The following course offerings are also listed in the college catalogue.
Course Offerings
116a. The Dark Ages, c. 400-900 (1)
(Same as History 116a) Ms. Bisaha
202. Thesis Preparation (1/2)
220b. Medieval/Renaissance Culture (1)
Topic for 2009/10: Topic to be announced. Instructors to be announced.
246a. Music and Ideas I: Medieval and Early Modern Europe: The Power of Church and Court (1)
(Same as Music 246a) Mr. Mann.
300a.-301b. Senior Thesis (1/2, 1/2)
An interdisciplinary study written under the supervision of two advisors from two different disciplines.
302 a or b. Senior Thesis (1)
An interdisciplinary study written under the supervision of two advisors from two different disciplines.
Approved Courses
Below is a partial list of approved courses. For current offerings and a full list of courses, please visit the Medieval and Renaissance Studies webpage on the Vassar website.
Art 220 Medieval Architecture (1)
Art 235 Art in Early Renaissance Italy (1)
English 236 Beowulf (1)
English 240 Shakespeare (1)
History 225 Renaissance Europe (1)
History 315 The World of the Crusades (1)
Italian 237 Dante’s Divine Comedy in Translation (1)
Latin 301 Topics in Latin Literature (1)
Topic for 2009/10: Latin Letters.
Religion 227 The Kingdom of God and the Empire of Rome (1)
Courses Accepted for Credit Towards Medieval and Renaissance Studies Major and Correlate
Art and Music
- Art 105: Introduction to the History of Art
- Art 210: Greek Art and Architecture
- Art 211: Roman Art and Architecture
- Art 220: Medieval Architecture
- Art 221: The Sacred Arts of the Middle Ages
- Art 230: Northern Renaissance Painting
- Art 231: Dutch and Flemish Ptg in the 17th c.
- Art 235: Art in Early Renaissance Italy
- Art 236: Art in the Age of Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo
- Art 242: 17th c. Ptg and Sculpture in Italy and France
- Art 243: Art and Ideas of the Golden Age in Spain
- Art 270: Renaissance Architecture
- Art 310: Seminar in Ancient Art
- Art 320: Seminar in Medieval Art
- Art 331: Seminar in Northern Art
- Art 332: Seminar in Italian Renaissance Art
- Music 246: Music and Ideas I; x-list with MRST
- Music 323: (When Topic is Music of the Renaissance)
History, Philosophy, Religion
- Classics 103: Crosscurrents
- Classics 104: Introduction to Greek Archaeology
- Classics 216: History of the Ancient Greeks; x-listed with History
- Classics 217: History of the Ancient Romans ; x-listed with History
- Classics 283: Women in Antiquity
- Classics 301: Seminar in Classical Civilization
- Classics 302: Blegen Seminar
- History 116: Dark Ages; x-listed with MRST 116
- History 123: Europe at the Crossroads
- History 215: High Middle Ages, c. 950-1300
- History 225: Renaissance Europe
- History 315: World of the Crusades
- History 316: Constantinople/Istanbul: 1453
- Philosophy 101 and 102
- Religion 150: Western Religious Traditions
- Religion 215: Religion and the Arts
- Religion 225: The Hebrew Bible
- Religion 227: Revolution, Heresy, and Messianism: The Earliest Christians
- Religion 243: Islamic Traditions
- Religion 255 Western Mystical Traditions
- Religion 250: Across Religious Boundaries (Depending on the Topic)
- Religion 320: Studies in Sacred Texts (Depending on the Topic)
- Religion 350: Comparative Studies in Religion (Depending on the Topic)
Language and Literature
- Classics 102: Reading Antiquity
- Classics 202: Myth
- Classics 214: Male and Female in Greek and Roman Literature and Myth
- Classics 287: Ancient Warfare
- Latin 105-106: Elementary Latin
- Latin 215: Republican Literature
- Latin 220: Literature of the Empire
- Latin 301: Topics in Latin Literature
- Latin 302: Virgil
- Latin 303: Tacitus
- Latin 304: Roman Lyric and Elegy
- **Greek courses may also count for MRST credit in consultation with the program director
- English 215: Pre-modern Drama (Depending on Topic)
- English 222, 223: Founding of English Literature
- English 235: Old English
- English 236: Beowulf
- English 237: Chaucer
- English 238: Middle English Literature
- English 240: Shakespeare
- English 241-242: Shakespeare
- English 340: Studies in Medieval Literature
- English 341: Studies in the Renaissance
- English 342: Studies in Shakespeare
- English 345: Milton
- French 230: Medieval and Early Modern Times
- French 332: Literature and Society in Pre-Revolutionary France
- Hispanic Studies 226: Medieval and Early Modern Spain
- Italian 175: Italian Renaissance in English Translation
- Italian 220: Italian Civilization: Interpreting the Texts
- Italian 237: Dante’s Divine Comedy in Translation
- Italian 242: Boccaccio’s Decameron
- Italian 330: The Italian Renaissance: Epic Tradition
- Italian 331: The Italian Renaissance: Poetry, Theater, etc.
- Italian 338: Dante’s Divine Comedy
- Italian 342: Boccaccio’s Decameron
- Italian 388: Petrarch’s Letters
Past Topics for 220b.
**Please note that in consultation with the coordinator, some 100-level courses may count toward the major like Art 105, Religion 150, and Philosophy 101.
Cultural Crossroads of the Mediterranean 1000-1500.
This course examines the conflict and coexistence of Christian and Muslim cultures in the Mediterranean region from historical and literary perspectives. Our examination of this period of extraordinary vitality and cultural ferment includes the following topics: Norman migrations, the Schism between the Eastern and Latin churches, the Crusades, the rise of Italian trading cities such as Venice and Florence, Frederick II's court in Sicily, and the impact of Arab learning on Spain and Northern Europe. Ms. Bisaha and Mr. Ahern.
Women in Medieval and Renaissance Culture.
An interdisciplinary introduction to women in European culture, twelfth through sixteenth centuries. Close scrutiny of primary sources, including major literary texts. Some consideration of historiographical and theoretical issues. Ms. Robertson and Ms. Reno.