Medieval and Renaissance Studies

This concentration was created for English majors interested in deepening their knowledge of the cultures of the Middle Ages and Renaissance through interdisciplinary study. It thus requires that in addition to taking upper-level courses in Medieval and Renaissance English literature, majors also explore these periods from the perspective of other academic disciplines including, but not limited to, the history of art and architecture, literatures, philosophy, religious studies, and history. It is hoped that the breadth of knowledge and intellectual flexibility that interdisciplinary study fosters will enable students in this concentration to undertake more complex kinds of research projects and achieve more sophisticated levels of critical thinking and writing than might otherwise have been possible.