The Medieval Studies Minor Concentration consolidates into a coherent program the abundant course offerings in various departments at McGill that are relevant to the medieval millennium (roughly 500-1500 AD). It also provides McGill's undergraduates with the interdisciplinary training they will need to pursue further study in a field that expects experience in a number of disciplines. The Medieval Studies Minor facilitates communication and student mobility among its participating units (Art History and Communication Studies; English; History and Classical Studies; Islamic Studies; Jewish Studies; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Langue et littérature françaises; Philosophy; and Religious Studies).
To learn more about the Minor Concentration in Medieval Studies or to seek program advising (including approval of your audit sheet), contact one of the Program Directors, Prof. Michael Van Dussen or Prof. Cecily Hilsdale, or the Program Advisor, Matthew Dupuis.
Contacts
Program Director
Prof. Michael Van Dussen
michael.vandussen [at] mcgill.ca
Office: Arts 380
Program Director
Prof. Cecily Hilsdale
cecily.hilsdale [at] mcgill.ca
Office: Arts W-260
Program Advisor
Matthew Dupuis
matthew.dupuis [at] mcgill.ca
Office: Arts 120
Course Spotlight
ENGL 348 (Fall 2025)
Humanity and Crisis in Early European Literature
Prof. Michael Van Dussen
This course examines several major works of European literature that significantly influenced Western understandings of the place of the individual human in society and in the cosmos. Among other things, course texts present sensitive explorations of interiority, sexuality, ethics, and justice; authors experiment with literary form, question received canons, and display radical dignity in the face of humiliating crisis. Readings include examples of literature spanning Late Antiquity to the later Middle Ages (4th through 15th centuries). We’ll read profoundly moving texts written in prison or in the rawness of regret; early romances that throw characters into impossible ethical ordeals; stories that represent flourishing creativity in a time of pandemic; and texts whose authors are torn between the sublimity of mystical ascent and the allure of human contact. This course introduces students to early literature as an object of study in its own right; it also provides important background for the study of concurrent or subsequent Western literature and culture.
ARTH 204
Introduction to Medieval Art and Architecture
Regular offering
Offering an introduction to the major artistic monuments of the medieval world from the fourth to the fifteenth century in both the eastern and western Mediterranean, this lecture course surveys a diverse range of Byzantine, Islamic, and European works of art and architecture and positions them within their original social, political, and spiritual contexts.
MDST 400 (Winter 2026)
Otherworlds of the Medieval North
Prof. Michael Van Dussen
A rich body of literature developed in the European Middle Ages that explored worlds or realities that stood somehow apart from the realm of everyday experience. Yet these other (or under-) worlds were never entirely separable from what people regarded as the sphere of their day-to-day lives. By exploring these worlds, authors and readers simultaneously cultivated a renewed understanding of their own experience of time, geographical space, and the ways in which their belief systems infused both with meaning. In this course, students will analyze several literary accounts of worlds or landscapes that stand in some way apart from what their authors and audiences regarded as ordinary. The geographical focus will be the medieval north (Nordic regions, England, Wales, and Ireland, but also “Little Britain”, or Brittany), though course texts will sometimes draw on depictions of other regions of the known world (especially the Mediterranean basin and parts of Asia). We will read dream visions, including visions of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory; we’ll encounter underworlds that are geographically contiguous with specific locations in Europe; we’ll study narratives of fairy otherworlds and read of encounters with the exotic or marvelous; and we’ll examine the value that was (or was not) placed on direct experience or evidence of travel. Course texts were written in England, Wales, Ireland, Iceland, and on parts the European continent during the period ca. 800-1400.
Medieval Studies Minor Concentration (B.A.) (18 credits)
Offered by: English (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 18
Program Description
The Minor Concentration in Medieval Studies facilitates undergraduate training in the interrelated branches of the discipline (e.g., history, literature, art history, languages, religion, philosophy), providing students with experience working in an inherently interdisciplinary filed and a valuable credential to pursue graduate study in the field (in any area).
Required Course (3 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MDST 400 | Interdisciplinary Seminar in Medieval Studies. | 3 |
Interdisciplinary Seminar in Medieval Studies. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Interdisciplinary approaches to themes in medieval culture and history. Emphasizes the development of interdisciplinary research skills and awareness of global approaches to the period. Topics will vary from year to year. | ||
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
15 credits from the following list, of which only 9 credits may be taken in any one department. No more than 6 credits may be taken below the 300 level.
Art History and Communication Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH 204 | Introduction to Medieval Art and Architecture. | 3 |
Introduction to Medieval Art and Architecture. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Surveys the arts from late Antiquity to the fourteenth century in Western Europe. Focuses on the body and space to introduce artistic and architectural concepts, practices, and styles from the late Roman, Byzantine and Carolingian empires to monastic and royal patronage of the French Kings. | ||
| ARTH 314 | The Medieval City. | 3 |
The Medieval City. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Towns and cities in the Middle Ages as architectural entities, their urban planning and development; main building types, profane and ecclesiastical: castle, defence works, town halls, houses, cathedrals, churches and monasteries; the role architecture played in forming a society. | ||
| ARTH 425 | Arts of Medieval Spain. | 3 |
Arts of Medieval Spain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course examines the arts of medieval Spain from the late antique 'barbarian' invasions through the fifteenth century. Within this broad span, particular attention will be paid to key themes, including historiography, the centrality of pilgrimage for shaping artistic practice, and the concept of 'convivencia' among Christians, Muslims, and Jews. | ||
English
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 306 | Theatre History: Medieval and Early Modern. | 3 |
Theatre History: Medieval and Early Modern. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A study of works of Mediaeval and Tudor drama. | ||
| ENGL 337 | Theme or Genre in Medieval Literature. | 3 |
Theme or Genre in Medieval Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of a particular theme or genre of significance to the development of medieval literature. | ||
| ENGL 342 | Introduction to Old English. | 3 |
Introduction to Old English. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to grammar and basic vocabulary in Old English. | ||
| ENGL 348 | Great Writings of Europe 2. 1 | 3 |
Great Writings of Europe 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A study of selected texts that significantly enhance understanding of English literature. | ||
| ENGL 349 | English Literature and Folklore 1. 1 | 3 |
English Literature and Folklore 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of representative texts from Beowulf to the late Renaissance period in relation to their background in folk tradition. A focus on the origin and development of folklore motifs. | ||
| ENGL 356 | Middle English. | 3 |
Middle English. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of works in Middle English. | ||
| ENGL 357 | Chaucer . | 3 |
Chaucer . Terms offered: Fall 2025 A study of the works of Chaucer. | ||
| ENGL 452 | Studies in Old English. | 3 |
Studies in Old English. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of an aspect of Old English Literature which presupposes a grounding in the language. | ||
| ENGL 456 | Middle English. | 3 |
Middle English. Terms offered: Winter 2026 A study of works in Middle English. | ||
| ENGL 500 | Middle English. | 3 |
Middle English. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A study of works in Middle English. | ||
| ENGL 553 | Old English Literature. | 3 |
Old English Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A seminar on Old English. Topic varies by year. | ||
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When content relates to Medieval Studies.
History and Classical Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 319 | The Scientific Revolution. | 3 |
The Scientific Revolution. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The intellectual and cultural history of science and technology, in Europe and in the wider world, from the time of Leonardo to the time of Newton (c. 1500-c.1700). | ||
| HIST 323 | History and Sexuality 1. | 3 |
History and Sexuality 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Antiquity to Early Modern Europe. The cultural meanings and social institutions that create the historical context for sexual behaviours. Possible topics include: Greek homosocial and homosexual culture; sex and citizenship; wives and concubines in the ancient world; Christianity and aestheticism; misogyny and gender in Medieval Europe; adultery and lineage. | ||
| HIST 356 | Medicine in the Medieval West. | 3 |
Medicine in the Medieval West. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The history of ideas about the human body, disease and therapeutics and the diverse practices of medicine in western Europe in the Middle Ages (ca. AD 300-1500), with particular attention to their social, intellectual, cultural and religious context. | ||
| HIST 358 | China's Middle Empires. | 3 |
China's Middle Empires. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Developments of China's middle empires, ca. 600-1300 CE. Studies changing international relations, rapid commercialization, religious developments, the rise of the civil service examination system, and ensuing social change. | ||
| HIST 380 | The Medieval Mediterranean . | 3 |
The Medieval Mediterranean . Terms offered: Winter 2026 Thematic history of the Mediterranean during the Medieval period, covering elements of Latin, Byzantine and Islamic civilizations and their interactions. | ||
| HIST 401AA | Topics:Medieval Culture & Soc | 3 |
Topics:Medieval Culture Soc Terms offered: Winter 2026 Selected topics in the intellectual and cultural history of the Middle Ages. Emphasis on modern critical approaches to medieval culture, including literature, the supernatural, religious experience. | ||
| HIST 567D1 | Seminar: Medieval Medicine. | 3 |
Seminar: Medieval Medicine. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Models of the body, disease and medical intervention current in western Europe between 400 and 1500 AD will be examined through analysis of primary sources in translation, and modern historical scholarship. | ||
| HIST 567D2 | Seminar: Medieval Medicine. | 3 |
Seminar: Medieval Medicine. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Models of the body, disease and medical intervention current in western Europe between 400 and 1500 AD will be examined through analysis of primary sources in translation, and modern historical scholarship. The sequel to this course is HIST 496. | ||
Islamic Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 325 | Introduction to Shi'i Islam. | 3 |
Introduction to Shi'i Islam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Developments in doctrines, legal school, rituals and political thought of Twelver Shi'ite Muslims during early and late medieval periods (centuries VII-XIII). The emergence of the earliest Shi'ite communities in Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and Iran stressing the relationship of the Shi'ite Imams and their religious scholars to the Sunnite Caliphates. | ||
| ISLA 420 | Indo-Islamic Civilization: Medieval. | 3 |
Indo-Islamic Civilization: Medieval. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The rise of Islam in South Asia in the 8th Century and its subsequent expansion; evolution of Indo-Islamic civilization and its apogee during Mughal rule up to 1707. Themes include state and religion; ruling institutions; political theory, Sufism and the process of conversion, as well as the formation of a composite culture. | ||
| ISLA 430 | Islamdom: Baghdad to Cordoba . | 3 |
Islamdom: Baghdad to Cordoba . Terms offered: Winter 2026 The course examines the major socio-political developments in Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, North Africa and Spain from the 9th to the 13th Century. Emphasis is laid on the Umayyad Caliphate centered in Cordoba, and the 'Abbasid Caliphate centered in Baghdad, and the rise of important local dynasties leading up to the Mongol invasion. The course underscores the formation of Islamic cultures in distinct geographical settings and the transformation of religious life under new socio-economic conditions. It also explores shifting notions of civil society and orthodoxy. | ||
| ISLA 516 | Medieval Islam, 13th-15th Century. | 3 |
Medieval Islam, 13th-15th Century. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The historical circumstances surrounding the Crusades against Muslims in Greater Syria and Egypt. The socio-economic, political, and cultural transformation of Muslim society following the destruction of the Abbasid Caliphate, and the rise of the Ikl-Khanid Mongols in Iran and Iraq, as well as the Mamluks in Syria and Egypt. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of new Persian, Turkish, and Indian populations into Islamic imperial culture. | ||
Jewish Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| JWST 261 | History of Jewish Philosophy and Thought. | 3 |
History of Jewish Philosophy and Thought. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An introduction to Jewish philosophy and thought from the Hellenistic period (Philo) to the beginning of the modern era (Spinoza) focusing on topics such as prophecy and philosophy, God and the world; the Law as a canon of ethical rules and as a political constitution. Survey of the treatment of such issues by Jewish thinkers from Philo to Maimonides. | ||
| JWST 337 | Jewish Philosophy and Thought 1. | 3 |
Jewish Philosophy and Thought 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on either a period, a current of thought or the work of a thinker in the history of Jewish thought from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, paying particular attention to the relationship of Jewish thinkers to intellectual trends in their respective cultural contexts. Contemporary Muslim and Christian theologians and philosophers. | ||
Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ITAL 355 | Dante and the Middle Ages. | 3 |
Dante and the Middle Ages. Terms offered: Winter 2026 An introduction to the work of Dante Alighieri, a pillar of medieval European literature. The times in which he lived, the institutions and cultural shifts of that era, the influence exercised by Dante's work, as well as how it has been perceived in our time. | ||
| ITAL 356 | Medieval Discourses on Love. | 3 |
Medieval Discourses on Love. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Medieval ideas, attitudes and behaviour surrounding love as represented in literature: readings will include excerpts from early Italian love lyrics, Dante's Vita Nuova, Petrarch's Canzoniere, Boccaccio's Decameron. | ||
Langue et Littérature Françaises
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FREN 455 | La littérature médiévale 1. 1 | 3 |
La littérature médiévale 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Étude d'oeuvres, d'auteurs ou de courants de la littérature française du moyen-âge (des origines au 15e siècle). | ||
| FREN 456 | La littérature médiévale 2. 1 | 3 |
La littérature médiévale 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Étude d'oeuvres, d'auteurs ou de courants de la littérature française du moyen-âge (des origines au 15e siècle). | ||
Philosophy
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 344 | Medieval and Renaissance Political Theory. 1 | 3 |
Medieval and Renaissance Political Theory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of Medieval and Renaissance political theory. | ||
| PHIL 356 | Early Medieval Philosophy. | 3 |
Early Medieval Philosophy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of selected works in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. Topics in moral and political philosophy, logic and metaphysics, philosophical psychology and epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology may be discussed. | ||
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If chosen, students may take either PHIL 344 or POLI 334.
Political Science
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 334 | Western Political Theory 2. 1 | 3 |
Western Political Theory 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Medieval and renaissance political philosophy, from Saint Augustine to Sir Thomas More. Scholastic and neo-scholastic political thought, natural law and natural rights, as well as civic and northern humanism, republicanism and liberty. Twentieth century work on similar concepts will be used. | ||
- 1
If chosen, students may take either POLI 334 or PHIL 344.
Religious Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| RELG 322 | Church and Empire to 1300 . | 3 |
Church and Empire to 1300 . Terms offered: Fall 2025 A survey of major institutional developments in the history of Western Christianity in Church and Empire from the end of the apostolic age to 1300. | ||