Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies, students will be able to:
- Situate Medieval and Early Modern studies more broadly within several interdisciplinary fields, including history, art, philosophy, music, literature, and religion.
- Define and apply appropriate disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary methodologies, vocabularies, concepts, and theories to critically respond to questions within the field of Medieval and Early Modern Studies.
- Demonstrate the ability to define and respond to research questions and scholarly debates within the field, including the ability to analyze primary and secondary sources, draw conclusions from the analysis of these sources, and cite evidence in support of conclusions.
- Demonstrate a firm grasp of written, visual, and oral communication, including critical writing principles such as appropriate citation, use of evidence, clarity, and grammatical correctness.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies must complete:
- A minimum of 10 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional program guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies | 30 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Select 10 courses from the following categories (see course lists below): 1, 2 | 30 | |
Anthropology | ||
Art History | ||
Asian Studies | ||
Classical Studies | ||
English | ||
French Studies | ||
History | ||
Jewish Studies | ||
Medieval and Early Modern Studies | ||
Music | ||
Philosophy | ||
Religion | ||
Spanish | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies | 30 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 59 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | Of the 10 required courses (30 credit hours), a total of 5 courses (15 credit hours) must be taken at the 300-level or above. Please note that not all courses will be offered each academic year. |
| 2 | The 10 required courses (30 credit hours) must be taken from at least 3 different fields or departments (i.e., Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, English, European Studies, French Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Latin American and Latinx Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religion, and Spanish). |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
Students must complete a total of 10 courses (30 credit hours) as listed below from the following approved coursework to complete major requirements. The 10 required courses (30 credit hours) must be taken from at least 3 different fields or departments (i.e., Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, English, European Studies, French Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Latin American and Latinx Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religion, and Spanish), including a minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at 300-level or above..
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | ||
| ANTH 312 / MDEM 311 | THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF AFRICA | 3 |
| ANTH 392 | KINGS, QUEENS, AND COMMONERS: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT MESOAMERICA | 3 |
| ANTH 394 | THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SLAVERY AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Art History | ||
| HART 101 / MDEM 111 / CLAS 102 | INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART I: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL | 3 |
| HART 102 | INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ART II: RENAISSANCE TO PRESENT | 3 |
| HART 118 | A GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE HISTORY I | 3 |
| HART 221 | INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE: CITIES, MOSQUES, PALACES | 3 |
| HART 241 | THE ARTS OF THE RENAISSANCE IN EUROPE | 3 |
| HART 313 | THE ART OF DEATH IN THE MIDDLE AGES | 3 |
| HART 319 | ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES | 3 |
| HART 320 | ART, SCIENCE, AND MAGIC IN THE MEDIEVAL WORLD | 3 |
| HART 323 / MDEM 323 / ASIA 323 | BUDDHIST AND DAOIST ART AND RITUAL | 3 |
| HART 324 | PERSIANATE ARTS OF THE BOOK | 3 |
| HART 325 | COFFEEHOUSES AND TEAHOUSES: A GLOBAL HISTORY | 3 |
| HART 337 | RADICAL BODIES IN MEDIEVAL ART | 3 |
| HART 339 | AMERICAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE I: 1620-1800 | 3 |
| HART 340 / MDEM 340 | NORTHERN RENAISSANCE ART | 3 |
| HART 341 | EARLY RENAISSANCE ART IN ITALY | 3 |
| HART 342 | THE HIGH RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM IN ITALY | 3 |
| HART 343 / MDEM 343 | MASTERS OF THE BAROQUE ERA | 3 |
| HART 356 | SEX AND MONEY: THE SPECIES DIVIDE | 3 |
| HART 371 / ASIA 371 | HOW TO READ CHINESE PAINTING | 3 |
| HART 372 / MDEM 373 / ASIA 372 | CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD | 3 |
| HART 377 / MDEM 377 | MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS | 3 |
| HART 385 | ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE IN ISLAMIC CULTURES | 3 |
| HART 433 | THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY AND THE ANGLO-NORMAN WORLD | 3 |
| HART 435 / MDEM 435 / HIST 443 | MULTICULTURAL EUROPE, 1400-1700 | 3 |
| HART 460 | CHINESE BUDDHIST WOODCUTS 850-1450 | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Studies | ||
| ASIA 213 | TRANSNATIONAL ART AND CULTURE IN ASIA BEFORE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY | 3 |
| ASIA 214 | ART & WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA | 3 |
| ASIA 223 | SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES | 3 |
| ASIA 224 | A HISTORY OF THE SILK ROADS | 3 |
| ASIA 232 / RELI 232 | RELIGIONS FROM INDIA | 3 |
| ASIA 236 | BUDDHISM AND SCIENCE | 3 |
| ASIA 243 | PREMODERN CHINA: HISTORY OF AN OPEN EMPIRE TO 1800 | 3 |
| ASIA 244 | KOREA AND EMPIRES: FROM THE MONGOLS TO THE COLD WAR | 3 |
| ASIA 302 | ASIAN PHILOSOPHY IN CONTEXT | 3 |
| ASIA 330 / MDEM 370 / CHIN 330 | INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL CHINESE POETRY | 3 |
| ASIA 334 / CHIN 334 | TRADITIONAL CHINESE TALES AND SHORT STORIES | 3 |
| ASIA 335 / MDEM 375 / CHIN 335 | INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL CHINESE NOVELS | 3 |
| ASIA 336 | GENDER AND SOCIETY IN BUDDHISM | 3 |
| ASIA 342 | EAST ASIAN ORTHODOXIES AND HERESIES: LAW AND SOCIETY IN TRADITIONAL CHINA, KOREA, AND VIETNAM | 3 |
| ASIA 372 / MDEM 373 / HART 372 | CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD | 3 |
| ASIA 399 / MDEM 379 / SWGS 399 | WOMEN IN CHINESE LITERATURE | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Studies | ||
| LATI 101 / MDEM 101 | ELEMENTARY LATIN I | 3 |
| LATI 102 / MDEM 102 | ELEMENTARY LATIN II | 3 |
| LATI 201 / MDEM 211 | INTERMEDIATE LATIN I: PROSE | 3 |
| LATI 202 / MDEM 212 | INTERMEDIATE LATIN II | 3 |
| LATI 210 | INTERMEDIATE LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE | 3 |
| LATI 309 | RECOVERY, REBIRTH, REGENERATION: CLASSICS AND THE EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE | 3 |
| LATI 310 | ADVANCED LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| English | ||
| ENGL 210 | BEGINNINGS: BRITISH LITERATURE TO 1800 | 3 |
| ENGL 254 | THE HISTORY OF LOVE | 3 |
| ENGL 274 | HEAVEN AND HELL | 3 |
| ENGL 311 | TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE AND/OR CULTURE | 3 |
| ENGL 314 / MDEM 319 | MEDIEVAL ROMANCE | 3 |
| ENGL 316 / MDEM 316 / SWGS 305 | CHAUCER | 3 |
| ENGL 317 / MDEM 317 / SWGS 301 | ARTHURIAN LITERATURE | 3 |
| ENGL 320 | SHAKESPEARE ON FILM | 3 |
| ENGL 321 | SHAKESPEARE | 3 |
| ENGL 322 | TOPICS IN SHAKESPEARE | 3 |
| ENGL 323 | RENAISSANCE DRAMA | 3 |
| ENGL 328 | JOHN MILTON: RADICAL THOUGHT THEN AND NOW | 3 |
| ENGL 332 | LITERATURE OF THE BRITISH ENLIGHTENMENT | 3 |
| ENGL 333 | 18TH CENTURY BRITISH FICTION | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| French Studies | ||
| FREN 304 | FRENCH CULTURE THROUGH THE ARTS | 3 |
| FREN 311 | MIDDLE AGES TO ENLIGHTENMENT | 3 |
| FREN 416 / MDEM 436 | LITERATURE AND CULTURE OF THE MIDDLE AGES: KING ARTHUR | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| History | ||
| HIST 101 | MODERN EUROPE, 1500-1789 | 3 |
| HIST 111 | RACE IN EARLY AMERICA: CREATING RACIAL IDENTITIES IN THE ERA OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION | 3 |
| HIST 117 | EARLY AMERICA TO THE CIVIL WAR | 3 |
| HIST 120 / MDEM 120 | MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS | 3 |
| HIST 176 | MEXICO: AN INTRODUCTION | 3 |
| HIST 205 / MDEM 205 | MEDIEVAL MEDITERRANEAN WORLD | 3 |
| HIST 211 / MDEM 210 | MEDIEVAL VIOLENCE | 3 |
| HIST 213 | THE MIDDLE EAST FROM THE AGE OF MUHAMMAD TO THE ARAB SPRING | 3 |
| HIST 219 | GENGHIS KHAN AND THE EMPIRE OF THE MONGOLS | 3 |
| HIST 222 | HISTORY OF EARLY AFRICA | 3 |
| HIST 227 | LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS | 3 |
| HIST 239 | NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY: FROM EUROPEAN CONTACT TO THE ERA OF REMOVAL | 3 |
| HIST 260 | EARLY HISTORY OF SCIENCE | 3 |
| HIST 266 | SLAVERY AND THE FOUNDING FATHERS | 3 |
| HIST 271 | HISTORY OF SOUTH ASIA | 3 |
| HIST 281 / MDEM 281 | GOLDEN AGE OF ISLAM | 3 |
| HIST 301 | FIGHTING THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE | 3 |
| HIST 308 / MDEM 308 | THE WORLD OF LATE ANTIQUITY | 3 |
| HIST 316 | JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN THE MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC WORLD | 3 |
| HIST 320 | IMPERIAL PLEASURE GARDENS, A WORLD HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 323 | HISTORY OF ATLANTIC AFRICA | 3 |
| HIST 324 / MDEM 324 | CONFLICT AND COEXISTENCE IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN | 3 |
| HIST 327 / MDEM 327 | MEDIEVAL BORDERLANDS | 3 |
| HIST 330 | ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND THE ORIGINS OF AFRO AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 357 / MDEM 357 | JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE | 3 |
| HIST 361 | HISTORY OF PREMODERN BRITAIN: TUDORS AND STUARTS, 1485 - 1707 | 3 |
| HIST 365 / ECON 365 | WORLD ECONOMIC HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 370 | EUROPEAN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY: BACON TO HEGEL | 3 |
| HIST 374 | JEWISH HISTORY, 1500-1948 | 3 |
| HIST 392 | PRE-MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT FROM CICERO TO LOCKE | 3 |
| HIST 409 | MUSLIMS, JEWS, CHRISTIANS, HERETICS, AND PAGANS IN THE AGE OF THE CRUSADES | 3 |
| HIST 412 | EMPIRE AND INTERNATIONAL LAW | 3 |
| HIST 413 | A HISTORY OF TRAVEL: FROM MEDIEVAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE HIPPIE TRAIL | 3 |
| HIST 434 | MUSLIMS, AMERICA, AND ISLAMOPHOBIA | 3 |
| HIST 438 | THE MEDIEVAL CITY, 300-1500 | 3 |
| HIST 494 | RULING HINDUSTAN: THE TIMURID-MUGHAL KINGS OF INDIA | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Studies | ||
| JWST 201 | GREAT BOOKS OF JEWISH HISTORY AND CULTURE | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Medieval and Early Modern Studies | ||
| MDEM 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS | 1-4 |
| MDEM 320 | DIRECTED READING IN MEDIEVAL STUDIES | 1-3 |
| MDEM 398 | INDEPENDENT STUDY IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN STUDIES | 1-3 |
| MDEM 477 | SPECIAL TOPICS | 1-4 |
| MDEM 494 | SENIOR THESIS | 3 |
| MDEM 495 | SENIOR THESIS | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Music | ||
| MUSI 119 | EXPERIENCING MUSIC, EXPRESSING CULTURE: AN INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE MUSIC | 3 |
| MUSI 222 / MDEM 222 | MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ERAS | 3 |
| MUSI 223 | MONSTERS AND BARDS | 3 |
| MUSI 314 | MUSIC IN WESTERN CULTURE | 3 |
| MUSI 321 | BAROQUE AND EARLY CLASSICAL ERAS | 3 |
| MUSI 436 / MDEM 456 | COLLEGIUM MUSICUM | 2 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 281 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I | 3 |
| PHIL 283 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II | 3 |
| PHIL 289 | HISTORY OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| PHIL 362 | HISTORY OF ETHICS | 3 |
| PHIL 372 | HISTORY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| PHIL 381 | ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Religion | ||
| RELI 104 / MDEM 103 | INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH MYSTICISM | 3 |
| RELI 108 | INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM | 3 |
| RELI 112 | INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHRISTIANITY | 3 |
| RELI 221 / ASIA 221 | THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD | 3 |
| RELI 223 | QUR'AN AND COMMENTARY | 3 |
| RELI 233 / TIBT 233 | INTRODUCTION TO TIBETAN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE | 3 |
| RELI 271 / MDEM 271 | MEDIEVAL POPULAR CHRISTIANITY | 3 |
| RELI 350 / MDEM 350 | DEMONS, MENTAL ILLNESS AND MEDICINE | 3 |
| RELI 363 | JEWISH PHILOSOPHY: GREAT THINKERS AND THEMES IN JEWISH THOUGHT | 3 |
| RELI 367 | REPRESENTING THE DEVIL IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND ART | 3 |
| RELI 384 | CRUSADES | 3 |
| RELI 406 | CHRISTIANITY AND LATE ANTIQUITY | 3 |
| RELI 416 | NEW TESTAMENT / CHRISTIAN ORIGINS | 3 |
| RELI 442 | CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ARABIC TEXTS | 3 |
| RELI 444 / MDEM 444 | VISIONS AND VISONARY PRACTICES: MEDIEVAL TO MODERN | 3 |
| RELI 449 | SECOND CENTURY CHRISTIANITIES | 3 |
| RELI 451 | THIRD CENTURY CHRISTIANITIES | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | ||
| SPAN 347 | INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN SPANISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE | 3 |
Recommended Coursework
It is recommended, but not required, that students take 2 semesters at the college level in an appropriate language (or languages). For students considering MDEM graduate work, it is recommended that they study at least 1 foreign language in some depth.
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 4 courses (12 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
Distribution Credit Information
The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.
Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration.
Distribution courses from Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MDEM) are broad in theme and scope and prompt students to probe knowledge about the variety of often interrelated medieval and early modern civilizations from the 4th to the 18th centuries. They involve a broad, interdisciplinary spectrum of knowledge that provides students with the tools for thinking critically about formations of ideas in the long history of culture and cultural exchange among Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. Many of them are introductions to the medieval and/or early modern periods in a particular field of study (e.g. History, Art History, Religion, Music).
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Medieval and Early Modern Studies website: https://medieval.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Senior Thesis
Qualified majors may apply before their senior year for directed research leading to a senior thesis, carried out during both semesters of the senior year. Each semester will require 3 credit hours; these 6 credit hours (MDEM 494 and MDEM 495) are in addition to the credit hours required for the major.
To qualify for senior thesis, students must have an approved research proposal and the agreement of a faculty member to serve as advisor for that project. Applicants will normally be required to have a GPA of 3.75 in MDEM courses and to have completed courses relevant to the proposed thesis topic (e.g. English, History, Art History, etc.), to be determined by the thesis advisor. Applications should be submitted to the director of Medieval and Early Modern Studies and will be evaluated by the advisory board.
Students who are considering applying to write a senior thesis should consult the program director and potential advisor as early as possible. Normally students will apply before preregistration in the second semester of their junior year and will spend time during the following summer reading from a list they have developed with their advisor. The thesis normally will be between 7,500 and 15,000 words (approximately 30-60 pages) in length. Students will enroll MDEM 494 and MDEM 495.
Application Requirements
- Program thesis application form (available at program website and from the program director) signed by the program director and the faculty member who will supervise the project
- A 500 word abstract of the proposed project
Final Submission and Presentations
- An electronic copy of the final thesis must be submitted by the last day of final examinations for degree candidates. Presentations will take place at the MDEM Undergraduate Conference.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Medieval and Early Modern Studies website: https://medieval.rice.edu/.