Academic Planning: Medieval and Ancient Studies

The top 5 things to consider when planning a major in medieval and ancient studies

  1. Knowing how to make sense of fragmented, incomplete, and sometimes contradictory information is a useful, flexible skill, central to Medieval and Ancient Studies and important for many careers.
  2. A large number of faculty from a wide variety of disciplines contribute to this interdisciplinary major. Core classes are offered regularly, while elective course offerings vary, frequently designed to meet current student interests.
  3. Latin 1002 or a Latin proficiency test is required for the major, and we
    encourage students to think about getting the language requirement started early. We strongly advise students to take more than the minimum requirement of a foreign language and, if at all possible, to study multiple languages.
  4. We have excellent research opportunities, particularly in collaboration with the library because of our manuscript and paleography collection. Thinking ahead about your own interests and possible projects can help get you started on authentic undergraduate research.
  5. We do not pressure students to complete double majors, but many of our majors choose to do so. The Medieval and Ancient Studies major or minor combines well with many other majors--studio art, art history, history, anthropology, English, French, German, philosophy, computer science, or even biology--and because Medieval and Ancient Studies courses come from a wide variety of areas, you can even choose to meet many general education requirements with courses that also count for Medieval and Ancient Studies. A thematically organized general education program or a double major can greatly deepen your understanding of art, history, literature, and culture. It can also make you attractive to graduate schools and employers.