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 241: Latin Literature of the Middle Ages (either 2 or 4 units)
Graduate readings in Medieval Latin with attention to the evolution of literary forms and genres from Late Antiquity to the close of the Middle Ages. Students who take the course for 2 units must enroll on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Students who take it for 4 units must enroll for a letter grade. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit if content varies. Three hours of seminar per week. Prerequisites: Classic 200 or consent of instructor. Cross-listed with Classics 241: Latin Literature of the Middle Ages.

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.