Medieval and Early Modern Studies minor

Bachelor of ArtsMinorYear: 2025

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Overview

Medieval and Early Modern Studies offers students with the opportunity to explore this fascinating and crucial period in world history from a variety of disciplinary and cultural perspectives. The transition from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern era has long been regarded as signifying a remarkable period of change, which saw major shifts in philosophy, religion, politics, art, literature, music, science and technology. Understanding precisely what characterised the social, political, cultural and intellectual life of the medieval, renaissance and early modern periods, in different regions of the globe, therefore requires a broad interdisciplinary approach drawing on the expertise of scholars across a diverse range of fields of study. To this end, students completing a minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies can take subjects from disciplines such as history, art history, history and philosophy of science, philosophy, music, English and theatre studies and Italian and French studies.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this minor, students should be able to:

  • Gain a deeper understanding of social, political and cultural life in the Middle Ages, Renaissance and/or Early Modern period
  • Articulate the relationship between diverse forms of cultural production and knowledge (e.g. science, philosophy, art, literature and music) in specific, local and historical contexts
  • Develop research skills in the constituent disciplines of history, art history, history and philosophy of science, music, English and theatre studies and languages
  • Appreciate the value of an international and interdisciplinary approach to the study of history
  • Communicate their knowledge effectively in a variety of oral and written formats
  • Develop an independent approach to understanding the cross-disciplinary field that uses rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate methodologies.

Last updated: 4 March 2025