2024-2025 Undergraduate Calendar

Medieval and Renaissance Studies  
Director René-Celaude Breitenstein Professor Emerita Rosemary Hale Associate Professor Felipe Ruan Adjunct Professor Andre Basson Participating Faculty Michael Carter (Classics and Archaeology), Fanny Dolansky (Classics and Archaeology), Michael Driedger (History), Leah Knight (English Language and Literature), R. Andrew McDonald (History), Behnaz Mirzai (History), Elizabeth Neswald (History), Brian E. Power (Music), Colin Rose (History), Matthew Royal (Music), Elizabeth Sauer (English Language and Literature), and Maria del Carmen Suescun Pozas (History) Academic Advisor Liz Hay  
General Information Go to top of document
Administrative Assistant Elaine Aldridge-Low 905-688-5550, extension 5325 Glenridge A, Room 213 The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies offers an excellent opportunity to learn about medieval and Renaissance culture and society through the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study of the history, literature, philosophy, art and architecture of cultures across the globe, from 400 CE to 1700 CE. To this end, we have participating faculty from English Language and Literature, History, Modern Languages, Literature and Cultures, Music, and Classics and Archaeology. The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies offers a combined major program leading to a BA (Honours), a Pass degree, 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 range from the late Roman world to Renaissance Italy, from the Mediterranean to the Americas, and from the reading of seminal authors like Dante, Chaucer and Shakespeare to emergent and marginalized voices. As well, our courses explore the culture, religion, music, architecture and art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Middle Ages and Renaissance were 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. Our program seeks to help the students develop the skills of critical inquiry, analysis, argumentation and expression needed for the treatment of these questions. The Centre recommends that students 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 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. Students may register in courses numbered 4(alpha)00 and above only upon admittance to Year 4 studies. Study Abroad In the Spring session, the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies often offers study abroad courses such as MARS 3F50 Reading the Italian Medieval and Renaissance City and MARS 3F51 The Viking and Medieval Isle of Man. For information contact the Director.  
Program Notes Go to top of document
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.  Each student should meet with the Humanities Academic Advisor and the Chair/Director of the co-major discipline before the end of the first year of study, to ensure that his or her choice of courses meets the criteria for the combined major program.  
6. 

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 Go to top of document
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
- One and one-half credits from MARS 2P89, 2P92, 2P95, 2P99
- one-half credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above from the list of MARS courses or from the list of approved MARS courses offered by other departments/centres
- two credits from co-major
- one elective credit (see program note 6)
Year 3
- MARS 3P96 and 3P97
- one credit from MARS 3F50, 3F51, 3P19, 3P92, 3P93, 3Q92 or from the list of approved MARS courses offered by other departments/centres (see program note 5)
- two credits from co-major
- one elective credit (see program note 6)
Year 4
- MARS 4P00 and 4P01
- one credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above from the list of MARS courses or from the list of approved MARS courses offered by other departments/centres
- two credits from co-major (see program note 6)
- one elective credit (see program note 6)
 
Pass Program Go to top of document
Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.  
Minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies Go to top of document
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 Go to top of document
Note: As many of the courses listed below have prerequisites, students should plan their programs in advance. CLAS 1P92 Discovering Ancient Rome CLAS 1P95 Myths of the Greek and Roman Gods CLAS 1P97 Myths of the Heroic Age CLAS 3M20-3M29 Study in Mediterranean Lands (also offered as VISA 3M20-3M29) CLAS 3P23 Art and Architecture of the Roman Empire (also offered as VISA 3P23) DART 3P91 Shakespeare in Performance ENGL 2P19 Chaucer ENGL 2P21 Introduction to Tudor Literature ENGL 2P24 Early 17th-Century Literature ENGL 2P80 Shakespeare 1590-1603 ENGL 2P81 Shakespeare 1603-1614 ENGL 2P82 Shakespeare's Comedies ENGL 2P83 Shakespeare's Tragedies ENGL 2P84 Non-Shakespearean Drama in England, 1576-1642 ENGL 3P21 Major Tudor Poets and Poetics ENGL 3P22 The Literature of Milton's Time ENGL 3P95 Medieval English Literature ENGL 4P00 Literature of the English Revolution (also offered as HIST 4P00) FREN 2P65 Culture and Civilization of France to 1800 FREN 3Q91 Medieval French Literature FREN 4P20 Sixteenth-Century Literature GERM 1P93 Culture and Civilization of Central Europe: From the Prehistoric to 350CE (also offered as CLAS 1P93) HIST 2P03 Early Medieval Britain 400-1000: Celts, Saxons and Vikings HIST 2P04 The Medieval British Isles, 1000-1485 HIST 4P29 Wallace, Bruce and the Wars of Scotland LATI 1F00 Language (Introductory) LATI 2P01 Language and Literature I LATI 2P02 Language and Literature II MUSI 2P50 Western Music from Hildegard to Haydn 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  
Description of Courses Go to top of document
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 Go to top of document
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. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 2P08 Roots of Latin America and the Caribbean (also offered as HIST 2P08) Background to Spanish and Portuguese colonization, exploration, encounter, conquest, settlement, and the birth of colonial institutions up to 1791. The interweaving of world views, cultures, and traditions of Indigenous peoples, Iberians, and enslaved Africans. Topics may include the transformation of politics, societies, economics, culture, religion, spirituality, and land stewardship. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 2P58 Gaming History (also offered as HIST 2P58) Games as historical medium. Topics include games as pedagogy and games as historical research. Students will analyze how and why games depict historical knowledge. Focus on medieval- and early modern-themed games. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #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. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 2P75 Heaven and Earth (also offered as HIST 2P75) History of science from ancient Greece through Arabic, European Medieval and Renaissance science into the Early Modern period. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: no background in science is required. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in LART 2P75. *MARS 2P87 Genealogy and Identity in Medieval and Early Modern Spain (also offered as SPAN 2P87) Significance of genealogy and blood (i.e. limpieza de sangre or blood purity statutes), in the shaping of categories and forms of identification pertaining to Jewish, Muslim and Christian populations, and emerging New Christian groups like Conversos and Moriscos. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 2P89 Medieval 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 Europe. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 2P91 Europe's Reformations, 1450-1650 (also offered as HIST 2P91) Origins, course and consequences of the division of Western Christendom into Protestant and Catholic factions in the 16th century. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #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. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. MARS 2P93 Medieval Cultures and Literatures Societies, cultures and literatures of medieval Europe focusing on the High and Late Middle Ages. Sampling of medieval texts ranging from comic and tragic, to religious and epic. Importance of music and its relation to religion, art and literature. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 2P95 Reading the Middle Ages: the Heroic and the Chivalric (also offered as ENGL 2P95) Heroic and chivalric worlds of Europe and how they shaped medieval society. Selections from Beowulf, Anglo-Saxon heroic literature, Old Norse sagas, the lais of Marie de France, Courtly Love and Arthurian-related narratives. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 2P99 Medieval and Renaissance Tales (also offered as ITAL 2P99) Evolution and development of Novella Collections in Europe, emphasizing the Frame Tale function. Selections from Boccaccio, Chaucer, Marguerite de Navarre, Miguel de Cervantes, Maria de Zayas. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 3F50 Reading the Italian Medieval and Renaissance City (also offered as HIST 3F50, ITAL 3F50 and VISA 3F50) Exploring key monuments, churches, museums and urban sites. Concept of the city as expressed through art, literature and architecture from Medieval to Baroque times. Historical and geographical influences and factors in shaping the city, its culture and traditions. Cities include Rome, Assisi, Florence and Siena. Prerequisite(s): one MARS, HIST, ITAL or VISA credit or permission of the Italian Studies course co-ordinator. Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is needed. Begins in May on campus during the Spring session. Departure for Italy at the end of May-beginning of June for a 2-week study tour of Rome, Assisi, Florence and Siena. Students are responsible for travel, accommodation and other expenses. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ITAL (VISA) 2F99 and MARS (ITAL/VISA) 3M50. *MARS 3F51 The Viking and Medieval Isle of Man (also offered as HIST 3F51) The Age of the Sea Kings. The history and heritage of the Viking, Late Norse, and Medieval eras in the Isle of Man, from Viking monuments to medieval castles, churches, fortifications, and assembly sites; significance of the period in the unique culture of the Island, its heritage industry, and government. First 2 weeks of course spent in class, followed by ten days of intensive study abroad Restriction: application required and permission of the instructor Prerequisite(s): one MARS or HIST credit or permission of the instructor Note: begins in May on campus during the Spring session. Departure for Isle of Man in mid-May for study travel. Walking over uneven/natural terrain is required to access some sites. Students are responsible for travel, accommodation and other expenses. #MARS 3P09 The Later Roman Empire (also offered as CLAS 3P09 and ITAL 3P09) Roman Imperial history from the death of Marcus Aurelius to late Antiquity. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): one of CLAS 1P92, 2P97, 3P23 or permission of instructor. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 4P55, ITAL 4P55 and MARS 4P55. #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. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 3P30 The Viking Age (also offered as HIST 3P30) Follows the Vikings from their Scandinavian homelands as they raid, trade and settle throughout Europe and the North Atlantic, convert to Christianity, establish new kingdoms and eventually assimilate into medieval Christendom. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Restriction: open to HIST (single or combined), HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide. After that date, open to MARS, HIST (single or combined), HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide. Prerequisite(s): one HIST credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 2(alpha)99 and one HIST credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #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, and the works and genres that they influenced. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): 5.0 overall credits or permission of the instructor. Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is required. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 3P93 Dante's Inferno (also offered as ITAL 3P93) Dante's Divine Comedy and the world it created and reflected, focusing on the Inferno. References to relevant visual arts (illustrations and adaptations of the Divine Comedy by such artists as Doré, Rodin and the Pre-Raphaelites). Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): 5.0 overall credits or permission of the instructor. Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is required. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *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. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 3P97 The World of the Renaissance and Beyond (also offered as HIST 3P97) Interdisciplinary study of salient topics and primary sources 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. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 3Q63 Africans in the Early Modern Iberian Atlantic (also offered as SPAN 3Q63) Experiences and narratives of Africans in the South Atlantic, linking Iberia, West Africa and the Americas (1400-1700). Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 3Q91 Renaissance Perceptions of Indigenous Cultures (also offered as HIST 3Q91 and SPAN 3Q91) Perceptions and views of indigenous American peoples and civilizations in Renaissance Europe, drawing from written accounts, histories of the Indies, and visual representations of Incas, Aztecs and Mayas. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): one MARS, HIST, SPAN credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 2(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor. Note: given in English. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 3Q92 Moors, New Christians and Renegades (also offered as HIST 3Q92 and SPAN 3Q92) Contesting identity categories resulting from exchanges and interactions of Christians and Muslims in the early modern Mediterranean world, through the study of historical and fictional primary sources. Lectures/seminar, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): one MARS, HIST or SPAN credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 2(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor. Note: given in English. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #MARS 3Q96 The Vikings and the Historians (also offered as HIST 3Q96) Select problems and debates in Viking studies and the medieval evidence on which they are based. Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week. Restriction: open to HIST (single or combined), HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide. After that date, open to HIST (single or combined), HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior), MARS (single or combined) majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide. Prerequisite(s): one HIST credit numbered 1 (alpha)90 to 2(alpha)99 and one HIST credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor. Note: HIST 3P30 is strongly recommended. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. 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: Application form including a research proposal must be submitted by March 31 before entering year 4. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 4P01 Sources and Methods of Medieval and Renaissance Studies (also offered as ENGL 4P01 and HIST 4P01) Exploration of ways of working with a range of source materials in addressing inquiries into Medieval and Renaissance cultural forms and societies. Seminar, 3 hours per week. Restriction: open to MARS, ENCW, ENGL (single or combined), ENGL (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior), WRDS (single or combined), HIST (single or combined), and HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors with approval to year 4 (honours). Note: students in other disciplines may register with permission of the instructor and Director. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. *MARS 4P03 Renaissance and Colonialism (also offered as ENGL 4P02 and MLLC 4P03) Literary, historical and critical reflections on the idea of the Renaissance in relation to European colonialism in the greater Atlantic world, in the early modern period (1400-1700). Seminar, 3 hours per week. Restriction: open to MARS, ENCW (single or combined), ENGL (single or combined), ENGL (honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and WRDS (single or combined) majors with approval to year 4 (honours), FREN (single or combined), FREN (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior), HLAS (combined), ITAL (combined) with 15 overall credits. Note: students in other disciplines may register with permission of the instructor and Director. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. #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), ENCW (single or combined), ENGL (single or combined), ENGL (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and WRDS (single or combined) majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor and Chair. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in MARS (ENGL) 4V06. #MARS 4P70 Reading a Renaissance Woman (also offered as ENGL 4P70) The place of books and reading in the life and culture of Anne Clifford. Readings from personal writings and books in her library including extracts (in English) from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Cervantes' Don Quixote, Castiglione's Courtier, Montaigne's Essays, Chaucer, Spenser, Jonson and Donne. Seminar, 3 hours per week. Restriction: open to MARS, ENCW (single or combined), ENGL (single or combined), ENGL (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and WRDS (single or combined) majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor and the Chair. Note: this course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term. Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in MARS (ENGL) 3V92 and 4V70. MARS 4V70-4V75 Selected Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies Issues in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.  
Last updated: July 5, 2024 @ 03:37PM