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 | ||
German 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 (Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, English, European Studies, French Studies, German Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Latin American and Latinx Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religion, and Spanish). |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | ||
| THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF AFRICA | ||
| KINGS, QUEENS, AND COMMONERS: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT MESOAMERICA | ||
| THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SLAVERY AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Art History | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART I: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ART II: RENAISSANCE TO PRESENT | ||
| A GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE HISTORY I | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF WESTERN EUROPE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE: CITIES, MOSQUES, PALACES | ||
| THE ARTS OF THE RENAISSANCE IN EUROPE | ||
| THE ART OF DEATH IN THE MIDDLE AGES | ||
| ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES | ||
| ART, SCIENCE, AND MAGIC IN THE MEDIEVAL WORLD | ||
| BUDDHIST AND DAOIST ART AND RITUAL | ||
| PERSIANATE ARTS OF THE BOOK | ||
| COFFEEHOUSES AND TEAHOUSES: A GLOBAL HISTORY | ||
| EARLY MEDIEVAL ART | ||
| ART OF THE COURTS | ||
| LOOKING AT EUROPEAN PRINTS 1400-1700 | ||
| RADICAL BODIES IN MEDIEVAL ART | ||
| AMERICAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE I: 1620-1800 | ||
| NORTHERN RENAISSANCE ART | ||
| EARLY RENAISSANCE ART IN ITALY | ||
| THE HIGH RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM IN ITALY | ||
| MASTERS OF THE BAROQUE ERA | ||
| CAPITALISM AND CULTURE | ||
| SEX AND MONEY: THE SPECIES DIVIDE | ||
| HOW TO READ CHINESE PAINTING | ||
| CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD | ||
| MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS | ||
| DUTCH ART IN THE AGE OF REMBRANDT | ||
| ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE IN ISLAMIC CULTURES | ||
| VISUAL CULATURE OF MEDIEVAL PILGRIMAGE | ||
| THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY AND THE ANGLO-NORMAN WORLD | ||
| SEEING SEX IN EUROPEAN ART, 1400-1700 | ||
| MULTICULTURAL EUROPE, 1400-1700 | ||
| CHINESE BUDDHIST WOODCUTS 850-1450 | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Studies | ||
| TRANSNATIONAL ART AND CULTURE IN ASIA BEFORE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY | ||
| ART & WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA | ||
| SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES | ||
| A HISTORY OF THE SILK ROADS | ||
| RELIGIONS FROM INDIA | ||
| BUDDHISM AND SCIENCE | ||
| PREMODERN CHINA: HISTORY OF AN OPEN EMPIRE TO 1800 | ||
| KOREA AND EMPIRES: FROM THE MONGOLS TO THE COLD WAR | ||
| ASIAN PHILOSOPHY IN CONTEXT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL CHINESE POETRY | ||
| TRADITIONAL CHINESE TALES AND SHORT STORIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL CHINESE NOVELS | ||
| GENDER AND SOCIETY IN BUDDHISM | ||
| EAST ASIAN ORTHODOXIES AND HERESIES: LAW AND SOCIETY IN TRADITIONAL CHINA, KOREA, AND VIETNAM | ||
| CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD | ||
| WOMEN IN CHINESE LITERATURE | ||
ASIA 441 / RELI 441 | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Studies | ||
| ELEMENTARY LATIN I | ||
| ELEMENTARY LATIN II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE LATIN I: PROSE | ||
| INTERMEDIATE LATIN II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE | ||
| RECOVERY, REBIRTH, REGENERATION: CLASSICS AND THE EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE | ||
| ADVANCED LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| English | ||
| BEGINNINGS: BRITISH LITERATURE TO 1800 | ||
| THE HISTORY OF LOVE | ||
| HEAVEN AND HELL | ||
| TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE AND/OR CULTURE | ||
| MEDIEVAL ROMANCE | ||
| CHAUCER | ||
| ARTHURIAN LITERATURE | ||
| SHAKESPEARE ON FILM | ||
| SHAKESPEARE | ||
| TOPICS IN SHAKESPEARE | ||
| RENAISSANCE DRAMA | ||
| JOHN MILTON: RADICAL THOUGHT THEN AND NOW | ||
| LITERATURE OF THE BRITISH ENLIGHTENMENT | ||
| 18TH CENTURY BRITISH FICTION | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| French Studies | ||
| MASTERWORKS OF FRENCH ART IN TOULOUSE | ||
| MIDDLE AGES TO ENLIGHTENMENT | ||
FREN 404 / MDEM 404 | ||
| SAINTS AND SINNERS | ||
| LITERATURE AND CULTURE OF THE MIDDLE AGES: KING ARTHUR | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| History | ||
| MODERN EUROPE, 1500-1789 | ||
| WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1492 | ||
| RACE IN EARLY AMERICA: CREATING RACIAL IDENTITIES IN THE ERA OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION | ||
| EARLY AMERICA TO THE CIVIL WAR | ||
| MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS | ||
| MEXICO: AN INTRODUCTION | ||
| THE ATLANTIC WORLD: ORIGINS TO THE AGE OF REVOLUTION | ||
HIST 204 | ||
| MEDIEVAL MEDITERRANEAN WORLD | ||
| MEDIEVAL VIOLENCE | ||
| THE MIDDLE EAST FROM THE AGE OF MUHAMMAD TO THE ARAB SPRING | ||
| GENGHIS KHAN AND THE EMPIRE OF THE MONGOLS | ||
| HISTORY OF EARLY AFRICA | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY: FROM EUROPEAN CONTACT TO THE ERA OF REMOVAL | ||
| EARLY HISTORY OF SCIENCE | ||
| SLAVERY AND THE FOUNDING FATHERS | ||
| HISTORY OF SOUTH ASIA | ||
| GOLDEN AGE OF ISLAM | ||
| FIGHTING THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE | ||
| THE WORLD OF LATE ANTIQUITY | ||
| SEX, GENDER, AND FAMILY IN EUROPE, 1300-1700 | ||
| JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN THE MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC WORLD | ||
| IMPERIAL PLEASURE GARDENS, A WORLD HISTORY | ||
| HISTORY OF ATLANTIC AFRICA | ||
| CONFLICT AND COEXISTENCE IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN | ||
| MEDIEVAL BORDERLANDS | ||
| ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND THE ORIGINS OF AFRO AMERICA | ||
| JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE | ||
| HISTORY OF PREMODERN BRITAIN: TUDORS AND STUARTS, 1485 - 1707 | ||
| WORLD ECONOMIC HISTORY | ||
| EUROPEAN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY: BACON TO HEGEL | ||
| JEWISH HISTORY, 1500-1948 | ||
| PRE-MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT FROM CICERO TO LOCKE | ||
| THE AGE OF ATTILA THE HUN | ||
| MUSLIMS, JEWS, CHRISTIANS, HERETICS, AND PAGANS IN THE AGE OF THE CRUSADES | ||
| EMPIRE AND INTERNATIONAL LAW | ||
| A HISTORY OF TRAVEL: FROM MEDIEVAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE HIPPIE TRAIL | ||
| MUSLIMS, AMERICA, AND ISLAMOPHOBIA | ||
| THE MEDIEVAL CITY, 300-1500 | ||
| RULING HINDUSTAN: THE TIMURID-MUGHAL KINGS OF INDIA | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Studies | ||
| GREAT BOOKS OF JEWISH HISTORY AND CULTURE | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Medieval and Early Modern Studies | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| DISABILITY IN THE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN WORLD | ||
| DIRECTED READING IN MEDIEVAL STUDIES | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN STUDIES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| SENIOR THESIS | ||
| SENIOR THESIS | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Music | ||
| EXPERIENCING MUSIC, EXPRESSING CULTURE: AN INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE MUSIC | ||
| MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ERAS | ||
| MONSTERS AND BARDS | ||
| MUSIC IN WESTERN CULTURE | ||
| BAROQUE AND EARLY CLASSICAL ERAS | ||
| COLLEGIUM MUSICUM | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | ||
| HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I | ||
| HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II | ||
| HISTORY OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY | ||
| HISTORY OF ETHICS | ||
| HISTORY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Religion | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH MYSTICISM | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHRISTIANITY | ||
| THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD | ||
| QUR'AN AND COMMENTARY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO TIBETAN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE | ||
| MEDIEVAL POPULAR CHRISTIANITY | ||
| DEMONS, MENTAL ILLNESS AND MEDICINE | ||
| JEWISH PHILOSOPHY: GREAT THINKERS AND THEMES IN JEWISH THOUGHT | ||
| REPRESENTING THE DEVIL IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND ART | ||
| PILGRIMAGE AND CRUSADE | ||
| CHRISTIANITY AND LATE ANTIQUITY | ||
| NEW TESTAMENT / CHRISTIAN ORIGINS | ||
| CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ARABIC TEXTS | ||
| VISIONS AND VISONARY PRACTICES: MEDIEVAL TO MODERN | ||
| SECOND CENTURY CHRISTIANITIES | ||
| THIRD CENTURY CHRISTIANITIES | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN SPANISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE | ||
| DON QUIJOTE | ||
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. 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 their academic program’s transfer credit advisor 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 guidelines:
- 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.
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
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/
See https://humanities.rice.edu/student-life for tables of fellowships, prizes, and internships/practica that may be relevant to this major.