MLitt Medieval Studies
An Outline
This innovative degree is an introduction to the growing field of interdisciplinary Mediaeval Studies. It will equip students with knowledge of different theoretical approaches, current debates and the nature of cross- and inter-disciplinary work. It is designed to be flexible enough to cater for students from different academic backgrounds and with different career plans, while furnishing those who wish to go on to further research with the technical and interpretative skills needed for research degrees. Thus, for example, it provides for historians wishing to work with literary criticism, or language graduates requiring training in the methods of history or history of art. It draws on the long-established and recognised strengths of the Institute of Mediaeval Studies at St Andrews, so that teaching is provided by staff whose interests range from late antiquity to the fifteenth century and across the Mediaeval World, from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, to the British Isles and Scandinavia.
The degree is designed to allow both for students who already have graduate level qualifications in a particular discipline and those who will require some basic training in one or more of the disciplines making up Mediaeval studies. Thus the structure of the degree allows students to match their module choices to their personal training needs and intellectual interests. This is achieved by a combination of core classes taught to all those taking the degree in a particular year and specialist classes available to one or more students on a tutorial basis.
The MLitt is centred on a year-long, 40-credit, core module, which examines different theoretical approaches and debates and introduces the students to various technical skills applied to a common body of sources. This is complemented by training modules in a core language (Latin, Arabic, Greek or Italian). Students also choose from a combination of training modules, including Palaeography, a single discipline skills module ( History, History of Art or one of the Language and Literatures modules), a Mediaeval Language ( Middle Welsh, Older Scots, Middle High German , Old English, Middle English, Byzantine Greek and Old Norse). These training modules are complemented by a Directed Reading module which allows individual students to pursue their own research interests, supervised by one or more of the Institute staff (who also include Classicists and Theologians) or an interdisciplinary special topic module ( Narrative and History in Mediaeval England and Scotland 1379-1470). Apart from some of the language classes, there are no exams: all work is graded by continuous assessment. Students who successfully complete the coursework, obtaining a mark of 13.5 out of 20, will be allowed to continue to the Masters dissertation, a 15.000 word piece of research leading to the MLitt degree.
The modules
Approaches to Mediaeval Studies
(All Year)
A compulsory core module for the Mediaeval Studies MLitt programme.
An introduction to sources and approaches for Mediaeval studies. Topics for discussion include What are the Middle Ages?; Transmission and circulation of sources; Material culture; Gender; Narrative; Representation (visual and textual); Ritual; Hagiography; Town and country; Economy and exchange; Postmodernism; Writing and orality.
AND EITHER
Core Language and Text Skills 1 (Latin, Greek, Italian or Arabic)
(Semester 1)
The first semester is compulsory and is designed to provide both beginners and near-beginners with a thorough grounding in the grammar and syntax of the language of study. The same language may be continued as an option in semester 2 (Core Language and Text Skills 2 MS5022)
OR
Latin for Mediaeval Studies
(All Year)
This module provides an introduction to Latin language for the study of the Middle Ages.
Options
An Introduction To Palaeography With Codicological & Manuscript Studies
(All Year)
An optional, hands-on, practical, source-based course designed to equip the student to tackle the reading, transcription and editing of manuscripts up to ca. 1500. Efforts are made to include original sources of relevance to special subjects and/or dissertations. Sufficient Latin to cope with the texts will be required, so students who wish to take this module are encouraged to take Latin as their Core language.
Mediaeval Language
(Either Semester)
An optional module, introducing the grammar and syntax of a mediaeval language and currently including one of the following: Middle Welsh, Middle Scots, Middle High German, Old English,Middle English, Byzantine Greek, Old French, Old Irish, Old Norse.
Discipline Skills
(Semester 1)
A specialised optional module, introducing students to a particular discipline within medieval studies. Currently available: An Introduction to Mediaeval Art History; Sources and Source Criticism in Mediaeval History; Mediaeval English Literature (Reading the Mediaeval Text); Mediaeval French literature and Language; Mediaeval German Literature; Mediaeval Italian literature.
Directed Reading in Mediaeval Studies
(Either Semester)
A detailed study of a Mediaeval topic of the student’s own choice taught by tutorials with one or more colleagues in the Institute.
How this all fits together
Students will take a total of 180 credits, made up of:
(1) Core: Approaches to Mediaeval Studies. All year , 40 credits
PLUS
(2) Compulsory skills module: Core Language and Text skills 1, semester 1, 20 credits
This is assessed as pass or fail, so the credits are not included in the final degree result.
OR
(3) Latin for Mediaeval Studies. All year, 20 credits
This is assessed as pass or fail, so the credits are not included in the final degree result.
PLUS
(4) Students choose 60 credits from the following skills modules:
| Semester one options | Semester two options |
| Mediaeval Language (20 credits) | Mediaeval Language (if not taken in semester one) (20 credits) |
| Discipline skills module (20 credits) | Core Language and Text skills 2 (20 credits) |
| Directed Reading in Mediaeval Studies (20 credits) | Directed Reading in Mediaeval Studies (20 credits) |
Latin for Mediaeval Studies All Year(20 credits) |
|
Palaeography All Year (20 credits) |
|
(5) Dissertation (60 credits)
On successful completion of the taught modules, MLitt students write a 15,000 word dissertation, submitted at the end of August.
Students who pass 120 credits' worth of taught modules but do not go on to write the dissertation may be awarded a Graduate Diploma in Mediaeval Studies.
Potential students can arrange to visit St Andrews through the Admissions Office: see Visiting the University
For further information please contact saimsmail@st-andrews.ac.uk