Medieval and Early Modern Studies Minor
Interdisciplinary Minor
A minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies furthers our liberal arts mission of shaping students to be informed, active citizens of the world. This interdisciplinary, multi-period minor cultivates students’ deeper understanding of the past, dispelling old myths as they examine the rich diversity of cultures in Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and Latin America from the fifth century to the eighteenth. Given the profound interconnectedness of multiple modes of artistic production and cultural expression across the medieval and early modern worlds, this minor offers a valuable opportunity to further contextualize their studies in majors such as Art History, English, French Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, History, Humanities, Music, Philosophy and Religion, and Theatre.
A minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies prepares students for graduate study in the humanities and social sciences, law school, and other professional endeavors which value synthetic thinking and critical analysis. The multidisciplinary expertise developed through this minor gives students a valuable background for work in public history, the public humanities, the digital humanities, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions.
Washington College sits in one of the richest regions for medieval and early modern art collections, libraries, and museums in the United States, which are available for experiential learning and partnership opportunities through the Medieval and Early Modern Studies minor. Institutions within a 90 minute drive from the college with exhibits and holdings in art, rare books, and manuscripts include Bryn Mawr College, Catholic University of America, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Folger Shakespeare Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, Freer Gallery of Art, Georgetown University, Library of Congress, Library Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rosenbach Museum and Library, University of Maryland, University of Pennsylvania, and Walters Art Gallery. Additional institutions within easy reach of our location on the East Coast include the Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Morgan Library and Museum, Columbia University, and Princeton University.
By honing the skills to research, comprehend, and communicate, students would be able to go beyond popular conceptions of the past to a more academically grounded understanding of the medieval and early modern world. This minor equips students to travel the world as liberally educated people, able to appreciate better the surviving art, architecture, cultural traditions, and languages with roots in the medieval and early modern world.