MRST Minor Requirements
2024 - 2025 Catalog
Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor
A minor In Medieval and Renaissance studies requires completion of 18 credits from six courses. In meeting the requirements of this interdisciplinary minor, a student must use at least nine credits not also used to meet the requirements of any other major(s) or minor. Four courses must be taken at the 200 level or above.
1. MRST 110, 110A, or one of the following courses: ARTH 101, 102; CLAS 201, 205, 210, 224; ENGL 240, 241, 242, 250, 252; FILM 255; GERM 318; HIST 100, 101, 170; LIT 203, 218, 219; MUS 201; REL 101, 102, 105, 106, 108, 131, 132; THTR 210; or, when appropriate, ARTH 180; CLAS 180; ENGL 299; FILM 195, 196; FREN 281, 283, 285; HIST 180, 195; LIT 180, 295; REL 180; SPAN 211, 220; THTR 121, 180; WRIT 100
2. Four additional courses chosen from the following, with at least one course chosen from three of the following four categories.
History and History of Science: CLAS 224; HIST 100, 101, 170, 201, 203, 204, 212, 217, 219, 255, 272, 305, 306, 307, 310; PHYS 150; SPAN 333, or, when appropriate, HIST 180, 195, 229, 395, 403; MRST 395, 403; PHYS 403; ROML 295
Literature: CLAS 180, 201, 203, 205, 215; ENGL 240, 241, 242, 250, 252, 312, 313, 315, 316, 319, 320, 326, 330, FREN 281; GERM 318; LIT 203, 218, 219; SPAN 211, 220, 312, 320, 322, 323, 333; or, when appropriate, ENGL 299, 392, 394, 403; FREN 341, 403; ITAL 403; LIT 180, 295; MRST 395, 403; ROML 295; SPAN 397, 403
History of Ideas: ARTH 200, 385; CLAS 200, 204, 210, 221; FREN 341; HIST 200, 250, 306, 307; PHIL 110, 221, 222; REL 101, 102, 105, 106, 108, 131, 132, 215, 216, 219, 225, 250, 260, 283, 284, 350; or, when appropriate, FREN 283, 285; PHIL 180, 195; 395, 403; MRST 395, 403; POL 396, 403; REL 180, 403; ROML 295
Fine Arts: FILM 255; ARTH 101, 102, 253, 254, 255, 256, 350, 354, 355, MUS 201; THTR 210, 342, or, when appropriate, FILM 195, 196; ARTH 180, 394, 403; MUS 423; MRST 395, 403; ROML 295; THTR 121, 180
4. Capstone course: MRST 403 approved in advance. A directed study or thesis in another discipline may be used to meet this requirement if approved in advance by the MRST Advisory Committee through its chair.
- Choose one course
- MRST 110 - Medieval and Renaissance Culture: Humanities
(or MRST 110A)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the Medieval and Renaissance periods through the study of a particular topic. Recent studies: Elizabethan England, and Life and Death in Dante's Florence.
- ARTH 101 - Survey of Western Art: Ancient to Medieval
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Chronological survey of Western art from the Paleolithic Age through the Middle Ages in Italy and Northern Europe. Examination of cultural and stylistic influences in the art and architecture of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Consideration of distinct interests of Early Christian, Byzantine, and Medieval Europe. Focus on major monuments and influential images produced up to circa 1400.
- ARTH 102 - Survey of Western Art: Renaissance to the Present
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Chronological survey of Western art from the Renaissance through the present. Topics include the Renaissance, from its cultural and stylistic origins through the Mannerist movement; the Baroque and Rococo; the Neoclassical reaction; Romanticism and Naturalism; the Barbizon School and Realism; Impressionism and its aftermath; Fauvism, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, and the Postmodern reaction to Modernism.
- CLAS 201 - Classical Mythology
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 An introduction to the study of Greek mythology, with an emphasis on the primary sources. The myths are presented in their historical, religious, and political contexts. The course also includes an introduction to several major theories of myth, and uses comparative materials drawn from contemporary society and media.
- CLAS 205 - Reading Rome: A Survey of Latin Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 The course offers a survey of influential works composed in Latin between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE. Alongside poems, histories, and philosophical writings that were originally conceived of as literary projects, we also examine plays, military chronicles, speeches, and letters, all of which come down to the present as literature" but may not have been created as such. The boundaries of "literature" is an ongoing topic of inquiry throughout the term. Students explore the literary traditions represented in the readings and consider their impact on other traditions, with the bulk of class sessions spent discussing the significance of the literary works and improving our knowledge of the contexts--historical and literary--in which they were composed."
- CLAS 210 - Sex, Gender and Power in Ancient Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 An examination of literature in various genres (poetry, philosophy, drama, and history) in an attempt to understand the diverse ways in which Greeks and Romans conceived of gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. We also interrogate the power dynamics that underpinned these conceptions. Readings include primary sources from antiquity (e.g., Homer, Euripides, Plato, Plautus, Livy, Ovid) as well as secondary sources that explore sex, gender, and power in both ancient and modern contexts. The course examines several influential works composed in Greek and Latin between the 8th century BCE and the 1st century CE. Alongside poems and philosophical writings that were originally conceived of as literary projects, we also examine plays, historical works, and even some inscriptions, all of which come down to the present as literature, although many may not have been conceived as such. The boundaries of "literature" is an ongoing topic of inquiry throughout the term. Open to all students without prerequisite.
- CLAS 224 - The World of Late Antiquity
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course introduces students to the historical period between the close of the ancient world and the rise of the Middle Ages ca. 250 to 650 AD). Students read primary sources and explore the historical evidence in order to investigate the reigning historical model of Decline and Fall inherited from Edward Gibbon and others, and study the development of Christianity and Judaism during this period. Finally, the course investigates the formation of Europe and the rise of Islam.
- ENGL 240 - Arthurian Legend
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Why does King Arthur continue to fascinate and haunt our cultural imagination? This course surveys the origins and histories of Arthurian literature, beginning with Celtic myths, Welsh tales, and Latin chronicles. We then examine medieval French and English traditions that include Chretien de Troyes' Perceval, the lais of Marie de France, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, and Malory's Le Morte Darthur. In addition to historical and literary contexts, we explore theoretical issues surrounding the texts, especially the relationship between history and fantasy, courtly love and adultery, erotic love and madness, romance and chivalry, gender and agency, and Europe and its Others. Finally, we investigate Arthurian medievalisms in Victorian England and in American (post)modernity through Tennyson, Twain, Barthelme, and Ishiguro. Along the way, we view various film adaptations of Arthurian legends. All texts are read in modern English translation.
- ENGL 241 - Cinema Arthuriana
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course is a survey of Arthurian films and an introduction to film studies. We will read select premodern and modern texts and examine a variety of films across the twentieth• and the twenty-first centuries. The course begins with Arthur the messianic hero, then proceeds to the romance of the Holy Grail, the tribulations of Gawain, and finally the American repurposing of matters of Arthur. H film is an escapist medium, it is first and foremost a mirror to society that reflects its cultural fantasies and structural imaginaries. We will consider forms of medievalism and forces of ideology and periodization that these films embody and project, as well as reception theories and on our own historical contingencies.
- ENGL 242 - Individual Shakespeare Play
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A detailed study of a single Shakespearean play, including its sources, textual variants, performance history, film adaptations and literary and cultural legacy. The course includes both performance-based and analytical assignments.
- ENGL 250 - Medieval and Early Modern British Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course is a survey of English literature from the Early Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. We read works in various genres--verse, drama, and prose--and understand their specific cultural and historical contexts. We also examine select modern film adaptations of canonical works as part of the evolving history of critical reception.
- ENGL 252 - Shakespeare
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as MRST 252. A study of the major genres of Shakespeare's plays, employing analysis shaped by formal, historical, and performance-based questions. Emphasis is given to tracing how Shakespeare's work engages early modern cultural concerns, such as the nature of political rule, gender, religion, and sexuality. A variety of skills are developed in order to assist students with interpretation, which may include verse analysis, study of early modern dramatic forms, performance workshops, two medium-length papers, reviews of live play productions, and a final, student-directed performance of a selected play.
- FILM 255 - Seven-Minute Shakespeare
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite completion of both the FDR:FW and FDR:HL requirements After intensive collective reading and discussion of three Shakespeare plays in the first week, students organize into four-person groups with the goal of producing a seven-minute video version of one of the plays by the end of the term, using only the actual text of the play. The project requires full engagement and commitment, and includes tasks such as editing and selecting from the text to produce the film script, creating storyboards, casting and recruiting actors, rehearsing, filming, editing, adding sound tracks and effects. We critique and learn from each other's efforts.
- GERM 318 - German Medieval and Renaissance Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite GERM 262 An examination of selected works and a study of literary history through the 16th century. Medieval literary readings include the Hildebrandslied, Nibelungenlied, Parzival, and Tristan, as well as the Minnesang. Consideration is also given to the history of the German literary language during the period covered. Conducted in German.
- HIST 100 - European History, 325-1517
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introductory survey, featuring lectures and discussions of European culture, politics, religion and social life, and of Europe's relations with neighboring societies, from the rise of Christianity in Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance, to the beginnings of the 16th-century Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
- HIST 101 - European History, 1500-1789
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An individual who died in 1500 would have been surprised, if not bewildered, by many aspects of European life and thought in 1800. What changed over these three centuries? What stayed the same? Why should we in the 21st century, care? This course examines the history of Europe from the Renaissance through the beginning of the French Revolution. It explores the interplay of religion, politics, society, culture, and economy at a time when Europe underwent great turmoil and change: the Reformation, the consolidation of state power, the rise of constitutionalism, global expansion and encounters with others," perpetual warfare, the rise of the market economy, the spread of the slave trade, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. This course discusses how these processes transformed Europe into the Western world of today, while also challenging ideas about what "Western," "European," and "Civilization" actually mean.
- HIST 170 - The World of Islam: Origins to 1500
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys the political, social, and cultural history of the Islamic World from the 7th to 15th centuries, with particular attention paid to the diverse geographical and cultural contexts in which pre-modern Islamic civilization flourished. Topics include the origins of Islam in late Antiquity; the development of Islamic religious, political, and cultural institutions; the flourishing of medieval Islamic education, science, and literature; the tension among state, ethnic, sectarian, and global Muslim identities; and the emergence of a distinctly Muslim approach to historiography.
- LIT 203 - Greek Literature from Homer to the Early Hellenistic Period
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as CLAS 203. While epic, drama, history and philosophy trace their beginnings in many ways to ancient Greece, they are not simply different literary genres, but each offers a distinctive model of what it means to be a human being. In this course, we will read, discuss and write about poetic works by Homer, the tragedians and comic playwrights, as well as philosophical works by Plato and Aristotle. We will discuss the different perspectives of these diverse genres, and the light they shed on such perennially pertinent questions as responsibility, power, violence, justice, and gender.
- LIT 218 - Pre-Modern Chinese Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 A survey of Chinese literature from the earliest period to the founding of the Republic in 1912. Taught in English, the course presupposes no previous knowledge of China or Chinese culture. The literature is presented in the context of its intellectual, philosophical and cultural background. Texts used may vary from year to year and include a wide selection of fiction, poetry, historical documents, Chinese drama (opera) and prose works. Audiovisual materials are used when appropriate and available.
- LIT 219 - Augustine and the Literature of Self, Soul, and Synapses
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as LIT 219. A careful reading of the depiction of the restless soul in Augustine's Confessions is followed by study of fictional, philosophical, religious, and/or scientific literature. Students reflect on the state of the soul in a world made of selves or the fate of the self in a soulless world ... and whether there might be other options
- MUS 201 - Music History I
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of music from the Middle Ages through the Baroque period.
- REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).
- REL 102 - New Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the New Testament.
- REL 105 - Introduction to Islam
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course familiarizes students with the foundations of the Islamic tradition and the diverse historical and geographical manifestations of belief and practice built upon those foundations. Throughout the course, the role of Islam in shaping cultural, social, gender, and political identities is explored. Readings are drawn from the writings of both historical and contemporary Muslim thinkers.
- REL 106 - Judaism: Tradition and Modernity
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to the rituals, concepts, and practices of Judaism from antiquity to the present day. Through a wide variety of sources, including rabbinic debate, fiction, drama, liturgy, memoirs, film, and history, we will consider how the Jewish tradition has developed, changed, and interacted with other traditions. Particular attention will be paid to the development of modern Jewish movements and communities.
- REL 108 - The Qur'an
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course approaches the Qur'an from a range of modern and pre-modern perspectives: as an oral recitation; as a material object; as a historical document; as a literary text; as a foundation for Islamic law, theology and mysticism; and as a source for ethics and social activism. Particular attention is devoted to issues of gender and politics raised by the Qur'an.
- REL 131 - Buddhism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A survey of the historical development of the doctrines and practices of Buddhism. After a discussion of the Hindu origins of Buddhism, the course focuses on the development of the Theravada, Vajrayana and Mahayana traditions. A class trip to at least one Buddhist center is included.
- REL 132 - Hinduism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys Hindu religious traditions with a focus on the many ways in which Hindus visualize and talk about the divine and its manifestations in the world through mythic stories, use of images in worship, explanations of the nature of the soul and body in relation to the divine, and the belief in human embodiments of the divine in Hindu holy men and women. Topics include: the religious meanings of masculine and feminine in the divine and human contexts; the idea of local, family, and 'chosen" divinities; and differing forms of Hindu devotion for men and women.
or when appropriate,
- ARTH 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar. Topics vary by term.
- CLAS 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing Topic and FDR varies by term.
- ENGL 299 - Seminar for Prospective Majors
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement and an English course numbered between 201 and 295 A study of a topic in literature issuing in a research process and sustained critical writing. Some recent topics have been Detective Fiction; American Indian Literatures; Revenge; and David Thoreau and American Transcendentalism.
- FILM 195 - Topics in Film Studies
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topic in film studies, focused on one or more of film history, theory, production, or screenwriting.
- FILM 196 - Topics in Film and Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topics in film and literature.
- FREN 281 - Civilisation et culture françaises: Traditions et changements
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement This course examines the relationship between fashion and pivotal moments of social unrest, political change, and economic innovation in order to interpret how dress both influences and reflects French culture and history. Designed around engaging questions and dilemmas, students will identify key fashion trends and styles from the French Renaissance into the modern era as they interpret theory and evaluate fashion's importance to national identity and present-day institutions through analysis of visual and material culture, classical French literature, philosophical and sociological treatises, documentaries, and other visual and literary works.
- FREN 283 - Histoire des idées
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement This course retraces the evolution of thought in France across centuries through the examination of intellectual, cultural and artistic movements. Readings, discussions and paper in French for further development of communication skills.
- FREN 285 - Spring Term Topics in French Civilization
Credits 4 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement A study of significant aspects of culture and civilization through direct experience abroad in France and/or Francophone countries.
- HIST 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-Year Seminar
- HIST 195 - Topics in History for First-years and Sophomores
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year or sophomore class standing Topics in History for First-years and Sophomores
- LIT 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar. Prerequisite may vary with the topic.
- LIT 295 - Special Topics in Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A selected topic focusing on a particular author, genre, motif or period in translation. The specific topic is determined by the interests of the individual instructor. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- REL 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- SPAN 211 - Spanish Civilization and Culture
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement A survey of significant developments in Spanish civilization. The course addresses Spanish heritage and the present-day cultural patterns formed by its legacies. Readings, discussions and papers, primarily in Spanish, for further development of communication skills.
- SPAN 220 - Introducción a la literatura española
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement Spanish literary masterpieces from the Poema del Cid through the present. Readings and discussions are primarily in Spanish.
- THTR 121 - Script Analysis for Stage and Screen
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as FILM 121. The study of selected plays and screenplays from the standpoint of the theatre and screen artists. Emphasis on thorough examination of the scripts preparatory to production. This course is focused on developing script analysis skills directly applicable to work in production. Students work collaboratively in various creative capacities to transform texts into productions.
- THTR 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- WRIT 100 - Writing Seminar for First-Years
FDR FW Writing Foundation Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing Concentrated work in composition with readings ranging across modes, forms, and genres in the humanities, social sciences, or sciences. The sections vary in thematic focus across disciplines, but all students write at least three revised essays in addition to completing several exercises emphasizing writing as a process. All sections stress active reading, argumentation, reflection, the appropriate presentation of evidence, various methods of critical analysis, and clarity of style. No credit for students who have completed FW through exemption.
- Four additional courses chosen from the following, with at least one course chosen from three of the following four categories.
- History and History of Science
- CLAS 224 - The World of Late Antiquity
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course introduces students to the historical period between the close of the ancient world and the rise of the Middle Ages ca. 250 to 650 AD). Students read primary sources and explore the historical evidence in order to investigate the reigning historical model of Decline and Fall inherited from Edward Gibbon and others, and study the development of Christianity and Judaism during this period. Finally, the course investigates the formation of Europe and the rise of Islam.
- HIST 100 - European History, 325-1517
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introductory survey, featuring lectures and discussions of European culture, politics, religion and social life, and of Europe's relations with neighboring societies, from the rise of Christianity in Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance, to the beginnings of the 16th-century Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
- HIST 101 - European History, 1500-1789
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An individual who died in 1500 would have been surprised, if not bewildered, by many aspects of European life and thought in 1800. What changed over these three centuries? What stayed the same? Why should we in the 21st century, care? This course examines the history of Europe from the Renaissance through the beginning of the French Revolution. It explores the interplay of religion, politics, society, culture, and economy at a time when Europe underwent great turmoil and change: the Reformation, the consolidation of state power, the rise of constitutionalism, global expansion and encounters with others," perpetual warfare, the rise of the market economy, the spread of the slave trade, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. This course discusses how these processes transformed Europe into the Western world of today, while also challenging ideas about what "Western," "European," and "Civilization" actually mean.
- HIST 170 - The World of Islam: Origins to 1500
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys the political, social, and cultural history of the Islamic World from the 7th to 15th centuries, with particular attention paid to the diverse geographical and cultural contexts in which pre-modern Islamic civilization flourished. Topics include the origins of Islam in late Antiquity; the development of Islamic religious, political, and cultural institutions; the flourishing of medieval Islamic education, science, and literature; the tension among state, ethnic, sectarian, and global Muslim identities; and the emergence of a distinctly Muslim approach to historiography.
- HIST 201 - Violence in Pre-Modern Europe
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Popular imagination envisions violence in pre-modern Europe as it appears in film and video games like Assassin's Creed 2 -- an age of vendetta, factional and gang violence, constant war, and abuse. Yet the same period witnessed great movements for peace and the creation of a new identity: The Chivalrous Knight. We look at the history of large-scale violence and in particular at warfare, popular revolt, government-sanctioned violence, enslavement, and inter-religious violence from the period 800-1600 CE to begin answering that question. When and why was violence justified or even considered a positive attribute of social life and when and why not?
- HIST 203 - The Italian Renaissance in Its Historical Setting
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Examines, through lectures and discussions, the Italian Renaissance within the framework of European religious, political and cultural development. The rise and impact of commercial and urban values on religious and political life in the Italian communes to the time of Dante. Cultural and political life in the despotic" signorie and in republics such as Florence and Venice. The diffusion of Renaissance cultural ideals from Florence to the other republics and courts of 15th-century Italy, to the papacy, and to Christian humanists north of the Alps. Readings from Dante, Petrarch, Leonardo Bruni, Pico della Mirandola and Machiavelli."
- HIST 204 - The Age of Reformation
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Examines the origins, development, and consequences of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations of the 16th century. The late medieval religious environment; the emergence of new forms of lay religious expression; the impact of urbanization; and the institutional dilemmas of the church. The views of leading reformers, such as Luther, Calvin, and Loyola; and the impact of differing social and political contexts; and technological innovations, such as printing, on the spread of reform throughout Europe. The impact of reform and religious strife on state development and the emergence of doctrines of religious toleration and philosophical skepticism; recent theses and approaches emphasizing confessionalization,"social discipline," and "microhistory."
- HIST 212 - Crime and Punishment in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An exploration of the history of crime, law enforcement, and punishment during the period of 1200-1650. Our central project is to investigate the deep problems of writing history from a paucity of very biased sources: the criminal records of a world of the past. We begin with the central historical questions: What counted as criminal when, who defined it, and with what authority? What could count as proof of guilt? What constituted acceptable punishment (torture, imprisonment, spectacle executions, penance) and how did this change over time? What role did politics, religion, class, gender, or marginal status play?
- HIST 217 - History of the British Isles to 1688: Power, Plague, and Prayer
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 The history of the British Isles to 1688 tells the story of how an island remote from the classical world came to dominate much of the modern one. This course ventures from Britain during Roman occupation and Anglo-Saxon migration, to the expansion of the Church and tales of chivalry during the Middle Ages, then finally to exploration and conflict during the Tudor and Stuart dynasties. Topics include the development of Christianity, Viking invasions, the Scottish wars of independence, the evolution of parliament, the Black Death, the Wars of the Roses, the Reformation, the beginnings of Empire, and the 17th-century revolutions.
- HIST 219 - Seminar: The Age of the Witch Hunts
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite at least sophomore class standing This course introduces students to one of the most fascinating and disturbing events in the history of the Western world: the witch hunts in early-modern Europe and North America. Between 1450 and 1750, more than 100,000 individuals, from Russia to Salem, were prosecuted for the crime of witchcraft. Most were women and more than half were executed. In this course, we examine the political, religious, social, and legal reasons behind the trials, asking why they occurred in Europe when they did and why they finally ended. We also explore, in brief, global witch hunts that still occur today in places like Africa and India, asking how they resemble yet differ from those of the early-modern world.
- HIST 255 - England in the Age of Shakespeare
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 "This class uses the dates of Shakespeare's life (1564-1616) as our chronological frame to explore the history of England during the profoundly important reigns of Elizabeth I and James VI and I. Together we examine the era of personal monarchy and the growing resistance of parliament, the encounters with "others" beyond England's shores, the relationship between gender and power, the spread of religious convictions and contradictions, colonialism and the beginnings of the British Empire, and the great literary and artistic figures of the day. We also investigate what life was like for the average men and women who lived and died during England's "golden age." "
- HIST 272 - Radicals, Witches, and Revolutions: Britain in the Seventeenth Century
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course explores the most tumultuous period of British history, beginning in 1637 on the eve of the British Civil Wars and ending with the "Glorious" Revolution of 1688-89. This era witnessed revolutionary political conflict, destabilizing religious ideas, rapid social and economic transformation, imperial expansion, and lasting intellectual change. Witches were hunted, one king lost his head and another fled the country, religious radicals called for the abolishment of private property, and many feared the apocalypse was nigh: it was, in many ways but certainly not all, a world turned upside down. This class asks why there so much upheaval in the seventeenth century and identifies the profound legacies and lessons of the period.
- HIST 305 - Seminar: Religion and the Church in Medieval and Renaissance Politics and Society
FDR HU Credits 3 Using texts and documents from the period itself, this seminar surveys the history of the Christian church in Western Europe and its relations with its neighbors from its emergence in Late Antiquity to the eve of the Protestant Reformation. Topics include the evolution of religious orders, relations with secular powers, scholastic theology, mysticism, humanism, lay religious movements, gender, heresy, and the recurring problem of reform.
- HIST 306 - Seminar: Politics and Providence: Medieval and Renaissance Political Thought
FDR HU Credits 3 How did religion shape politics and the development of political institutions in the Middle Ages? This seminar surveys the evolution of political thought from St. Augustine to Machiavelli. We examine Christianity's providential view of history, church-state relations, scholasticism, the revivals of Greek and Roman philosophy, humanism, and the origins of the modern state. Readings include St. Augustine, John of Salisbury, St. Thomas Aquinas, Marsilius of Padua, Leonardo Bruni, and Niccolò Machiavelli.
- HIST 310 - Seminar: Speech and Censorship in the Middle Ages
FDR HU Credits 3 What is censorship, where does it happen, and why? To most U.S. Americans, the Middle Ages is an era known for Inquisition, book burning, and the brutal silencing of political and religious dissent. Yet, compared to more modern censoring institutions, the institutions of medieval Europe held much weaker powers of enforcement, different motives for censoring, and ambiguous technologies to do so. What and who could censor (or be censored) in a society without the printing press? Among other topics, we cover the public vs. private spheres; artistic liberty; religious vs. political concerns; gender; and the role of and limitations upon the modern historian investigating a censored past.
- PHYS 150 - The Immense Journey: Harmonices Mundi
FDR SL Lab Science Distribution Credits 4 The classical astronomy of the solar system is traced by a study of Greek astronomy and the revolutionary ideas of Kepler and Newton. The apparent and real motions of the earth, moon, and planets are studied in detail, as well as special phenomena such as eclipses, tides, and objects such as comets and asteroids. Emphasis is on comprehension and application of principles rather than memorization of facts. The laboratory stresses the observational aspects of astronomy. Elementary geometry, algebra, and trigonometry are used in the course.
- SPAN 333 - El Cid in History and Legend
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 A study of the most significant portrayals of the Castilian warrior Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid (1045-1099), from his 12th-century biography Historia Roderici to the Hollywood blockbuster El Cid . Epic poems, late medieval ballads, and Renaissance drama all recreate the legendary life of El Cid. This course examines the relevant narratives in an effort to determine the heroic values and attributes recreated by authors and their audiences for nearly a thousand years.
or when appropriate,
- HIST 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-Year Seminar
- HIST 195 - Topics in History for First-years and Sophomores
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year or sophomore class standing Topics in History for First-years and Sophomores
- HIST 229 - Topics in European History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in European history.
- HIST 395 - Advanced Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 15 credits in History courses or at least junior class standing A seminar offered from time to time depending on student interest and staff availability, in a selected topic or problem in history.
- HIST 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A course which permits the student to follow a program of directed reading or research in an area not covered in other courses.
- MRST 395 - Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A seminar concentrating on topics or concepts relevant to Medieval and Renaissance studies. Topics are offered according to the interests of participating faculty.
- MRST 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Individual study of selected topics in Medieval and Renaissance studies.
- PHYS 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor to fit special needs of advanced students.
- ROML 295 - Topics in Romance Languages
Credits 1-3 Nature and content of the course is determined by the interests of the instructor(s) and student(s).
- CLAS 224 - The World of Late Antiquity
- Literature
- CLAS 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing Topic and FDR varies by term.
- CLAS 201 - Classical Mythology
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 An introduction to the study of Greek mythology, with an emphasis on the primary sources. The myths are presented in their historical, religious, and political contexts. The course also includes an introduction to several major theories of myth, and uses comparative materials drawn from contemporary society and media.
- CLAS 203 - Greek Literature from Homer to the Early Hellenistic Period
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as LIT 203. While epic, drama, history and philosophy trace their beginnings in many ways to ancient Greece, they are not simply different literary genres, but each offers a distinctive model of what it means to be a human being. In this course, we will read, discuss and write about poetic works by Homer, the tragedians and comic playwrights, as well as philosophical works by Plato and Aristotle. We will discuss the different perspectives of these diverse genres, and the light they shed on such perennially pertinent questions as responsibility, power, violence, justice, and gender.
- CLAS 205 - Reading Rome: A Survey of Latin Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 The course offers a survey of influential works composed in Latin between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE. Alongside poems, histories, and philosophical writings that were originally conceived of as literary projects, we also examine plays, military chronicles, speeches, and letters, all of which come down to the present as literature" but may not have been created as such. The boundaries of "literature" is an ongoing topic of inquiry throughout the term. Students explore the literary traditions represented in the readings and consider their impact on other traditions, with the bulk of class sessions spent discussing the significance of the literary works and improving our knowledge of the contexts--historical and literary--in which they were composed."
- CLAS 215 - Ancient Drama and Its Influence
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 In this course we study ancient tragedy and comedy, both Greek and Roman, and look, too, at the cultural forces shaping ancient drama and some of the influence on later drama and thought. In addition to later plays that hail from ancient drama, we consider some philosophical interpretations of the significance of drama, and, in particular, tragedy.
- ENGL 240 - Arthurian Legend
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Why does King Arthur continue to fascinate and haunt our cultural imagination? This course surveys the origins and histories of Arthurian literature, beginning with Celtic myths, Welsh tales, and Latin chronicles. We then examine medieval French and English traditions that include Chretien de Troyes' Perceval, the lais of Marie de France, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, and Malory's Le Morte Darthur. In addition to historical and literary contexts, we explore theoretical issues surrounding the texts, especially the relationship between history and fantasy, courtly love and adultery, erotic love and madness, romance and chivalry, gender and agency, and Europe and its Others. Finally, we investigate Arthurian medievalisms in Victorian England and in American (post)modernity through Tennyson, Twain, Barthelme, and Ishiguro. Along the way, we view various film adaptations of Arthurian legends. All texts are read in modern English translation.
- ENGL 241 - Cinema Arthuriana
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course is a survey of Arthurian films and an introduction to film studies. We will read select premodern and modern texts and examine a variety of films across the twentieth• and the twenty-first centuries. The course begins with Arthur the messianic hero, then proceeds to the romance of the Holy Grail, the tribulations of Gawain, and finally the American repurposing of matters of Arthur. H film is an escapist medium, it is first and foremost a mirror to society that reflects its cultural fantasies and structural imaginaries. We will consider forms of medievalism and forces of ideology and periodization that these films embody and project, as well as reception theories and on our own historical contingencies.
- ENGL 242 - Individual Shakespeare Play
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A detailed study of a single Shakespearean play, including its sources, textual variants, performance history, film adaptations and literary and cultural legacy. The course includes both performance-based and analytical assignments.
- ENGL 250 - Medieval and Early Modern British Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course is a survey of English literature from the Early Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. We read works in various genres--verse, drama, and prose--and understand their specific cultural and historical contexts. We also examine select modern film adaptations of canonical works as part of the evolving history of critical reception.
- ENGL 252 - Shakespeare
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as MRST 252. A study of the major genres of Shakespeare's plays, employing analysis shaped by formal, historical, and performance-based questions. Emphasis is given to tracing how Shakespeare's work engages early modern cultural concerns, such as the nature of political rule, gender, religion, and sexuality. A variety of skills are developed in order to assist students with interpretation, which may include verse analysis, study of early modern dramatic forms, performance workshops, two medium-length papers, reviews of live play productions, and a final, student-directed performance of a selected play.
- ENGL 312 - Gender, Love, and Marriage in the Middle Ages
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A study of the complex nexus of gender, love, and marriage in medieval legal, theological, political, and cultural discourses. Reading an eclectic range of texts--such as romance, hagiography, fabliau, (auto)biography, conduct literature, and drama--we consider questions of desire, masculinity, femininity, and agency, as well as the production and maintenance of gender roles and of emotional bonds within medieval conjugality. Authors include Chaucer, Chretien de Troyes, Heldris of Cornwall, Andreas Capellanus, Margery Kempe, and Christine de Pisan. Readings in Middle English or in translation.
- ENGL 313 - Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 This course considers the primary work on which Chaucer's reputation rests: The Canterbury Tales. We pay sustained attention to Chaucer's Middle English at the beginning of the semester to ease the reading process. Then we travel alongside the Canterbury pilgrims as they tell their tales under the guise of a friendly competition. The Canterbury Tales is frequently read as a commentary on the social divisions in late medieval England, such as the traditional estates, religious professionals and laity, and gender hierarchies. But despite the Tales' professed inclusiveness of the whole of English society, Chaucer nonetheless focuses inordinately on those individuals from the emerging middle classes. Our aim is to approach the Tales from the practices of historicization and theorization; that is, we both examine Chaucer's cultural and historical contexts and consider issues of religion, gender, sexuality, marriage, conduct, class, chivalry, courtly love, community, geography, history, power, spirituality, secularism, traditional authority, and individual experience. Of particular importance are questions of voicing and writing, authorship and readership. Lastly, we think through Chaucer's famous Retraction at the end" of The Canterbury Tales, as well as Donald R. Howard's trenchant observation that the Tale is "unfinished but complete." What does it mean for the father of literary "Englishness" to end his life's work on the poetic principle of unfulfilled closure and on the image of a society on the move?"
- ENGL 315 - Arthurian Bodies, Desires, and Affects
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 During the medieval and early modern periods, King Arthur and his court served as the foundational models of courtly love, chivalry, and political discourse in the West. Yet artists have rendered Arthurian personae as bodies that feel deeply and follow the pull of desires, and in so doing, produce counter subjectivities. This course surveys the premodern Arthurian literary traditions through theoretical lenses grounded in women's, queer, and trans studies. We examine the myths of Arthur's heroic masculinity and Camelot, the adulterous love triangle at the heart of courtly love, the uncanny trans embodiment and queer sensibility of knighthood, the marriage plot, the uneven gendering of negative affects, the trans-species borders of the animal and the human, and alternate forms of sociality.
- ENGL 316 - The Tudors
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 Famous for his mistresses and marriages, his fickle treatment of courtiers, and his vaunting ambition, Henry VIII did more to change English society and religion than any other king. No one understood Henry's power more carefully than his daughter Elizabeth, who oversaw England's first spy network and jealously guarded her throne from rebel contenders. This course studies the writers who worked for the legendary Tudors, focusing on the love poetry of courtiers, trials, and persecution of religious dissidents, plays, and accounts of exploration to the new world. We trace how the ambitions of the monarch, along with religious revolution and colonial expansion, figure in the work of writers like Wyatt, Surrey, and Anne Askew; Spenser, Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Southwell; and Thomas More and Walter Ralegh.
- ENGL 319 - Shakespeare and Company
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 Focusing on the repertory and working conditions of the two play companies with which he was centrally involved, this course examines plays by Shakespeare and several of his contemporary collaborators and colleagues (Jonson, Middleton, Fletcher). Attentive to stage history and the evolution of dramatic texts within print culture, students consider the degree to which Shakespeare was both a representative and an exceptional player in Renaissance London's show business.
- ENGL 320 - Shakespearean Genres
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 In a given term, this course focuses on one or two of the major genres explored by Shakespeare (e.g., histories, tragedies, comedies, tragicomedies/romances, lyric and narrative poetry), in light of Renaissance literary conventions and recent theoretical approaches. Students consider the ways in which Shakespeare's generic experiments are variably inflected by gender, by political considerations, by habitat, and by history.
- ENGL 326 - 17th-Century Poetry
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 Readings of lyric and epic poetry spanning the long 16th century, and tracing the development of republican and cavalier literary modes. Genres include the metaphysical poetry of Donne, Herbert, Katherine Philips, and Henry Vaughan; erotic verse by Mary Wroth, Herrick, Thomas Carew, Marvell, Aphra Behn, and the Earl of Rochester; elegy by Jonson and Bradstreet; and epic by Milton.
- ENGL 330 - Milton
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 This course surveys one of the most talented and probing authors of the English language -- a man whose reading knowledge and poetic output has never been matched, and whose work has influenced a host of writers after him, including Alexander Pope, William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Mary Shelley. In this course, we read selections from Milton's literary corpus, drawing from such diverse genres as lyric, drama, epic and prose polemic. As part of their study of epic form, students create a digital humanities project rendering Paradise Los t in gaming context. Quests, heroes, ethical choices and exploration of new worlds in Paradise Lost are rendered as a game. Students read Milton in the context of literary criticism and place him within his historical milieu, not the least of which includes England's dizzying series of political metamorphoses from Monarchy to Commonwealth, Commonwealth to Protectorate, and Protectorate back to Monarchy.
- FREN 281 - Civilisation et culture françaises: Traditions et changements
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement This course examines the relationship between fashion and pivotal moments of social unrest, political change, and economic innovation in order to interpret how dress both influences and reflects French culture and history. Designed around engaging questions and dilemmas, students will identify key fashion trends and styles from the French Renaissance into the modern era as they interpret theory and evaluate fashion's importance to national identity and present-day institutions through analysis of visual and material culture, classical French literature, philosophical and sociological treatises, documentaries, and other visual and literary works.
- GERM 318 - German Medieval and Renaissance Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite GERM 262 An examination of selected works and a study of literary history through the 16th century. Medieval literary readings include the Hildebrandslied, Nibelungenlied, Parzival, and Tristan, as well as the Minnesang. Consideration is also given to the history of the German literary language during the period covered. Conducted in German.
- LIT 203 - Greek Literature from Homer to the Early Hellenistic Period
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as CLAS 203. While epic, drama, history and philosophy trace their beginnings in many ways to ancient Greece, they are not simply different literary genres, but each offers a distinctive model of what it means to be a human being. In this course, we will read, discuss and write about poetic works by Homer, the tragedians and comic playwrights, as well as philosophical works by Plato and Aristotle. We will discuss the different perspectives of these diverse genres, and the light they shed on such perennially pertinent questions as responsibility, power, violence, justice, and gender.
- LIT 218 - Pre-Modern Chinese Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 A survey of Chinese literature from the earliest period to the founding of the Republic in 1912. Taught in English, the course presupposes no previous knowledge of China or Chinese culture. The literature is presented in the context of its intellectual, philosophical and cultural background. Texts used may vary from year to year and include a wide selection of fiction, poetry, historical documents, Chinese drama (opera) and prose works. Audiovisual materials are used when appropriate and available.
- LIT 219 - Augustine and the Literature of Self, Soul, and Synapses
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as LIT 219. A careful reading of the depiction of the restless soul in Augustine's Confessions is followed by study of fictional, philosophical, religious, and/or scientific literature. Students reflect on the state of the soul in a world made of selves or the fate of the self in a soulless world ... and whether there might be other options
- SPAN 211 - Spanish Civilization and Culture
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement A survey of significant developments in Spanish civilization. The course addresses Spanish heritage and the present-day cultural patterns formed by its legacies. Readings, discussions and papers, primarily in Spanish, for further development of communication skills.
- SPAN 220 - Introducción a la literatura española
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement Spanish literary masterpieces from the Poema del Cid through the present. Readings and discussions are primarily in Spanish.
- SPAN 312 - Ornament of the World: Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Early Iberia
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 211 or SPAN 220 Muslims, Jews, and Christians co-existed for eight hundred years on the Iberian Peninsula. This course examines these diverse cultures through texts (literary, historical, religious, and philosophical) from the eleventh century to the expulsion of Jews in 1492. The objective of the course is to glean from the remnants of the experience of their co-existence insights into the distinctive characteristics of each culture and how they understood and influenced each other.
- SPAN 320 - Don Quijote
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 Close reading and discussion of this Early Modern novel. May include close reading and discussion of additional narrative and poetic genres of the Golden Age, as represented in or contributing to the Cervantine work
- SPAN 322 - Spanish Golden-Age Drama
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 Close reading and discussion of a variety of selected Golden Age dramas of the 17th century. Representative dramatists may include Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina, Lope de Vega, and MarÃa de Zayas.
- SPAN 323 - Golden Age Spanish Women Writers
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 A study of the comedia and the novela corta and the manner in which the secular women writers inscribe themselves within and beyond these genres. Close reading and discussion of representative works that may include the short stories and plays by MarÃa de Zayas, Ana Caro, Leonor de Meneses, Mariana de Carvajal, and Angela de Azevedo.
- SPAN 333 - El Cid in History and Legend
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 A study of the most significant portrayals of the Castilian warrior Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid (1045-1099), from his 12th-century biography Historia Roderici to the Hollywood blockbuster El Cid . Epic poems, late medieval ballads, and Renaissance drama all recreate the legendary life of El Cid. This course examines the relevant narratives in an effort to determine the heroic values and attributes recreated by authors and their audiences for nearly a thousand years.
or, when appropriate,
- ENGL 299 - Seminar for Prospective Majors
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement and an English course numbered between 201 and 295 A study of a topic in literature issuing in a research process and sustained critical writing. Some recent topics have been Detective Fiction; American Indian Literatures; Revenge; and David Thoreau and American Transcendentalism.
- ENGL 392 - Topics in Literature in English before 1700
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English before 1700 with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- ENGL 394 - Topics in Literature in English since 1900
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English since 1900 with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- ENGL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite Instructor consent Directed study individually arranged and supervised. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- FREN 341 - La France de l'Ancien Régime
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 This course is designed in thematic modules that offer nuanced representations of women through a close examination of textile work including embroidery, sewing, and weaving, in medieval French narrative. A blend of literature, culture, and gender theory, students in this course will apply medieval philosophies regarding love and romance to creative projects and will have the opportunity to analyze various elements of textile production and "women's work" in medieval France through primary texts such as medieval Chansons de toile, Ovid's Metamorphosis,and Marie de France's Lais.
- FREN 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Nature and content of course to be determined by students' needs and by instructors acquainted with their earlier preparation and performance.
- ITAL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Advanced study in Italian. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students' needs and by an evaluation of their previous work. May be repeated for credit with permission and if the topics are different.
- LIT 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar. Prerequisite may vary with the topic.
- LIT 295 - Special Topics in Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A selected topic focusing on a particular author, genre, motif or period in translation. The specific topic is determined by the interests of the individual instructor. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- MRST 395 - Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A seminar concentrating on topics or concepts relevant to Medieval and Renaissance studies. Topics are offered according to the interests of participating faculty.
- MRST 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Individual study of selected topics in Medieval and Renaissance studies.
- ROML 295 - Topics in Romance Languages
Credits 1-3 Nature and content of the course is determined by the interests of the instructor(s) and student(s).
- SPAN 397 - Literature of Spain Seminar
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 A seminar focusing on a single period, genre, motif, or writer. The specific topic will be determined jointly according to student interest and departmental approval.
- SPAN 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Nature and content of course to be determined by students' needs and by instructors acquainted with their earlier preparation and performance.
- CLAS 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
- History of Ideas
- ARTH 200 - Greek Art & Archaeology
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to ancient Greek art and archaeology. We encounter some of the greatest works of art in human history, as we survey the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and town planning of the ancient Greeks. We encounter the history of the people behind the objects that they left behind, from the material remains of the Bronze Age palaces and Classical Athenian Acropolis to the world created in the wake of Alexander the Great's conquests. We also consider how we experience the ancient Greek world today through archaeological practice, cultural heritage, and the antiquities trade.
- ARTH 385 - Leonardo da Vinci: Art, Science and Innovation in Renaissance Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Leonardo da Vinci has for years been considered the consummate "Renaissance Man," equally skilled as a painter, anatomist, engineer, and military scientist. This course examines the contextual background from which this true genius was sprung, the works he produced, the people for whom he produced them, and the visions of the artist both realized and unrealized that have captured the imaginations of people around the world since Leonardo's death in 1519.
- CLAS 200 - Greek Art & Archaeology
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to ancient Greek art and archaeology. We encounter some of the greatest works of art in human history, as we survey the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and town planning of the ancient Greeks. We encounter the history of the people behind the objects that they left behind, from the material remains of the Bronze Age palaces and Classical Athenian Acropolis to the world created in the wake of Alexander the Great's conquests. We also consider how we experience the ancient Greek world today through archaeological practice, cultural heritage, and the antiquities trade.
- CLAS 204 - Augustan Era
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 An interdisciplinary course taught in English, using the tools of literature, history and art to examine a specific, complicated, and pivotally important period in the evolution of western culture, focused on the literary. Readings from the poets predominate (Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphosis, selections from Horace, Propertius, Tibullus and other poems of Ovid) and also including readings from ancient historians dealing with Augustus and the major events of his period (e.g., Suetonius, Plutarch, and Tacitus on such topics as Actium and problems of succession). The topic for each lecture is illustrated with slides of works of art and architecture from the period. Selections from historians and from material remains are chosen according to intersection points with the literature.
- CLAS 210 - Sex, Gender and Power in Ancient Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 An examination of literature in various genres (poetry, philosophy, drama, and history) in an attempt to understand the diverse ways in which Greeks and Romans conceived of gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. We also interrogate the power dynamics that underpinned these conceptions. Readings include primary sources from antiquity (e.g., Homer, Euripides, Plato, Plautus, Livy, Ovid) as well as secondary sources that explore sex, gender, and power in both ancient and modern contexts. The course examines several influential works composed in Greek and Latin between the 8th century BCE and the 1st century CE. Alongside poems and philosophical writings that were originally conceived of as literary projects, we also examine plays, historical works, and even some inscriptions, all of which come down to the present as literature, although many may not have been conceived as such. The boundaries of "literature" is an ongoing topic of inquiry throughout the term. Open to all students without prerequisite.
- CLAS 221 - Plato
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 221. An in-depth examination of the philosophy of Plato. We look at Plato's epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy through a careful analysis of several dialogues, including some or all of the following: Euthyphro, Laches, Apology, Gorgias, Meno, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus , and Republic . In addition, we consider certain challenges posed by Plato's use of the dialogue form, such as whether we are justified in assuming that Socrates is a mouthpiece for Plato's own views, and how we should interpret Plato's frequent appeal to myths and other literary devices within his dialogues.
- FREN 341 - La France de l'Ancien Régime
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 This course is designed in thematic modules that offer nuanced representations of women through a close examination of textile work including embroidery, sewing, and weaving, in medieval French narrative. A blend of literature, culture, and gender theory, students in this course will apply medieval philosophies regarding love and romance to creative projects and will have the opportunity to analyze various elements of textile production and "women's work" in medieval France through primary texts such as medieval Chansons de toile, Ovid's Metamorphosis,and Marie de France's Lais.
- HIST 250 - Saints and Sinners in the Puritan Atlantic
FDR HU Credits 3 This class explores the history of Puritans—a term that was itself derisive— on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the legacy of Puritanism in Britain and America. Topics covered include the development of Puritanism after the English Reformation, the settlement of Massachusetts, the trial of Anne Hutchinson, relationships with Native Americans, the English Civil War and rule of Oliver Cromwell, and the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Throughout, we will pay special attention to the relationship between religion and politics, the role of gender in Puritan life and theology, the nature of transatlantic ideas and communication, and popular practice versus orthodoxy.
- HIST 306 - Seminar: Politics and Providence: Medieval and Renaissance Political Thought
FDR HU Credits 3 How did religion shape politics and the development of political institutions in the Middle Ages? This seminar surveys the evolution of political thought from St. Augustine to Machiavelli. We examine Christianity's providential view of history, church-state relations, scholasticism, the revivals of Greek and Roman philosophy, humanism, and the origins of the modern state. Readings include St. Augustine, John of Salisbury, St. Thomas Aquinas, Marsilius of Padua, Leonardo Bruni, and Niccolò Machiavelli.
- PHIL 110 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An examination of the most important philosophical works of Plato and Aristotle, two Ancient Greek philosophers who were the most influential in the Western tradition. Topics include the nature of existence, friendship, happiness, justice, knowledge, morality, piety, the soul, truth, and virtue.
- PHIL 221 - Plato
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as CLAS 221. An in-depth examination of the philosophy of Plato. We look at Plato's epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy through a careful analysis of several dialogues, including some or all of the following: Euthyphro, Laches, Apology, Gorgias, Meno, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus , and Republic . In addition, we consider certain challenges posed by Plato's use of the dialogue form, such as whether we are justified in assuming that Socrates is a mouthpiece for Plato's own views, and how we should interpret Plato's frequent appeal to myths and other literary devices within his dialogues.
- REL 102 - New Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the New Testament.
- REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).
- REL 105 - Introduction to Islam
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course familiarizes students with the foundations of the Islamic tradition and the diverse historical and geographical manifestations of belief and practice built upon those foundations. Throughout the course, the role of Islam in shaping cultural, social, gender, and political identities is explored. Readings are drawn from the writings of both historical and contemporary Muslim thinkers.
- REL 106 - Judaism: Tradition and Modernity
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to the rituals, concepts, and practices of Judaism from antiquity to the present day. Through a wide variety of sources, including rabbinic debate, fiction, drama, liturgy, memoirs, film, and history, we will consider how the Jewish tradition has developed, changed, and interacted with other traditions. Particular attention will be paid to the development of modern Jewish movements and communities.
- REL 108 - The Qur'an
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course approaches the Qur'an from a range of modern and pre-modern perspectives: as an oral recitation; as a material object; as a historical document; as a literary text; as a foundation for Islamic law, theology and mysticism; and as a source for ethics and social activism. Particular attention is devoted to issues of gender and politics raised by the Qur'an.
- REL 131 - Buddhism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A survey of the historical development of the doctrines and practices of Buddhism. After a discussion of the Hindu origins of Buddhism, the course focuses on the development of the Theravada, Vajrayana and Mahayana traditions. A class trip to at least one Buddhist center is included.
- REL 132 - Hinduism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys Hindu religious traditions with a focus on the many ways in which Hindus visualize and talk about the divine and its manifestations in the world through mythic stories, use of images in worship, explanations of the nature of the soul and body in relation to the divine, and the belief in human embodiments of the divine in Hindu holy men and women. Topics include: the religious meanings of masculine and feminine in the divine and human contexts; the idea of local, family, and 'chosen" divinities; and differing forms of Hindu devotion for men and women.
- REL 215 - Female and Male in Western Religious Traditions
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An investigation of views about the body, human sexuality, and gender in Western religious traditions, especially Judaism and Christianity, and of the influences of these views both on the religious traditions themselves and on the societies in which they develop. The course focuses on religion and society in antiquity and the Middle Ages, but also considers the continuing influence of religious constructions of the body and sexuality on succeeding generations to the present.
- REL 216 - Sainthood in Four Traditions
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A survey of sainthood in a variety of religious contexts: Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist. The course asks: What makes someone holy? How do saints behave? How and why are they "worshipped?" Readings include sacred biographies (hagiographies), studies of particular traditions of saint worship, and interpretations of sainthood in both theological and cross-cultural perspectives.
- REL 219 - Augustine and the Literature of Self, Soul, and Synapses
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as LIT 219. A careful reading of the depiction of the restless soul in Augustine's Confessions is followed by study of fictional, philosophical, religious, and/or scientific literature. Students reflect on the state of the soul in a world made of selves or the fate of the self in a soulless world ... and whether there might be other options
- REL 225 - Magic, Science, and Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 How do religious and scientific explanations and methods of inquiry differ? What are the roles of reason and authority in each case? This course draws together materials from antiquity to the present, from the West and from Asia, to illustrate a variety of types of systems of "knowledge." Theoretical readings are balanced with diverse case studies from diverse contexts: religious doctrines, mystical practices, alchemy, astrology, sorcery, "traditional medicines," and modern religious movements. Students research a system of their choice and analyze its claims and methods in comparison with those of other traditions covered in the course.
- REL 250 - Truth, Belief, Dissent: Defining Insiders and Outsiders in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Who decides what is orthodox [acceptable thought] and what is heretical [unacceptable], how are these decisions made, and what impact do they have on societal definitions of "insider" and "outsider?" What perennial questions emerge in debates about orthodoxy and heresy -- e.g., the powers of states to enforce religious orthodoxy, the joining of political ideologies with religious interests -- and how are those questions addressed in modernity? This course explores the shifting and perpetually uncertain boundaries of truth and identity in religion. The focal religion is Christianity, but comparative religions are in view. Readings include selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament, "Gnostic gospels", and other so-called heretical texts, writings from the Church Fathers (with special attention to St. Augustine), medieval heresy trials, a contemporary American novel, and recent scholarly treatments of the boundaries that define "insiders" and "outsiders."
- REL 260 - Seminar in the Christian Tradition
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to enduring issues in Christian theology and ethics through study of one or more of the classical Christian theologians. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- REL 283 - Islam and Spirituality
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course explores Sufism, Shi'ism, and popular religious practices within the global Islamic community. Topics include Muslim meditative practices, popular festivals and celebrations in Islam and legal debates around their permissibility; mystical interpretations of the Qur'an.
- REL 284 - Gender and Sexuality in Islam
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 How have issues of gender and sexuality in Medieval and Modern Islamic societies been debated across the Middle East, South Asia, and the West? Students examine scholarly and public discussions of gender and Islam, and they build a vocabulary in which to talk about women. queer, and intersex history as they concern Muslim societies and their foundational sources in their regional and historical contexts.
- REL 350 - Seminar in Biblical Studies
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite REL 101, REL 102, REL 151, or REL 250 An exploration of a topic in Biblical studies, focusing on ancient texts and their interpreters from antiquity to the present.
or, when appropriate,
- FREN 283 - Histoire des idées
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement This course retraces the evolution of thought in France across centuries through the examination of intellectual, cultural and artistic movements. Readings, discussions and paper in French for further development of communication skills.
- FREN 285 - Spring Term Topics in French Civilization
Credits 4 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement A study of significant aspects of culture and civilization through direct experience abroad in France and/or Francophone countries.
- PHIL 195 - Seminar in History of Philosophy or Major Figures
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A consideration of selected issues in philosophy.
- PHIL 395 - Seminar in History of Philosophy or Major Figures
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. An intensive and critical study of selected issues or major figures in philosophy.
- PHIL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- MRST 395 - Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A seminar concentrating on topics or concepts relevant to Medieval and Renaissance studies. Topics are offered according to the interests of participating faculty.
- MRST 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Individual study of selected topics in Medieval and Renaissance studies.
- POL 396 - Seminar in Political Philosophy
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite POL 111 An examination of selected questions and problems in political philosophy and/or political theory.
- POL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course permits a student to follow a program of directed reading, library research, or data collection and analysis in some area not covered in other courses.
- REL 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- REL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Subject to departmental approval and available departmental resources, this course provides an opportunity for individuals to pursue significant lines of independent study in the field of religion. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.
- ROML 295 - Topics in Romance Languages
Credits 1-3 Nature and content of the course is determined by the interests of the instructor(s) and student(s).
- ARTH 200 - Greek Art & Archaeology
- Fine Arts
- ARTH 101 - Survey of Western Art: Ancient to Medieval
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Chronological survey of Western art from the Paleolithic Age through the Middle Ages in Italy and Northern Europe. Examination of cultural and stylistic influences in the art and architecture of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Consideration of distinct interests of Early Christian, Byzantine, and Medieval Europe. Focus on major monuments and influential images produced up to circa 1400.
- ARTH 102 - Survey of Western Art: Renaissance to the Present
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Chronological survey of Western art from the Renaissance through the present. Topics include the Renaissance, from its cultural and stylistic origins through the Mannerist movement; the Baroque and Rococo; the Neoclassical reaction; Romanticism and Naturalism; the Barbizon School and Realism; Impressionism and its aftermath; Fauvism, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, and the Postmodern reaction to Modernism.
- ARTH 253 - Medieval Art in Southern Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Examination of the art and culture of Italy and Greece from the rise of Christianity to the first appearance of bubonic plague in 1348. Topics include early Christian art and architecture; Byzantine imagery in Ravenna and Constantinople during the Age of Justinian; iconoclasm; mosaics in Greece, Venice and Sicily; sculpture in Pisa; and the development of panel and fresco painting in Rome, Florence, Siena and Assisi.
- ARTH 254 - Medieval Art in Northern Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Survey of the art of France, Spain, Germany, and the British Isles from circa 700 to circa 1400. Discussions include Carolingian and Ottonian painting and architecture, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, and French cathedral design and decoration during the Romanesque and Gothic periods.
- ARTH 255 - Northern Renaissance Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of Northern painting from 1300 to 1600, examined as symbols of political, religious, and social concerns of painters, patrons, and viewers. Among the artists covered are Campin, van Eyck, van der Weyden, Durer, Holbein, and Brueghel. Emphasis placed on interpretation of meaning and visual analysis.
- ARTH 350 - Medieval Art in Italy
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Art and architecture of the Italian peninsula, from circa 1200 to 1400. This seminar addresses issues of patronage, artistic training and methods of production, iconography, and the function of religious and secular imagery. Topics of discussion include the construction of Tuscan cathedrals and civic buildings; sculpture in Siena, Pisa, and Rome; and painting in Assisi, Padua, and Florence.
- ARTH 354 - The Early Renaissance in Italy
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Examination of the intellectual, cultural, and artistic movements dominant in Florence between ca. 1400 and ca. 1440. Images and structures produced by Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Donatello, and Fra Angelico are considered within the context of Florentine social traditions and political events.
- ARTH 355 - The High Renaissance in Italy
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ARTH 256 This seminar addresses issues of patronage, artistic production, criticism and art theory, and the uses and abuses of images during the High Renaissance. Works by Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Bramante are considered as emblems of larger cultural movements popular in Italian courts between 1470 and 1520.
- FILM 255 - Seven-Minute Shakespeare
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite completion of both the FDR:FW and FDR:HL requirements After intensive collective reading and discussion of three Shakespeare plays in the first week, students organize into four-person groups with the goal of producing a seven-minute video version of one of the plays by the end of the term, using only the actual text of the play. The project requires full engagement and commitment, and includes tasks such as editing and selecting from the text to produce the film script, creating storyboards, casting and recruiting actors, rehearsing, filming, editing, adding sound tracks and effects. We critique and learn from each other's efforts.
- MUS 201 - Music History I
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of music from the Middle Ages through the Baroque period.
- THTR 342 - Creating Meaning
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Shakespeare is OLD and DEAD. Why do students still study his plays and theatre companies still perform them? Does he have anything left to say to us? Is his work relevant to the world we live in now? This is an acting class for the lovers and the haters, the readers and the performers. First we will explore ways to perform Shakespeare's texts for a modern world while exploding preconceived notions about them. Then we will use contemporary devising techniques to create and perform our own new work using Shakespeare as a jumping off point.
or, when appropriate,
- ARTH 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar. Topics vary by term.
- ARTH 394 - Seminar in Art History
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Research in selected topics in art history with written and oral reports. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- ARTH 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Individual or class study of special topics in art history. Permission of the department required. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- FILM 195 - Topics in Film Studies
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topic in film studies, focused on one or more of film history, theory, production, or screenwriting.
- FILM 196 - Topics in Film and Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topics in film and literature.
- MUS 423 - Directed Individual Project
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent May be repeated for degree credit with permission.
- MRST 395 - Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A seminar concentrating on topics or concepts relevant to Medieval and Renaissance studies. Topics are offered according to the interests of participating faculty.
- MRST 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Individual study of selected topics in Medieval and Renaissance studies.
- ROML 295 - Topics in Romance Languages
Credits 1-3 Nature and content of the course is determined by the interests of the instructor(s) and student(s).
- THTR 121 - Script Analysis for Stage and Screen
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as FILM 121. The study of selected plays and screenplays from the standpoint of the theatre and screen artists. Emphasis on thorough examination of the scripts preparatory to production. This course is focused on developing script analysis skills directly applicable to work in production. Students work collaboratively in various creative capacities to transform texts into productions.
- THTR 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- ARTH 101 - Survey of Western Art: Ancient to Medieval
- Capstone Course:
- MRST 403 - Directed Individual Study
approved in advance
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Individual study of selected topics in Medieval and Renaissance studies.
A directed study or thesis in another discipline may be used to meet this requirement if approved in advance by the MRST Advisory Committee through its chair.