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Undergraduate Certificate | Overview of Certificate Requirements | Requirements | Sample Plans of Study | Application Forms

Undergraduate Certificate in Medieval Studies

The Medieval Studies Program gives undergraduate students a way to combine study in three or more disciplines into an organized investigation of a rich historical period, one which continues to influence our present culture. Students can pursue the Certificate in Medieval Studies as an elective interest or combine it with focused study in areas such as Art and Art History, Classics, Comparative Literature, English, French and Italian, German, History, Literature Science and the Arts, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish and Portuguese, Theatre Arts, and Women's Studies.

This page describes the certificate requirements and lists the principal faculty associated with the program. Links include a list of approved courses that count towards the certificate and of relevant upcoming courses that will be taught next semester. Students interested in the Certificate are encouraged to discuss the program with a member of the coordinating committee.

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Overview of Certificate Requirements

Requirements

The Certificate in Medieval Studies requires a minimum of 21 s.h. in medieval studies course work from at least three different departments. Medieval Civilization (162:110) is required for the certificate and should be taken early in a student’s program of study. All other course work may be chosen from the list of associated courses.

Students may apply no more than 10 s.h. from any one department towards the certificate. Up to 6 s.h. of transfer credit can be applied towards the certificate with the approval of the medieval studies coordinating committee. Holders of University of Iowa baccalaureate degrees may return to complete the requirements for a certificate. Courses applied toward the requirements of the Certificate in Medieval Studies may also be used to satisfy requirements of the General Education Program or the requirements for a major or minor.

As part of their program of study, students are strongly encouraged to complete course work in a language relevant for the medieval period. Latin is recommended for anyone intending to pursue graduate study in the field. Many language courses have prerequisites, while others are offered irregularly, so that students should complete their language course work as early as possible. The following language courses are approved for the medieval studies certificate:

• 008:140 Elementary Old English
• 20L:011-20L:012 Second-Year Latin I-II
• 032:100-032:101 Biblical Hebrew I-II
• 195:103-195:104 Intermediate Arabic I-II

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Sample Plans of Study
Below are two sample plans of study, both of which fulfill certificate requirements. The first represents possible course work for a student intending to pursue graduate work in Medieval Studies, while the second suggests course work for a student with a general interest in the period.

• 162:110/16E:110 Medieval Civilization
• 162:101/008:101 Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages
• 01H:040 Introduction to Medieval Art
• 16E:112 Medieval Intellectual History 1150-1500
• 032:025 Medieval Religion and Culture
• 20L:011 Second-Year Latin I
• 20L:012 Second-Year Latin II

• 162:110/16E:110 Medieval Civilization
• 008:146 Chaucer
• 008:140/103:132  Elementary Old English
• 16E:117 History of the Medieval Church
• 16E:119 Women, Power, and Society in Medieval Europe
• 025:144 History of Music I
• 035:160 Medieval Spanish Literature in Context

Students should consult regularly with a medieval studies advisor while planning and completing their course of study. Students are encouraged to register their intent to pursue the certificate in Medieval Studies with the Division of Interdisciplinary Programs as soon as possible and to declare the medieval studies certificate as the second field on their transcripts. In order to receive the certificate, students must submit their Application for Degree and the certificate checklist with the division office prior to graduation.

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Introductory Courses Not Approved for the Certificate

A number of courses provide students with a good introduction to the Middle Ages as part of the General Education Program, but do not count towards the Certificate. These introductory courses include the following:

01H:005 Western Art and Culture Before 1400
08G:003 Medieval and Renaissance Literature
008:040 Major Texts in World Literature I
016:020 Issues in Human History: Medieval Society

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