Major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

The major and minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MDV) offer the opportunity to study societies that evolved between the 5th and 17th centuries, particularly in Europe, from the perspective of various disciplines (language, literature, history, music, theatre or philosophy). MDV courses focus on particular themes (body and gender, heroes and narratives, travel and travelers, the perception of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance between the 19th and 21st centuries). In addition, the specific requirements of these programs include courses on this period in a variety of departments in the Faculty of Arts. Latin, the dominant language of learning in this period, is required for the major that gives access to graduate studies.

One of the strengths of these programs is that they lead you to think differently, to open up to social practices that now seem hard to comprehend or mysterious, or to understand that these ancient societies offer alternative models to our own. By taking courses such as those on the myths of King Arthur, long-distance travel, knights, witchcraft, or the case of Joan of Arc, you will gain access to a deep past that seems very strange today. These programs are not job-specific, rather they open up a multitude of horizons, from diplomacy to heraldry to research and project management.