2024-2025 Binghamton University Academic Guide
Medieval Studies
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 Return to: Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
The medieval and early modern studies major enables students to custom-build an interdisciplinary course of study in the history of political, religious and social institutions and in cultural production - from science and technology to theater, literature, music and art. Courses are selected from departmental offerings across campus.
The program encourages students to concentrate on one geographic region or on the increasing development of global interdependencies while focusing on a particular period or on movement through time. Medieval studies offers two chronological tracks: the medieval track (late fourth through 15th centuries) and the early modern track (15th through 18th centuries). A minor is offered as well.
Honors in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
The undergraduate director administers the honors program offered in Medieval and Early Modern Studies. MDVL majors may become candidates for honors once they have completed 87 credits and, thus, achieved senior standing. Before becoming candidates for honors, majors must consult with the undergraduate director and complete the appropriate form to qualify.
To be eligible to earn honors, a MDVL major must:
- Have a GPA of 3.50 in courses counting toward the major at the time of candidacy for honors
- Write an honors thesis, which the student must arrange to research and write under the supervision of a faculty member affiliated with CEMERS Majors writing honors theses may (but are not required to) register for MDVL 498 and MDVL 499. These courses may not be used to satisfy course requirements for the MDVL major.
Ideally, the thesis supervisor should be a faculty member with whom the honors candidate has taken upper-level courses that have been counted towards the MDVL major. The supervisor will be selected by the student. Once the faculty member agrees to supervise the project, s/he will be appointed by the undergraduate director.
It is also advisable for the honors candidate to define a topic for the thesis based on advanced work already completed at the 400-level by the time of candidacy.
When the thesis is complete, a second member of the CEMERS faculty will be appointed to serve as the reader of the thesis. Selected by the student, the reader must be approved by the thesis supervisor and appointed by the program director.
The completed thesis will be evaluated by the faculty supervisor and reader, who will judge whether the work is worthy of honors, high honors or highest honors. In case of disagreement between the two readers, a third will be designated by the program director. This process must be completed before the last week of the student’s last semester.
Upon successful completion of the project, the student will present a bound copy of the thesis to the MDVL program for its archive.
Programs
Return to: Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
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