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Medieval Studies

UnCommon Core | How Islam Began
Professor Fred Donner explores Islam's medieval origins in this 2011 lecture.

The BA program in Medieval Studies aims to acquaint students with a broad range of medieval materials from a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, literary, artistic, theological) as a preparation for writing a BA paper. Students investigate the Middle Ages through studies in historical, literary, and adjunct areas. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Medieval Studies Workshop. Resources for original research include the Special Collections Research Center at the Regenstein Library and the Newberry Library.

Eleven courses are required, including at least three courses historical in nature, three courses of linguistic character, and two courses in other disciplines (e.g., art, music, philosophy, theology). Students are also expected to demonstrate competence in reading one language in which a significant body of medieval source material exists. Such competence is demonstrated primarily through the language courses and through the use of source materials in the BA paper. Latin is strongly urged for those working in Western materials, but other options (particularly for students interested in Byzantine, Jewish, or Muslim cultures) are available.