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Medieval & Early Modern Studies Advising Guide


Introduction

Medieval and Early Modern Studies offers a multidisciplinary approach to European cultures and civilizations from late Antiquity (c. 500) to the beginnings of the Enlightenment (c. 1750). The major incorporates materials and methodologies from the fields of literary studies, history, art history, music, philosophy, and religious studies. Students in the program have considerable flexibility in the design and focus of their courses of study.  For more information about the MEMS major please contact Prof. Blake Wilson at wilson@dickinson.edu.  

Introductory courses appropriate for prospective majors

ARTH 101, Introduction to Art History (Ancient through Medieval) 

ARTH 102, Introduction to Art History (Renaissance through Contemporary) 

ENGL 101, Texts and Contexts (Only sections with a Medieval, Renaissance, or Early Modern focus) 

HIST 105, Medieval Europe 

HIST 106, Modern Europe to 1815 

HIST 121, Middle East to 1750 

HIST 243, British History I

HIST 222, Feudal Europe 

HIST 223, Renaissance Europe

MUSC 101, History of Music (Medieval through 1750) 

RELG 212, History of Christianity: From Margin to Center 

RELG 259, Islam 

JDST/RELG 219, History of the Jews

Note: In certain cases MEMS faculty frequently waive distribution requirements of a 200- or 300-level MEMS course for a MEMS major or prospective major. Inquire directly of the relevant faculty member.  

Getting Involved

Students may discover their interest in medieval and early modern cultures prior to their arrival at Dickinson, or their interest may be kindled in one of the many first-year seminars that each year engage MEMS-related material. These seminars are often taught by one of the 18 fulltime faculty who currently participate in the MEMS program, and they are easily contacted through the faculty listing on the program website.  

Students considering the major should know that they enjoy considerable flexibility in shaping this multidisciplinary major (see “Curriculum and Courses”), and past MEMS majors have discovered MEMS to be especially compatible with undertaking a second major (the majority have been double majors), and with the ready fulfillment of distribution requirements.  

For course descriptions, and requirements for the major, please refer to the College Bulletin: Medieval and Early Modern Studies.

Core and Cluster Courses:

These are courses identified as MEMS courses every semester since Fall 2006:

ARTH 101, Introduction to the History of Art 

ARTH 102, Introduction to the History of Art 

ARTH 203, Medieval Art 

ARTH 205, Topics [Isabella d’Este as Renaissance Music and Patron]   

ARTH 300, Italian Renaissance Art 1250-1450 

ARTH 301, Italian Renaissance Art 1450-1563 

ARTH 391, The Arts in Late Gothic Europe 

CLST 100, Greek and Roman Myth 

ENG 101, Topics [Shakespeare’s Comedies; Shakespeare’s Tragedies; Monty Python & the Real Grail] 

ENG 213, History of the English Language 

ENG 334, The Lyric  

ENG 339, Special Topics in Form and Genre 

ENG 345, Early Modern Women Writers [MEMS 200 in Sp 2009] 

ENG 350, Studies in Medieval Literature [Marie de France] 

ENG 352, Renaissance Lyric Poetry 

ENG 354, Pope, Dryden, Swift 

ENG 359, Special Topics in Literature before 1800  [Medieval and Renaissance Romance] 

ENG 390, Chaucer 

ENG 392, Teaching Shakespeare 

ENG 394, [Revolutionary] Milton 

FREN 352, Classical Theatre and Social Myth 

FREN 361, French Literature in the Renaissance 

GRMN 240, German Cultural History I 

HIST 105, Medieval Europe 

HIST 106, Modern Europe to 1815 

HIST 121, Middle East to 1750 

HIST 130, Latin American History I [?] 

HIST 213, The Crusades 

HIST 222, Feudal Europe 

HIST 223, Renaissance Europe 

HIST 228, Italian History from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment 

HIST 243, English/British History I [55BC to 1688] 

HIST 253, History of Russia I  

ITAL 251, Literature and Society I [14th-17th centuries] 

JDST 216, Kabbalah [= REL 260]  

LATN 234, Ovid 

LATN 242, Early Christian Latin 

MUAC 101, History of Music I [antiquity to ca. 1750] 

MUAC 107, J.S. Bach 

MUAC 351, Italian Madrigal and Poetics 

MUAC 352, J.S. Bach 

[MUEN 009-01, Dickinson Collegium] 

PHIL 242, Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy 

PHIL 243, Philosophy in the 17th and 18th Centuries 

REL 212, History of Christianity I [1st-14th centuries] 

REL 214, History of Christianity II  

REL 259, Islam 

REL 312, Eastern Orthodox Christianity 

SPAN 310, Studies in Medieval Texts 

SPAN 311, Studies in Pre-Columbian and Colonial Texts 

SPAN 320, Spanish Golden Age Texts 

SPAN 380, History of the Spanish Language 

SPAN 410, Cervantes’ Don Quixote