Programs of Study

The Medieval Institute offers two graduate programs: the Master of Arts in medieval studies and the accelerated graduate degree program (B.A./M.A.) in medieval studies, which is open to WMU students minoring in medieval studies.

Master of Arts in Medieval Studies

The Master of Arts in medieval studies is an interdisciplinary degree program. M.A. candidates complete four core courses in affiliated departments and choose electives taught by faculty across the university.

In addition to regularly scheduled courses, as a student at the Medieval Institute you may have access to special topics seminars offered on campus by visiting scholars or off campus through Western Michigan University's affiliation with the Center for Renaissance Studies at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Recent courses at the Newberry taken by WMU students include "Gender, Bodies, and the Body Politic in Medieval Europe," "Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy and Its Afterlife," "Lives and Deeds: Writing Biography in the Middle Ages" and "Digital Humanities and Premodern Studies: An Introduction."

Degree hours

The Master of Arts in medieval studies requires a total of 30 credit hours.

Course offerings

See the Courses page for courses recently offered by the Medieval Institute's affiliated faculty, as well as other courses of interest to medievalists.

Programs of study for the M.A. in medieval studies

  • M.A. curriculum for students beginning their studies in fall 2019 or later

    Required coursework

    A total of 30 credit hours of coursework, or 33 credit hours for thesis writers, including:

    • 12 credit hours of required core courses (with a course grade of B or better).
    • 18 credit hours of electives, or 15 credit hours for thesis writers.
    • Thesis writers take six credit hours of thesis (MDVL 7000).

    Core courses

    • ENGL 5300: Medieval Literature (three credit hours).
    • HIST 5501: Medieval History Proseminar (three credit hours).
    • LAT 5600: Medieval Latin (three credit hours).
    • REL 6200: Medieval Religions (three credit hours).

    Languages

    Demonstrated proficiency in Latin and a second medieval or a modern language is required.

    Oral examination

    The hour-long oral examination is an opportunity for faculty and the student to explore content in medieval studies based on the student's coursework. Students will choose two seminar papers with two distinct disciplinary foci to submit to the examination committee, with the expectation that they will have revised the papers for the examination. These papers will serve as the starting point for the oral exam. The examination committee will be composed of three members named by the director in consultation with the student. Students are encouraged to consult the professors for whom they originally wrote the papers and members of their examination committee for guidance. For students writing theses, one paper may be a chapter of the thesis. Note that students will submit the two papers to the director no later than two weeks prior to examination. Students also submit a list of courses taken with a description of their final projects in those courses. Oral exams usually take place in mid-April for Spring graduation, or slightly later for Summer graduation.

    Students will receive an assessment of high pass, pass, low pass or fail. If a student fails an examination the examining faculty will determine whether the student is offered a one-time re-examination to be completed within 12 months of the first examination date.

    Thesis

    With the thesis advisor's approval of a prospectus, a student may complete the degree by producing a master's thesis under the direction of a thesis committee. The committee will be composed by the director of the Medieval Institute in consultation with the student.

  • M.A. curriculum for students entering the program in fall 2018

    Required coursework

    A total of 32 credit hours of coursework, or 35 credit hours for thesis writers, including:

    • 14 credit hours of required core courses (with a course grade of B or better).
    • 15 credit hours of electives at the 6000- or 7000-level, or 12 credit hours for thesis writers.
    • MDVL 6900: Medieval Studies Capstone Writing Seminar (three credit hours).
    • Thesis writers take six credit hours of thesis (MDVL 7000).

    Core courses

    • ENGL 5300: Medieval Literature (three credit hours).
    • HIST 5501: Medieval History Proseminar (three credit hours).
    • LAT 5600: Medieval Latin (four credit hours).
    • REL 5000: Historical Studies in Religion: Medieval Christianity (three credit hours).

    Languages

    Demonstrated proficiency in Latin and a second medieval or a modern language is required.

    Oral examination

    The hour-long oral examination is an opportunity for faculty and the student to explore content in medieval studies based on the student's coursework and written work completed in MDVL 6900. The examination committee will be composed of three members named by the director in consultation with the student. The student will submit the two capstone writing seminar papers to the committee no less than two weeks prior to the examination date. Students will receive an assessment of high pass, pass, low pass or fail. If a student fails an examination, the examining faculty will determine whether the student is offered a one-time re-examination to be completed within 12 months of the first examination date.

    Thesis

    With the thesis advisor's approval of a prospectus, a student may complete the degree by producing a master's thesis under the direction of a thesis committee. The committee will be composed by the director of the Medieval Institute in consultation with the student.

    Download the fall 2018 program of study as a PDF

  • M.A. curriculum for students entering the program between fall 2015 and fall 2017

    Required coursework

    A total of 32 credit hours of coursework, or 35 credit hours for thesis writers, including:

    • 14 credit hours of required core courses (with a course grade of B or better).
    • A 6000-level theory or methods course (three credit hours).
    • 12 credit hours of electives at the 6000-level, or nine credit hours for thesis writers.
    • MDVL 6900: Medieval Studies Capstone Writing Seminar (three credit hours).
    • Thesis writers take six credit hours of thesis (MDVL 7000).

    Core courses

    • ENGL 5300: Medieval Literature (three credit hours).
    • HIST 5501: Medieval History Proseminar (three credit hours).
    • LAT 5600: Medieval Latin (four credit hours).
    • MDVL 5300: Introduction to Medieval Studies (one credit hour).
    • REL 5000: Historical Studies in Religion: Medieval Christianity (three credit hours).

    Languages

    Demonstrated proficiency in Latin and a second medieval or a modern language is required.

    Oral examination

    The hour-long oral examination is an opportunity for faculty and the student to explore content in medieval studies based on the student's coursework and written work completed in MDVL 6900. The examination committee will be composed of three members named by the director in consultation with the student. The student will submit the two capstone writing seminar papers to the committee no less than two weeks prior to the examination date. Students will receive an assessment of high pass, pass, low pass or fail. If a student fails an examination, the examining faculty will determine whether the student is offered a one-time re-examination to be completed within 12 months of the first examination date.

    Thesis

    With the thesis advisor's approval of a prospectus, a student may complete the degree by producing a master's thesis under the direction of a thesis committee. The committee will be composed by the director of the Medieval Institute in consultation with the student.

    Download the fall 2015–fall 2017 program of study as a PDF

  • M.A. curriculum for students beginning their studies before fall 2015

    Option I, thesis, 37 hours

    A total of 31 credit hours of coursework, including:

    • 13 credit hours of required core courses (ENGL 5300: Medieval Literature; HIST 6350: Research Techniques in Medieval History; LAT 5600: Medieval Latin [grade of B or better required]; REL 5000, Medieval Christianity).
    • 18 credit hours of electives, the latter to be chosen from the list of approved courses in the departments of Art, Comparative Religion, English, World Languages and Literatures, History, Music and Philosophy.
    • At least 12.5 of the 31 credit hours must be at the 6000 or 7000 level.
    • Demonstrated reading proficiency in Latin and in one modern foreign language, such as French, German, Italian or Spanish.
    • Preparation of an acceptable master's thesis (six hours) under the direction of a thesis advisory committee.
    • Oral examination in defense of master's thesis.

    Option II, non-thesis, 37 hours

    A total of 37 credit hours of coursework, including:

    • 13 credit hours of required core courses (ENGL 5300: Medieval Literature; HIST 6350: Research Techniques in Medieval History; LAT 5600: Medieval Latin [grade of B or better required]; REL 5000: Medieval Christianity).
    • 24 credit hours of electives, the latter to be chosen from the list of approved courses in the Departments of Art, Comparative Religion, English, Foreign Languages and Literatures, History, Music and Philosophy.
    • At least 18.5 of the 37 credit hours must be at the 6000 or 7000 level.
    • Demonstrated reading proficiency in Latin.
    • Option II has no thesis requirement and no modern language requirement.

    Core requirements for all M.A. students (entering before fall 2015):

    • ENGL 5300: Medieval Literature (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6350: Research Techniques in Medieval History (3 credit hours).
    • REL 5000: Medieval Christianity (3 credit hours).
    • LAT 5600: Medieval Latin (4 credit hours).

    Approved electives (for students entering before fall 2015):

    • ART 5200: Independent Study in Art History (2-3 credit hours).
    • ART 5210: *Topics in Art History (3 credit hours).
    • ART 5810: History of Ancient Art (3 credit hours).
    • ART 5830: History of Medieval Art (3 credit hours).
    • ART 5850: History of Renaissance Art (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 5320: English Renaissance Literature (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 5550: Studies in Major Writers: Chaucer, Dante (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 6100: *Seminar in English Literature and Art to 1600 (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 6420: Studies in Drama (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 6520: Studies in Shakespeare: Tragedy (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 6530: Studies in Shakespeare: Comedy (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 6760: Old English (3 credit hours).
    • ENGL 6770: Middle English (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 5500: Studies in Medieval History (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6000: Historical Method (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6010: Historiography (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6020: Historical Theory (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6120: Readings in Medieval History (3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6200: *Bibliographical Research (1-3 credit hours).
    • HIST 6820: Seminar in Medieval History (3 credit hours).
    • MDVL 5000: Interdisciplinary Studies in Medieval Culture (3 credit hours).
    • MDVL 5970: Directed Study (1-3 credit hours).
    • MDVL 6000: Advanced Seminar in Medieval Studies (2-4 credit hours).
    • MDVL 7100: Independent Research (2-6 credit hours).
    • MDVL 7120: Professional Field Experience (2-12 credit hours).
    • MUS 5170: Collegium Musicum (1 credit hour).
    • MUS 5850: Medieval Music (2 credit hours).
    • MUS 5860: Renaissance Music (2 credit hours).
    • PHIL 5700: *Philosophical Topics (1-4 credit hours).
    • REL 5000: *Historical Studies in Religion (2-4 credit hours).
    • REL 5100: *Morphological and Phenomenological Studies in Religion (2-4 credit hours).
    • REL 6200: *Advanced Seminar in Comparative Religion (3 credit hours).

    Culminating Research Course for Option I, Thesis:

    • MDVL 7000, Thesis (6 credit hours).

    *Specific topics of these courses vary from semester to semester.

    Download the pre-fall 2015 program of study as a PDF

Accelerated Graduate Degree Program in Medieval Studies

The Medieval Institute offers an accelerated graduate degree program (AGDP) in medieval studies that allows seniors to accumulate credits towards the completion of a master's degree while still enrolled as an undergraduate. Students admitted to the Medieval Institute AGDP may take up to 12 credit hours of designated 5000- and 6000-level courses for graduate credit. The designated courses may be used to complete both the bachelor's degree and the master's degree.

Medieval studies minors interested in applying to the AGDP in medieval studies should contact the director of the Medieval Institute.

Degree hours

A medieval studies minor requires a total of 24 credits. The Master of Arts in medieval studies requires a total of 30 credit hours. Students enrolling in the AGDP take 12 graduate credits in their senior year and 19 in the second year of their accelerated degree program.

Program of study

Upon acceptance into the AGDP, meet with the director of the Medieval Institute and an undergraduate academic advisor to prepare a program of study that meets the requirements for both degrees. An AGDP Course Approval Form listing which graduate courses will be counted in both degrees will be sent to you to be signed and returned to the director to be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.

Requirements for continuing eligibility and graduation

  • You will pay undergraduate tuition for AGDP eligible 5000- and 6000-level courses; the courses will be included in the flat tuition rate. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, you will be reclassified as a graduate student and begin paying graduate tuition.
  • It is expected that the B.A. degree will be awarded within one calendar year after initial AGDP enrollment.
  • Once you have earned the bachelor's degree and have been admitted as a graduate student, you will be eligible to apply for departmental financial aid.
  • Follow the program of study developed with the graduate studies director and the undergraduate advisor.
  • Complete the requirements for the M.A. degree within 24 months from the completion of the B.A. degree.