Curriculum
Certain courses, including Medieval Studies 150, Medieval Studies 250, and Medieval Studies 200 (the graduate proseminar), are offered by the Program itself. In addition, each term a number of courses and seminars are offered at Berkeley in one or another field of Medieval Studies and in subjects of immediate interest to medievalists.
Upper Division Courses
Medieval Studies 140: Medieval Latin (4 units)
Introduction to Medieval Latin: selected readings in prose and poetry from Late
Antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages, with attention to the special
characteristics of the Latin language during this period. Prerequisite:
Latin 100 or consent of instructor. Cross-listed with Latin 140: Medieval
Latin.
Medieval Studies 150: Studies in Medieval Culture (2-4
units)
An interdisciplinary exploration of Medieval culture, focusing on an area of
the instructor's expertise. Specific topic varies with instructor. In the event
that the instructor is in residence for fewer than fifteen weeks, the course
will be offered for either 2 or 3 units of credit, in proportion to the number
of actual contact hours (one hour of lecture per week per unit). Course may be
repeated for credit.
Graduate Courses
Medieval Studies 200: Introduction to Research
Materials and Methods (4 units)
The graduate proseminar. Basic materials and resources in fields represented in
the Medieval Studies program, as well as in some subjects involving expertise in more
than one discipline (e.g. liturgy, codicology). Emphasis on research aids and
cricital evaluation of their use. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or
consent of instructor.
Medieval Studies 205: Medieval Manuscripts as Primary
Sources (2 units)
This course explores the use of medieval manuscripts as primary sources for
scholarship in a variety of discipines (including literary studies, art
history, music, intellectual history, social history, and canon law). After
reviewing the fundamentals of paleography and codicology, students will compare
various manuscripts using digitized images from special collections, including
the Bancroft Library of UC Berkeley and the Special Collections Library of
Columbia University. Faculty members from both those institutions will collaborate
in teaching the course using distance learning technology. Three hours of
seminar per week. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
Medieval Studies 210: Paleography and Codicology (4
units)
Instruction in Medieval Latin paleography and/or the paleography of one or more
of the medieval vernacular languages of Western Europe, emphasizing the
evolution of scripts as well as practice in reading them. Ancillary instruction
in the principles of codicology with attention to all aspects of text-making
and book manufacture. Course may be repeated for credit if topic varies. Three
hours of seminar per week. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor required.
Medieval Studies 250: Seminar in Medieval Culture (2-4
units)
This seminar on a topic of Medieval culture focuses on an area of the
instructor's expertise. Specific topic varies with instructor. In the event
that the instructor is in residence for fewer than fifteen weeks, the seminar
will be offered for either 2 or 3 units of credit, in proportion to the number
of actual contact hours. May be repeated for credit. Course may be taken on a
satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis with consent of instructor. Three hours of
seminar per week. Prerequisites: Graduate standing.