Medieval and Renaissance Studies (Honours) (BA)

Director
Reneé-Claude 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

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 MARS 3F51  The Viking and Medieval Isle of Man. For information contact the Director.

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. 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

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.