Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Website: Medieval and Early Modern Studies
The Medieval and Early Modern Studies program at Sewanee is designed to develop a cross-disciplinary overview of these historical periods, incorporating the study of art, literature, history, and philosophy, as well as to offer scope for mentored research projects in pursuit of the student's own distinctive scholarly interests.
We encourage our majors and minors to take advantage of a range of study-away opportunities, including a longstanding relationship with the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Oxford. Founded in 1975, the institute provides academic training for overseas students who wish to complete part of their education at Oxford in these areas of study.
Sewanee also offers an opportunity unique among small liberal arts as host of the Sewanee Medieval Colloquium, an annual academic conference. The colloquium is held each spring and draws scholars from across the country (and beyond) to campus; student attendance at all the events is welcomed, and participation by majors and minors is encouraged.
The major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies requires at least ten courses, selected in conversation with and approved by a student’s advisor. Students have the ability to develop their own program of study and to focus their course selection and final projects to reflect their own interests and aims.
Requirements for the Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
The major requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements 1 | ||
| HUMN 104 | Experience, Expression, and Exchange in Western Culture: Texts and Contexts of the Medieval World | 4 |
| or HUMN 105 | Experience, Expression, and Exchange in Western Culture: Texts and Contexts of Early Modern World | |
| Select one of the folllowing courses in pre-medieval culture from any geographical area: 2 | 4 | |
| Ancient Philosophy from Homer to Augustine | ||
| Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Classical Mythology | ||
| Classical Drama | ||
| Ancient Epic in Translation | ||
| Experience, Expression, and Exchange in Western Culture: Texts and Contexts of the Ancient World | ||
| Jews in the Greco-Roman World | ||
| Cicero | ||
| Catullus | ||
| Horace's Lyric Poetry | ||
| Roman Comedy | ||
| Select two of the following literature courses: 3 | 8 | |
| Old English Language and Literature | ||
| Chaucer | ||
| English Drama to 1642 | ||
| Early Women's Voices | ||
| Renaissance Literature I | ||
| Early French Literature | ||
| The Seventeenth Century | ||
| The Eighteenth Century | ||
| Textual Inquiry: Literature in Context, 1750-1900 | ||
| Spanish Literature and Culture through 1700 | ||
| Introduction to Medieval Spain and the Road to Santiago | ||
| The Middle Ages after the Middle Ages | ||
| Select two of the following courses focused on history: 4 | 8 | |
| History of Britain and Ireland I | ||
| Early Modern Europe | ||
| History of Africa to 1880 | ||
| The Haitian Revolution | ||
| History of the Middle East I | ||
| Europe from the First Crusade to the Black Death | ||
| Colonial and Imperial Warfare in North America and Southern Africa | ||
| Nature, Magic, and Machines in Early Modern Europe | ||
| Muslim Spain: Glory, Decline, and Lasting Influence in Contemporary Spain | ||
| Hippocrates Shadow: Origins of Western Medicine | ||
| Select one of the following courses focused on the arts: 4 | 4 | |
| Visualizing the Other in Early Modern Latin America: Race, Ethnicity, and Art | ||
| Art and Politics during the Hispanic Enlightenment | ||
| Early Modern Art of Latin America | ||
| Imagining the Medieval Italian City | ||
| Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture | ||
| To Delight and to Move: The Global Baroque, 1600-1800 | ||
| Sacred Arts of Japan | ||
| Sacred Arts of China | ||
| The Liturgical Music of Johann Sebastian Bach | ||
| Music for the Soul: The Requiem Mass in History and Culture | ||
| Design and Décor Period Styles | ||
| Select one of the following culture courses involving a long historical sweep or broad geographic range: 2 | 4 | |
| Latin American Art, Ancient to Modern | ||
| Asian Art: Prehistory to Contemporary | ||
| China: Inside the Great Wall | ||
| West and Central Africa in the Atlantic World | ||
| Indian Philosophy | ||
| MEMS 400 | Medieval and Early Modern Seminar | 4 |
| Total Semester Hours | 36 | |
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Requirements | ||
| A comprehensive examination 5 | ||
| The capstone project 6 | ||
- 1
Courses must contain at least 3 classes that are broadly designated as “medieval” (attribute MEMD) and at least 3 classes that are broadly designated as “early modern” (attribute MEEM). In addition, at least one class must be focused on a non-Western area of the globe (attribute MENW).
- 2
Additional courses can be used for this requirement with prior approval from a departmental advisor.
- 3
Additional literature courses at the 300-level or above in any language can be used for this requirement with prior approval from a departmental advisor.
- 4
Additional courses at the 200-level or above in can be used for this requirement with prior approval from a departmental advisor.
- 5
For the comprehensive exam, students will be presented with four different artifacts (textual, visual, or otherwise) from a variety of disciplines and be asked to respond to them in a series of brief essays.
- 6
The capstone requirement for the major asks students to assemble a portfolio of at least 3 substantial papers from 2 different categories above. To this they will add a paper or project from a class outside of the scope of the major. The papers will be revised under the supervision of their advisor, and they will produce a brief reflection on the connections they see between them. They will use the portfolio to write an apologia as to the importance of the study of the pre-modern, and will argue for what they see the role or the presence of this discipline within the modern intellectual climate.
Honors
To pursue honors, a student must have a GPA of at least 3.5 in their coursework in the major and formulate a project under the direction of a supervising faculty member. The proposal for this project will be developed by the student and their advisor, and will be approved by a committee of the MEMS faculty in the fall semester of the student’s senior year. The project might be a scholarly research paper, an archival project, a digital presentation, or a service project that builds off of their coursework. The student must then successfully present their project to members of the MEMS faculty in an oral defense in the final semester of their senior year. Finally, to receive honors, the student must also receive a high pass (B+ or better) on both the capstone and the comprehensive exam.
The minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies requires at least 5 courses at the 200-level or above selected in conversation with a departmental advisor.
Requirements for the Minor in Medieval Studies
The minor requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| HUMN 104 | Experience, Expression, and Exchange in Western Culture: Texts and Contexts of the Medieval World | 4 |
| or HUMN 105 | Experience, Expression, and Exchange in Western Culture: Texts and Contexts of Early Modern World | |
| Select one course in literature at the 300-level or above | 4 | |
| Select one course with a focus on history at the 200-level or above | 4 | |
| Select one course with a focus on art history or culture at the 300-level or above | 4 | |
| Select two additional courses at the 200-level or above in consulltation with a departmental advisor. | 8 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 24 | |