Last updated: July 17, 2015 @ 04:35PM

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Director
Ernesto Virgulti

Professor
Rosemary Hale

Adjunct Professor
André Basson (Campus Ministries)

Participating Faculty
Renee-Claude Breitenstein (Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures), Michael J. Carter (Classics), Fanny Dolansky (Classics), Corrado Federici (Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures), Leah Knight (English Language and Literature), Mathew Martin (English Language and Literature), R. Andrew McDonald (History), Elizabeth Neswald (History), Brian E.Power (Music), Virginia Reh (Dramatic Arts), Matthew Royal (Music), Felipe Ruan (Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures), Elizabeth Sauer (English Language and Literature), David Schimmelpenninck (History), María del Carmen Suescún Pozas (History), Ernesto Virgulti (Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures)

Academic Adviser
Alisa Cunnington

General Information

Administrative Assistant
Marija Gojmerac

905-688-5550, extension 5325
573 Glenridge 248

The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies offers an opportunity to study medieval and Renaissance culture and society from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study of the history, literature, languages, philosophy, and art of a wide array of cultures across the globe from 400 CE to 1700 CE, with co-operating faculty from Digital Humanities, English Language and Literatures, History, Modern Languages, Literature and Cultures, Music, Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts, and Women's and Gender Studies.

The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies offers a combined major program leading to a BA (Honours or Pass) and Minor for students in other disciplines. Medieval and Renaissance Studies can be combined with any other program offering a combined major option. Medieval and Renaissance Studies core courses may also be taken as electives by students in other disciplines.

Course offerings and faculty interests range from the last centuries of the Roman world to Renaissance Italy, from Byzantium to Iceland, and from the reading of Latin literature to the analysis of Chaucer, Dante and Shakespeare among many others, as well as the music and art of the period.

The Middle Ages and Renaissance are instrumental in shaping the cultures in which we live. The interdisciplinary understanding of how Medieval and Renaissance cultures worked will illustrate their legacy to us, and their importance in shaping who and what we are. The program seeks to develop the skills and habits of critical inquiry, analysis, argument and expression needed for the rigorous treatment of these questions.

The Centre advises students to have their programs reviewed each year by the Faculty of Humanities Undergraduate Adviser and/or the Director. Students planning to enter fourth year are required to have their programs approved by the Faculty of Humanities Undergraduate Adviser as well as the Director.

Students considering graduate work in Medieval and/or Renaissance Studies should note that graduate programs normally require competence in Latin and other languages depending on the specific area of study.

Program Notes
  1. It is strongly recommended that Medieval and Renaissance Studies students take 1.0 language credit as part of their degree program. Latin or modern European languages as appropriate to the program are suggested. Students contemplating Graduate Studies should consider taking at least one second language credit.
  2. Approved MARS courses may be chosen within the student's co-major. However, students may not use the same course(s) to satisfy both the Medieval and Renaissance Studies and the co-major requirements.
  3. Each student should meet with the Humanities Academic Adviser to ensure their choice of courses meets the criteria for the combined major degree.
  4. Students may take only 2.0 credits numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99 from the list of MARS approved courses for major credit.
  5. In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
    In 15 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
    In some circumstances, in order to meet university degree and program requirements, more than 15 or 20 credits may be taken.

Honours Program

Year 2
·   Year 2 is now closed

Year 3
·   MARS 3P96 and 3P97
·   two credits from the list of approved Medieval and Renaissance Studies courses 3(alpha)00 or above (see program note 4)
·   two elective credits (see program note 5)

Year 4
·   MARS 4P00 and 4P01
·   two credits from the list of approved Medieval and Renaissance Studies courses numbered 2(alpha)00 or above
·   two elective credits (see program note 5)

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the honours program entitles students to apply for a Pass degree.

Combined Major Program

Students wishing to major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies must declare a second discipline for a combined major program. For requirements in the second discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.

Year 1
·   MARS 1F90
·   one credit from co-major
·   one Sciences context credit
·   one Social Sciences context credit
·   one elective credit (see program note 1)

Year 2
·   MARS 2P89 and 2P95
·   two credits from the list of approved Medieval and Renaissance Studies courses (see program note 4)
·   two credits from co-major

Year 3
·   MARS 3P92 and 3P97
·   one credit numbered 3(alpha)00 or above from the list of approved Medieval and Renaissance Studies courses (see program note 5)
·   two credits from co-major
·   one elective credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above

Year 4
·   MARS 4P00 and 4P01
·   one credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above from the list of approved Medieval and Renaissance Studies courses
·   two credits from co-major (see program note 5)
·   one elective credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above

Minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Students in other disciplines may obtain a Minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies by successfully completing the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:
·   MARS 1F90, 2P89 and 2P95
·   one MARS credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above
·   one MARS credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above

Approved Medieval and Renaissance Studies Courses Offered by Other Departments/Centres

Note: As many of the courses listed below have prerequisites, students should plan their programs in advance.

CLAS 1P92
Roman Civilization

CLAS 1P93
Culture and Civilization of Central Europe: From the Prehistoric to the Carolingian Period
(also offered as GERM 1P93)

CLAS 1P95
Myths of the Greek and Roman World

CLAS 1P97
Myths of the Heroic Age

CLAS 3M20-3M29
Study in Mediterranean Lands
(also offered as VISA 3M20-3M29)

CLAS 3P06
History of the Early Roman Empire
(also offered as HIST 3P06)

CLAS 3P23
Art and Architecture of Rome in the Imperial Age
(also offered as VISA 3P23)

DART 3P91
Shakespeare in Performance

ENGL 2P19
Chaucer: The Poetry

ENGL 2P21
Sixteenth-Century Literature

ENGL 2P24
Early 17th-Century Literature

ENGL 2P80
Shakespeare 1590-1603
(also offered as LART 2P80)

ENGL 2P81
Shakespeare 1603-1614
(also offered as LART 2P81)

ENGL 2P82
Shakespeare's Comedies
(also offered as LART 2P82)

ENGL 2P83
Shakespeare's Tragedies
(also offered as LART 2P83)

ENGL 2P84
Non-Shakespearean Drama in England, 1576-1642

ENGL 3P20
Spenser and the Age of Elizabeth

ENGL 3P22
The Literature of Milton's Time

ENGL 3P95
Romance and Visionary Literature of the late Middle Ages

ENGL 4P00
Literature of the English Revolution
(also offered as HIST 4P00)

FREN 2P65
Culture and Civilization of France to 1700

FREN 4P12
Medieval French Literature

FREN 4P20
Sixteenth-Century Literature

HIST 2P03
Early Medieval Britain 400-1000: Celts, Saxons and Vikings

HIST 2P04
The Medieval British Isles, 1000-1485

HIST 2P25
Revolutions in Communication
(also offered as IASC 2P25)

HIST 2P70
The Middle East, 600-1800
(also offered as MARS 2P70)

HIST 2P75
Western Science From Aristotle to Newton
(also offered as LART 2P75)

HIST 2P76
Making Modern Science
(also offered as LART 2P76)

HIST 2P91
Europe's Reformations, 1450-1650

HIST 2P96
Early Russia

HIST 3P30
The Viking Age

HIST 3P60
The World of Genghis Khan: Inner Asia since 500 BC
(also offered as INTC 3P60)

HIST 3Q93
The Crusades

HIST 4P29
Wallace, Bruce and the Wars of Scotland

HIST 4P35
Witchcraft Episodes in Britain and America, 1500-1700

LATI 1F00
Language (Introductory)

LATI 2P01
Language and Literature I

LATI 2P02
Language and Literature II

MUSI 4P50
History of Music in the Middle Ages

MUSI 4P51
History of Music in the Renaissance

MUSI 4P55
History of Music and Liturgy to 1600

MUSI 4P96
Topics in the History of Theory: Renaissance and Baroque

Description of Courses

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course
* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.
MARS 1F90
Medieval and Renaissance Civilizations
Key themes, problems and topics in Medieval and Renaissance civilizations, including: the development of concepts of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; notions of decline, renewal, rebirth and reformation in the West; sources and methods of inquiry.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 2P08
Colonial Latin America
(also offered as HIST 2P08)
Introduction to the history of Latin America from pre-hispanic times through 1810 focusing on the clashes, alliances and negotiations among indigenous peoples, conquistadores, slaves and missionaries.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 2P70
The Middle East, 600 - 1800
(also offered as HIST 2P70)
Major themes in Middle Eastern history from the advent of Islam to 1800 AD art, culture, religions, migration, minorities, slavery and political developments.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 2P75
Western Science from Aristotle to Newton
(also offered as HIST 2P75 and LART 2P75)
Western science from Greek natural philosophy through Arabic, Medieval and Renaissance science to the Scientific Revolution.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Note: no background in science is required.

MARS 2P89
Medieval and Renaissance Art, Architecture and Society
(also offered as VISA 2P89)
Interdisciplinary study of the inter-relation and connectedness between the arts, architecture and society in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 2P92
Early to High Renaissance Art and Architecture
(also offered as ITAL 2P92 and VISA 2P92)
Major monuments, buildings and art works of the period from several critical perspectives including the humanist influence on the arts in Florence and Rome, the issue of patronage and the question of the artist's cultural status.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one of MARS 1F90, ITAL 1F90, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 or permission of the instructor.
Note: given in English.

MARS 2P95
Reading the Middle Ages: the Heroic and the Chivalric
(also offered as ENGL 2P95)
Interdisciplinary examination of literature, music, arts and society of both the northern Germanic hero and the medieval and Renaissance court. Included are Beowulf and other Anglo-Saxon heroic literature, Eddic poetry, Old Norse sagas, the Niebelungenlied, the lais of Marie de France, Arthurian-related narratives, troubadours, and religious and secular music.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 3M20-3M29
Study in Mediterranean Lands
(also offered as CLAS 3M20-3M29 and VISA 3M20-3M29)
Topographical investigations of ancient sites and monuments. Study tours of the great cities and museums of the Mediterranean world emphasizing the art and architecture of the Prehistoric, Classical and later periods.
Restriction: permission of the Department of Classics.
Note: offered in the Spring or Summer Session for three or four weeks of intensive study abroad. Students are expected to pay their own expenses.

MARS 3M24
2015-2016: Study Tour to Turkey
(also offered as CLAS 3M24 and VISA 3M24)
Major monuments of Turkey in Istanbul, Cappadocia, the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, focusing on Greco-Roman antiquity, the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
Restriction: permission of the Department of Classics.
Note: offered in the Spring or Summer Session for three or four weeks of intensive study abroad. Students are expected to pay their own expenses.

MARS 3M50-3M59
Medieval and Renaissance Studies Abroad
Study of the Medieval and/or Renaissance history and culture of a country, region or theme in its geographic context.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the instructor.
Note: students are responsible for travel, accommodation and other expenses. Usually offered in the Spring/Summer session.

MARS 3P19
The Rise of Christian Philosophy
(also offered as PHIL 3P19)
Philosophy from the patristic period through Erigena and Anselm up to and including the 12th-century Renaissance.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.

MARS 3P92
Petrarch and Boccaccio
(also offered as ITAL 3P92)
Literature, arts and culture of the Middle Ages, emphasizing Petrarch's Canzoniere (Song Book) and Boccaccio's Decameron.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one MARS credit, one ITAL credit or permission of the instructor.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is required.

MARS 3P93
Dante and The Divine Comedy
(also offered as ITAL 3P93)
Dante's Divine Comedy and the world it created and reflected. References to relevant visual arts (illustrations of the Divine Comedy and works depicting the Last Judgement) as well as to Dante's The New Life and the Monarchy.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one MARS credit, one ITAL credit or permission of the instructor.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is required.

MARS 3P96
Medieval and Early Modern Christianity
(also offered as HIST 3P96)
Interdisciplinary study of the continuities and discontinuities in the history of the Christian Church from the onset of the Middle Ages to the eve of the Protestant reformations. Examination of ecclesiastical authority, Christianity's interactions with Judaism and Islam, changing social structures, monastic reforms, the Crusades, magic, science, religion, the papacy, and the cult of saints and devotion to relics.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 3P97
The World of the Renaissance and Beyond
(also offered as HIST 3P97)
Interdisciplinary study of the primary texts relative to the European Renaissance and global questions that reshape the world, emphasizing the historical, cultural and intellectual legacies of the Renaissance, including literature, religion, philosophy, science, medicine and the history of exploration.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

MARS 4P00
Directed Studies
Program of study designed in consultation with a faculty member.
Restriction: open to MARS majors with approval to year 4 (honours).
Note: topic for a major piece of written work or the equivalent must be submitted by the student by April 1 of year 3 and approved by Director and the appropriate instructor.

MARS 4P01
Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Critical approaches to Medieval and Renaissance Studies from a variety of disciplines.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to MARS majors with approval to year 4 (honours).
Note: students in other disciplines may register with permission of the instructor and Director. Students will be encouraged to share their research projects from MARS 4P00 in the discussions.

MARS 4P06
Medieval Literature and Social Control
(also offered as ENGL 4P06)
Medieval English literature in relation to the management of different populations in Britain in the late Middle Ages. Topics include the English Rising of 1381, punishment systems, sexuality, literacies and class, the disciplining of bodies to conform to etiquette, the regulation of female speech, and colonization and civility.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to MARS (single or combined), ECUL, ENCW, ENGL (single or combined) and ENGL (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors with approval to year 4 (honours), and to RWRT majors with a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 60 percent major average or permission of the instructor and Chair.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in MARS (ENGL) 4V06.

MARS 4P55
The Later Roman Empire
(also offered as CLAS 4P55)
History of the Roman Empire from the death of Marcus Aurelius to Late Antiquity.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one CLAS credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above.

MARS 4V70-4V75
Selected Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Issues in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.