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Medieval and Renaissance Studies
This interdisciplinary program is devoted to the study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, its history, culture, and thought. Students may concentrate upon a specific period, topic, or figure, or upon the broader pre-modern period.
Units earned in a certificate may be applied to a bachelor's degree, and a major or minor
program, or the certificate may be completed as a stand-alone program. However, units applied to one certificate may not be applied to another 間眅埶AV certificate or diploma.
Students may apply transfer credit of relevant course work to a maximum of 15 transfer units.
間眅埶AV Requirements
Students who apply to 間眅埶AV for admission are required to meet the normal admission requirements. Approval from the Department of Humanities advisor is required for entry to this program.
Minimum Grades
The program requires a minimum 2.0 grade point average, calculated on all courses that are applied toward the certificate, and that have been completed at 間眅埶AV. Duplicate courses are counted only once.
Program Requirements
With prior approval from the advisor, students may complete other relevant courses that do not appear in the following list. Students are responsible for fulfilling any of the following courses' prerequisites.
Students complete a minimum of 30 units, including at least three of
An introduction to the world of late Medieval and Renaissance Europe (c.1200-c.1500). Breadth-Humanities.
The book as we know it did not always exist; it was invented. This course will explore the creation and spread of writing, the emergence of scribal cultures, and the birth of the book, which came to be the greatest of all material, cultural and intellectual objects, one that shaped and transformed civilization. Breadth-Humanities. Breadth-Humanities.
A study of some of the most important features of western civilization from its origins until the mid-16th century. Students with credit for HIST 105 prior to 2007 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
An intensive study of some of the major works which have had a formative influence on the structure and development of western thought. Reading and discussion of primary texts and the major themes which emerge from them will introduce students to essential philosophical, literary, social, and religious themes of western civilization. Texts for this course will be drawn from the Ancient World, Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Prerequisite: 30 units. Breadth-Humanities.
An interdisciplinary introduction to the art and literature of the Italian Renaissance (c. 1300-c. 1500). Studies the major developments in Renaissance Italian painting, sculpture and architecture alongside some of the most influential texts of the period. Prerequisite: 30 units.
An examination of Eastern and Western Christendom from Late Antiquity to the 12th-Century Renaissance emphasizing religious, political, cultural, and social change. Students who have taken HIST 219 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities. Equivalent Courses: HIST219. Breadth-Humanities.
and two of
A detailed interdisciplinary analysis of a selected topic, issue, or personality in the Middle Ages. Prerequisite: 45 units.
A focused interdisciplinary study of the Carolingian civilization achieved in early medieval Europe under Charlemagne and his family. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
A study of the major writings, cultural milieu, and influence of the humanist movement of the Italian Renaissance. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
A detailed interdisciplinary analysis of a selected topic, issue, or personality in the pre-modern world. Prerequisite: 45 units, including HUM 101. Students who have completed this topic in HUM 301, 382, or 383 cannot complete this course for further credit.
An exploration of the history and historiography of the Renaissance Italy. Emphasis will be given to politics, religion, culture and the economy, and to a balanced study of the Italian peninsula, including Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, the countryside and smaller urban centres. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history and one of HIST 220, 223, HUM 219, 305, 311, 312 or permission of the department.
and 13 units chosen from
Anglo-Saxon literature and Middle English literature, in translation when necessary. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses. Students with credit for ENGL 204 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
The study of the basics of the Old English language and the reading of several texts of relative simplicity. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses.
Studies of medieval authors, genres or issues, from 500-1500. Texts will be studied in the original language or in translation. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses.
The study of selected works by Geoffrey Chaucer, especially The Canterbury Tales, read in the language in which they were written and situated in the context of Fourteenth century European culture. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses.
The study of non-Shakespearean Early Modern Literature. May be defined by genre, theme, or author. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses.
A study of the works of William Shakespeare performed before 1601. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses. Students may take both ENGL 311 and 313 for credit towards the English major. Students with credit for ENGL 312 may not take this course for further credit without permission of the department.
A study of the works of Shakespeare performed after 1600. Prerequisite: Two 100 division English courses, and two 200 division English courses. Students may take both ENGL 311 and 313 for credit towards the English major. Students with credit for ENGL 312 may not take this course for further credit without permission of the department.
An introduction of the history of French Literature from the Middle Ages to the late eighteenth century. Prerequisite: FREN 245 or 230 or 240.
This course offers a broad survey of the development of classical Islamic civilization. It begins with an examination of the origins of Islam in seventh century Arabia and concludes with the break-up of the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad in the 13th century. Emphasis will be place on gaining an understanding of the doctrines of Islam, the significance of the rise and fall of the early Arab-Islamic empires, and the role of Islam in world history. Breadth-Humanities.
A survey of the history of Christianity from its origins to 1500. Breadth-Humanities. Breadth-Humanities.
Examines the first 5 centuries of the Byzantine history, focusing on the state that survived, by twelve hundred years, the collapse of the Western roman empire in the fifth century AD, and follows the evolution of its culture, language, political traditions and religion. Prerequisite: 45 units including 9 units of lower division history.
Covers Byzantine history from the 9th century and the end of the "Dark Ages" to the end of the Empire in the 15th century and offers students an account of the Byzantine State's and its society's interaction with the Islamic and Christian European world of the west. Prerequisite: 45 units, including 9 units of lower division history.
An introduction to issues and concepts central to the study of the Humanities. Through exposure to primary materials drawn from different periods and disciplines, students will become acquainted with a range of topics and ideas relating to the study of human values and human experience. Writing/Breadth-Humanities. Prerequisite: . Equivalent Courses: HUM101. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
An introduction to the Latin language.
The continuation of Latin I. Prerequisite: HUM 161 or permission of the instructor.
A detailed interdisciplinary analysis of a selected topic, issue, or personality from the Italian and/or Northern Renaissance. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for HUM 312 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
* when topic is medieval or renaissance
** when topics are appropriate; consult with the advisor
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