UBC Program

Through a study of the medieval period, you can come to an understanding of a civilization as a whole in both its unity and diversity. Study of the Middle Ages teaches you to critically evaluate the use of the past in the present and provide a necessary corrective to our culturally ingrained misconceptions about the medieval and pre-modern world.

Faculty Website

Program Information

Campus: Vancouver
Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Degree: Bachelor of Arts

4 yrs Length
Yes Co-op Option
No Honours Option

The Medieval Studies program is an interdisciplinary study of the medieval period. You can develop a coherent understanding of the civilization as a whole in both its unity and diversity. You can select a Major or Minor in Medieval Studies.

Campus features

UBC has study exchange programs with many universities in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Students can study in a region related to their interests for up to two terms, and earn credits for their UBC degree.

HIST 101 - World History to Oceanic Contact

HIST 101 - World History to Oceanic Contact
Origins and diffusion of the world's great religions; cultural contact along overland trade routes; emergence of civilizations such as the Inca, Chinese, and Christian European; ordering of societies and their political development.
CLST 110 - Golden Age of Athens

CLST 110 - Golden Age of Athens
The history and culture, values, and achievements of fifth-century Athens.
CLST 111 - Late Republican and Early Imperial Rome

CLST 111 - Late Republican and Early Imperial Rome
The history and culture, values, and achievements of Late Republican and Early Imperial Rome.
MUSC 120 - History of Music I

MUSC 120 - History of Music I
An overview of Western music from antiquity through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, providing a framework for understanding musical styles and practices, and examining selected compositions in greater analytical and historical depth.

MDVL 210 - Introduction to Medieval Studies

MDVL 210 - Introduction to Medieval Studies
A survey of the study of the medieval period in Western Europe (400-1550), integrating history, literature, and the arts; topics vary from year to year; interested students should consult the Medieval Studies Advisor.
CLST 232 - Ancient Rome

CLST 232 - Ancient Rome
A survey of the ancient Roman world from the foundation of the city to the death of Constantine.
ARTH 225 - Art in Europe to the Sixteenth Century

ARTH 225 - Art in Europe to the Sixteenth Century
A selective survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture.
PHIL 212 - Greek Philosophy II

PHIL 212 - Greek Philosophy II
Aristotle; selections from Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy. Recommended as preparation for PHIL 310.

Equivalency: CLST 212.

MDVL 302 - European Literature from the 14th to the 16th Century

MDVL 302 - European Literature from the 14th to the 16th Century
Selected works of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance in their cultural and social contexts.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing in the Faculty of Arts.
ASIA 344 - Topics in Japanese Cultural History I: Aristocrats and Warriors

ASIA 344 - Topics in Japanese Cultural History I: Aristocrats and Warriors
Focuses each year on a specific topic related to the courtly or warrior culture of Japan.
NEST 310 - History of Women in Early to Late Medieval Muslim Societies

NEST 310 - History of Women in Early to Late Medieval Muslim Societies
Realities of Muslim Women's lives are reconstructed through a critical examination of a variety of literary and material sources.

ARBC 420 - Supervised Study in Classical Arabic

ARBC 420 - Supervised Study in Classical Arabic
Religious and literary Arabic texts pertaining to the early and medieval Islamic world. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

Prerequisite: ARBC 400.
ARTH 432 - Seminar in the Art of the Middle Ages

ARTH 432 - Seminar in the Art of the Middle Ages
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading. Equivalency: ARTH 431, ARTH 433.
HIST 474 - Ideas and Religions of the Middle Ages

HIST 474 - Ideas and Religions of the Middle Ages
A survey and exploration of the development, interpenetration, conflict, and transformation of various intellectual and religious traditions during the Middle Ages.
ITST 415 - Topics in the Italian Literature and Culture of the Renaissance in Translation

ITST 415 - Topics in the Italian Literature and Culture of the Renaissance in Translation
Masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance in literature and the other arts. Authors and artists studied range from Pico to Ariosto and Machiavelli, from Botticelli to Leonardo and Michelangelo. Precludes credit for ITAL 405.
RELG 408 - Topics in Medieval Judaism

RELG 408 - Topics in Medieval Judaism
The work of Maimonides and other Jewish philosophers, early developments in Jewish mysticism, the Jews as a minority culture in Islamic and Christian lands.