern Philosophy: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Philosophy
  • POSC 250: Kings, Tyrants, Philosophers: Plato’s Republic
  • POSC 254: Freedom, Excellence, Happiness: Aristotle’s Ethics
  • POSC 354: Freedom, Excellence, Happiness: Aristotle’s Ethics · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 111: Introduction to the Qur’an · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 120: Introduction to Judaism
  • RELG 121: Introduction to Christianity · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 122: Introduction to Islam
  • RELG 152: Religions in Japanese Culture
  • RELG 153: Introduction to Buddhism
  • RELG 155: Hinduism: An Introduction · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 231: From Luther to Kierkegaard
  • RELG 233: Gender and Power in the Catholic Church
  • RELG 235: Religion and Identity in the Medieval Middle East
  • RELG 236: History of Antisemitism · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 237: Yoga: Religion, History, Practice
  • RELG 242: Oh My G*d: Christianity and Sexual Revolutions · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 278: Semantics of Love in Sufism · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 287: Many Marys · not offered in 2023-24
  • RELG 322: Apocalypse How?
  • SPAN 227: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Early Modern Spain · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 301: Greek and Christian Tragedy · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 330: The Invention of the Modern Novel: Cervantes’ Don Quijote · not offered in 2023-24
  • THEA 195: Acting Shakespeare

III. Capstone Seminars (6 credits required):

Please consult with the Program Coordinator regarding the Capstone Seminar/Project Requirement

  • ARCN 395: Archaeology: Science, Ethics, Nationalism and Cultural Property
  • ENGL 381: Living London Program: Reading London, Writing London
  • HIST 331: Regional States: Boundaries and Horizons in Fourteenth-Century Italy · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 332: Image Makers and Breakers in the Premodern World · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 335: Finding Ireland’s Past
  • RELG 322: Apocalypse How?
  • SPAN 301: Greek and Christian Tragedy · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 318: Islamic Spain · not offered in 2023-24
  • SPAN 330: The Invention of the Modern Novel: Cervantes’ Don Quijote · not offered in 2023-24