Medieval Studies, B.A.

Program Description

This is an interdisciplinary program of study designed to give students an integrated knowledge of medieval civilization. While the main area of study is the fifth to sixteenth centuries in Europe, a global perspective is offered with particular attention to the Near East and the Pacific Rim.

What is Medieval Studies?

Medieval Studies is an interdisciplinary field that ranges widely across periods and geographies. We usually imagine the Middle Ages as the millennium between the end of classical antiquity and the start of the Renaissance. But concepts and institutions that we take as distinctively modern—the individual, companionate marriage, the state, vernacular languages as expressions of national identity—begin in the Middle Ages. And the Middle Ages return as a powerful source for imaginative expression in the art and literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and in digital culture in the twenty-first century.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to grow as an analytical thinker with good writing skills, the ability to synthesize disparate materials, and a deep sense of context.
• You have an interest in studying a rich and dynamic period, and wish to further understand the time through its history, literature, philosophy, and culture.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts degree in Medieval Studies, a minimum of 123 credits is required:

3 of the 24 credits for Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements are included in the Requirements for the Major, General Education, or Electives and 0-12 credits are included in Electives if world language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.

Per Senate Policy 83-80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of coursework in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
MEDVL 107	Medieval Europe	3
or HIST 107	Medieval Europe
MEDVL 108	Medieval Civilization	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 24 credits (at least 12 credits at the 400-level) from the program list of courses dealing with the Middle Ages from no less than three of the following areas:		24
Art
ARTH 201	Ancient to Medieval Architecture
ARTH 312	Romanesque and Gothic Art
ARTH 402	The Illuminated Manuscript
ARTH 412	The Gothic Cathedral
ARTH 422	Studies in Medieval Sculpture
ARTH 442	Late Antique and Early Christian Art
ARTH 452	Byzantine Art
History
HIST 105	The Byzantine Empire
HIST 108	Crusades: Holy War in the Middle Ages
HIST 141	Medieval and Modern Russia
HIST 165	Islamic States, Societies and Cultures c. 600-1500
HIST 407	Early Medieval Society
HIST 408	Church and State in the High Middle Ages
HIST 411	Medieval Britain
HIST 412	Innovation in Medieval Europe
HIST 413	Medieval Celtic Studies
HIST 471Y	Classical Islamic Civilization, 600-1258
HIST 480	Japan in the Age of Warriors
Literature and Language
CMLIT 1	Introduction to Western Literatures Through the Renaissance
CMLIT 106	The Arthurian Legend
CMLIT 401Y
CMLIT 408	Heroic Literature
ENGL 221W	British Literature to 1798
ENGL 441	Chaucer
ENGL 442	Medieval English Literature
FR 351	French and Francophone Literature I
GER 175	Germanic Heroic and Medieval Literature in English Translation
GER 430	History of the German Language
GER 431	History of German Literature and Culture I
HEBR 10	Jewish Civilization
IT 415	Dante
IT 490	Dante in Translation
SPAN 130	Iberian Civilization
SPAN 353	Topics in the Cultures of Spain
SPAN 418	The Evolution of Spanish
Medieval Studies
MEDVL 197	Special Topics
MEDVL 199	Foreign Studies
MEDVL 294	Research Project
MEDVL 299	Foreign Studies
MEDVL 395	Internship
MEDVL 399	Foreign Studies
MEDVL 411	Medieval Britain
MEDVL 413	Medieval Celtic Studies
MEDVL 494	Research Project
MEDVL 496	Independent Studies
MEDVL 497	Special Topics
MEDVL 499	Foreign Studies
Philosophy and Religious Studies
PHIL 201	Medieval Philosophy
RLST 120	New Testament
RLST 420	(upon advising)

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

B.A. Degree Requirements

World Language (0-12 credits): Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one world language in addition to English. This proficiency must be demonstrated by either examination or course work. See the Placement Policy for Penn State World Language Courses.

B.A. Fields (9 credits): Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, World Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (may not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; world language credits in this category must be in a second world language in addition to English or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language). Credits must be selected from the list of approved courses.

World Cultures (0-3 credits): Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the University Cultural Diversity (US/IL) requirement.​

Program Learning Objectives

• Communication and rhetorical skills: Demonstrate analytical and writing skills conducive to the study of different cultural, religious, social, and intellectual traditions and developments, medieval and modern.
• Critical and cultural analysis: Analyze a range of medieval texts, traditions, objects, institutions, and technologies, with critical consideration of historical, cultural, and linguistic frameworks.
• Historical and cultural analysis: Analyze different instances and influences of cultural contact during the medieval past, along with modern outcomes and implications of that contact.
• Research and methodology: Assess and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the study and analysis of medieval cultures and their reception and influence in different modern discourses and contexts.
• Research practices: Gather, evaluate, and synthesize a range of research materials to facilitate the study of diverse perspectives from the medieval past.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Medieval Studies, B.A. at University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements:

Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in World Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as World Cultures courses.

Medieval Studies, B.A. at Commonwealth Campuses

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements:

Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in World Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as World Cultures courses.

Career Paths

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Medieval Studies prepares students for those careers which require a broad knowledge of the humanities. Many students combine a Medieval Studies major with a major such as art history, broadcasting, art, language and literature, political science or any of the liberal arts majors, or students may take courses in areas like economics, speech communication, and sociology.

Careers

• Publishing
• Teaching
• Museum Curatorship
• Archiving
• Business
• Medicine

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Graduate work is required for teaching at the college or university level. Former students in the Penn State major have continued their studies at universities such as Oxford, Catholic University, Bryn Mawr, St. Andrews, and Dublin. Many students continue their work in medieval studies or related fields like art, music, theatre, literature, history, or philosophy at the graduate level.

Contact

University Park

MEDIEVAL STUDIES
108 Weaver Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-1367
bdw150@psu.edu

https://medieval.la.psu.edu/