Medieval Studies builds a deep understanding of European culture in the period between the end of antiquity and the rise of the early modern nation-states. The culture of the Middle Ages continues to captivate the modern imagination, and opportunities for original, creative, and multi-disciplinary research abound, even at the undergraduate level.

In addition, the evolution of the mental, physical, ecclesiastical, and political “maps” of Europe in this period stretches our understanding of cultural identity and expands our perspective of how such identity was constituted in the prenational, pre-modern era.

The study of this historical period is not limited to events and developments in European history alone—we encourage students to explore ways that medieval Europeans came into contact with other cultures and how people of various religious perspectives negotiated their spiritual and political boundaries.