Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MARS)
« Viewing all majors and minors
- African American Studies
- American Studies
- Area Studies
- Art
- Asian Studies
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- Cinema Studies
- Classical Studies
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Digital Media Design
- Economics
- Education
- English
- Environmental Studies
- Finance
- French
- German
- History
- Honors Seminar
- Independent Scholar
- International Relations
- Islamic World Studies
- Latin American Studies
- Legal Studies
- Mathematics
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- Modern Languages and Literatures
- Music
- Music Education
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Politics
- Psychology
- Religion
- Social Justice
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Spanish
- Theater
- Urban Studies
- Women's and Gender Studies
- Master of Liberal Studies
- Master of Arts in Teaching
- Engineering
- International Studies
- Law
- Pharmacy
- Ethics Center
- First-Year Studies
- Health (medicine, dentistry, veterinary, nursing, pharmacy, optometry, physical therapy, and public health)
- Law
Graduate Programs
Dual-Degree Programs
Other Areas of Study
Pre-Professional Programs
The Medieval and Renaissance periods (c. 500-1600 CE) in Europe and the Mediterranean world saw the transformation of the Roman Empire and the emergence of European nation-states; the rise of two world religions (Christianity and Islam) and the fragmentation of Christianity in the Reformation era; the rise of European exploration and imperialism from the age of the crusades to the age of discovery; revolutions in political theory, theology, and science; and unparalleled achievement in art and literature, ranging from Gothic cathedrals to the works of Chaucer, Dante, and Shakespeare. Students exploring this period through their work in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor (MARS) will have the opportunity both to study the foundations of familiar aspects of modern Western culture (universities, parliamentary government, the novel) and to experience the more exotic elements of the period.
Students pursuing the minor have the opportunity to take classes across a number of departments and programs, in order to achieve a rich and multifaceted understanding of this complex era. At a local level, those in the minor will be able to take advantage of the vast collections of medieval and renaissance art and material culture at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Newberry Library. On an international level, those in the minor will be able to apply their course work from study abroad programs, especially the ACM’s London and Florence program. (Your MARS advisors are more than happy to talk with you about study abroad options!)
(The caption above is Dante Alighieri Reading from the Divine Comedy, painting by Domenico di Michelino, 1465; credit: Alinari-Mansell/Art Resource, New York)
Courses Offered This Year, 2012-13:
Fall 2012
Art History 212: Renaissance Art (TR 2:30-3:50PM)
English 210: Ancient and Medieval Literature (MWF 10-10.50AM; or MWF 11AM-11:50PM; or TR 1-2:20PM)
English 211: Renaissance and Eighteenth-Century Literature (TR 9:30-10:50AM)
History 204: Medieval History (MWF 10-10:50AM)
Theater 230: History of Drama I, Greeks to Shakespeare (TR 2:30-3:50PM)
Spring 2013
Art History 380: Renaissance Art and Domesticity (NEW COURSE!!!) (F 1-3:50PM)
English 210: Ancient and Medieval Literature (TR 1-2:20 PM; or TR 2:30-3:50PM)
English 211: Renaissance and Eighteenth-Century Literature (MW 2:30-3:50PM; or TR 9:30-10:50AM)
English 220: Shakespeare (F 1-3:50PM)
History 320: European Reformations, 1200-1600 (MW 2-3:50PM)
Theater 236: Shakespeare (F 1-3:50PM)
Video from Professor Bevington’s recent lecture on Ophelia:
