Medieval Studies


Medieval Studies: Introduction

Faculty Affiliation

Arts and Science

Degree Programs

Medieval Studies

MA and PhD

  • Fields:
    • Auxiliary Sciences;
    • History and Religion;
    • Language and Literature;
    • Music and Art;
    • Philosophy and Theology

Collaborative Specializations

The following collaborative specializations are available to students in participating degree programs as listed below:

Overview

The Centre for Medieval Studies is concerned with the history, thought, and artistic expression of the various cultures of Europe and adjacent regions over the course of a millennium (circa 500 to 1500). The Centre for Medieval Studies in Toronto has an international reputation, resting on the wide-ranging interests of its faculty, the caliber and preparation of its graduates, and its outstanding library facilities.

The Centre for Medieval Studies provides interdepartmental programs in the medieval period. Students are expected to cross the limits of traditional subjects, and research is especially encouraged in often-neglected boundary areas between traditional departments.

The centre offers its students training in basic skills and tools in order to read the materials remaining from the medieval past and to explore them with learning and imagination. All students entering the centre are asked to improve their proficiency in Latin before registration, since there are Medieval Latin requirements for all degrees. Examinations in Medieval Latin are set at the beginning of the Fall session and at the end of the Spring session. All incoming students must take the Level One Latin examination at the beginning of the Fall session for placement purposes.

Contact and Address

Web: medieval.utoronto.ca
Email: medieval.studies@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-4884

Centre for Medieval Studies
University of Toronto
3rd Floor, 125 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C7
Canada


Medieval Studies: Graduate Faculty

Full Members

Akbari, Suzanne - BA, MA, MPH, PhD
Andrée, Alexander - BA, PhD
Bartlett, Kenneth - BA, MA, PhD
Black, Deborah - BA, MA, PhD
Bowen, William - BA, BMus, MA, PhD
Brilli, Elisa - MA, PhD (Director)
Caskey, Jill - AB, MA, MPH, PhD
Cochelin, Isabelle - DipdESup, BA, MA, PhD
Cohen, Adam - PhD
Dewar, Michael - BA, MA, DPhil
Dimnik, Martin - BA, MA, MDiv, DPhil
Everett, Nicholas - BA, MA, PhD
Gaston, Kara Susan - BA, MPH, PhD
Gervers, Michael - BA, MA, PhD
Ghosh, Shami - BA, MA, PhD
Gillespie, Alexandra - BA, BSc, PhD
Ginther, James - BA, MA, PhD
Guenther, Sebastian - MA, PhD
Haines, John - BSc, BA, MA, PhD
Hall, Bert - BA, PhD
Herren, Michael - PhD
Holmstedt, Robert - BA, MA, PhD
Iglesias, Yolanda - BA, BA, MA, PhD
Keith, Alison - BA, MA, PhD, FRSC
King, Peter - BA, PhD
Kivimae, Juri - AM, PhD
Kullmann, Dorothea - PhD
Magee, John - BA, MA, PhD
Meyerson, Mark - BA, PhD
Michelet Pickavé, Fabienne L. - MPH, LèsL, LittD
Miles, Brent - PhD
Percy, Carol - BA, MA, DPhil
Pickavé, Martin - MA, PhD
Pierno, Franco - BA, MA, PhD
Robins, William - BA, MPH, PhD
Ross, Jill - BA, MA, PhD
Rozemond, Marleen - BA, PhD
Saleh, Walid - BA, MA, PhD
Schallert, Joseph - PhD
Silano, Giulio - BA, BEd, LLB, MA, PhD
Smith, Kyle - BA, MA, PhD
Stock, Markus - MA, PhD
Subtelny, Maria - BA, PhD
Terpstra, Nicholas - BA, MA, PhD
Trilling, Renee - MA, PhD
Welsh, Jarrett - BA, MA, PhD

Members Emeriti

Burke, James - BA, MA, PhD
Dutka, JoAnna - BA, MA, PhD, ARCT
Eisenbichler, Konrad - BA, MA, PhD
Farge, James - BA, MA, PhD
Frank, Roberta - BA, MA, PhD
Goffart, Walter - AB, AM, PhD
Hillgarth, Jocelyn - BA, MA, PhD
Jeauneau, Edouard - BTh, PhD
Johnston, Alexandra - PhD
Kaczynski, Bernice - BA, MPH, PhD
Mayer, Hartwig - PhD, PhD
McConica, James - BA, STB, MA, DPhil, FRHistS
McDonough, Christopher - BA, MA, PhD
McDougall, Ian C. - BA, MA, PhD
Pietropaolo, Domenico - BSc, MA, PhD
Stock, Brian - AB, PhD
Taylor, Robert - PhD

Associate Members

Billett, Jesse Dean - AB, MPH, PhD
Dinkova-Bruun, Greti - MA, PhD
Hadisi, Reza - PhD
More, Alison - BA, MA, PhD
Murray, Jaqueline - PhD
O'Hogan, Cillian - PhD
Pelle, Stephen - BA, MA, PhD
Rasmussen, Ann Marie - BA, PhD
Roest, Bert - BA, MA, MA, PhD
Sweetman, Robert - BA, MA, PhD


Medieval Studies: Medieval Studies MA

Students may be admitted to a one-year MA program as full-time or part-time.

Students may obtain an MA in Medieval Studies by coursework or by a combination of coursework plus thesis.

MA Program (Coursework Option)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Medieval Studies' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • An appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university with an average grade of at least a B+ in previous courses. Coursework in the medieval period must have formed part of the program.

  • Applicants are required to have taken at least one full-year Latin introductory course with a grade of at least B+ or equivalent.

  • Applicants for the MA degree, full-time and part-time, must:

    • Follow the application instructions on the department's website.

    • Complete forms in which they state the reasons for undertaking graduate studies in the medieval area and their qualifications for applying to do so.

Completion Requirements

  • MA students must pass the Level One Medieval Latin examination upon arrival or else attain credit in MST1000Y in the first year of enrolment in the MA program.

  • For the coursework option, students:

    • Who pass the Level One Latin examination upon arrival must successfully complete 3.0 FCEs.

    • Who do not pass the Level One Latin examination on arrival must successfully complete 4.0 FCEs (including MST1000Y).

  • In the MA program, course training in Latin is given at two levels. All students are expected to arrive with knowledge equivalent to at least a first-year university course in Latin language. MST1000Y Medieval Latin I is the MA-level course. While this course is preparatory to the departmental Level One Latin examination, a pass in the course does not guarantee a pass of the departmental examination at the corresponding level. Advanced seminars are open to those MA students who have achieved a pass of the Level Two Latin examination.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS); 6 sessions part-time
Time Limit: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

 

MA Program (Coursework-Plus-Thesis Option)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Medieval Studies' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • An appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university with an average grade of at least a B+ in previous courses. Coursework in the medieval period must have formed part of the program.

  • Applicants are required to have taken at least one full-year Latin introductory course with a grade of at least B+ or equivalent.

  • Applicants for the MA degree, full-time and part-time, must:

    • Follow the application instructions on the department's website.

    • Complete forms in which they state the reasons for undertaking graduate studies in the medieval area and their qualifications for applying to do so.

Completion Requirements

  • MA students must pass the Level One Medieval Latin examination upon arrival or else attain credit in MST1000Y in Year 1 of the MA program.

  • For the coursework-plus-thesis option, students must successfully complete:

    • Coursework: 3.0 FCEs or 2.0 FCEs plus a pass at the Level One Latin examination upon arrival in the program.

    • A thesis. An MA thesis must be on a topic approved by the Centre for Medieval Studies. The topic must be submitted to the Centre by November 30 of the MA year.

  • In the MA program, course training in Latin is given at two levels. All students are expected to arrive with knowledge equivalent to at least a first-year university course in Latin language. MST1000Y Medieval Latin I is the MA-level course. While this course is preparatory to the departmental Level One Latin examination, a pass in the course does not guarantee a pass of the departmental examination at the corresponding level. Advanced seminars are open to those MA students who have achieved a pass of the Level Two Latin examination.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS); 6 sessions part-time
Time Limit: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

 


Medieval Studies: Medieval Studies PhD

The PhD is offered only on a full-time basis. Applicants may enter the PhD program via one of two routes: 1) following completion of a master's degree in medieval studies or a related field; or 2) direct entry after completing an appropriate bachelor's degree.

PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS)'s additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants enter with a master's degree in medieval studies or a related field from a recognized university with an average grade of at least A– in the applicant's overall program. Students in the CMS MA program must apply formally for admission to the PhD program on the same basis as all other applicants.

  • All applicants must:

    • Follow the application instructions on the department's website.

    • Complete the forms in which they state the reasons for undertaking graduate studies in the medieval area and their qualifications for applying to do so.

    • Pass the Level One Latin examination before they register in the PhD program.

Completion Requirements

  • During Years 1 and 2, students must take a minimum of 3.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs), i.e., 2.0 FCEs in a major field and 1.0 FCE in a minor field. In view of the CMS's interdepartmental nature, some of these courses on the Middle Ages can be taken in other departments, with the approval of the PhD coordinator. MST1001Y may not be counted towards the 1.0 FCE minor field requirements or included in the 3.0 FCEs minimum for the degree; but it must be taken in addition to the 3.0 FCEs minimum by all those who do not pass the Level Two Latin examination right before or upon arrival in the program. In addition to the 3.0 FCEs minimum, MST1003H Professional Development for Medieval Studies PhDs must be taken by all students over the course of the first three years of registration.

  • In the PhD program, course training in Latin is given at two levels. MST1001Y Medieval Latin II is the PhD-level course. While this course is preparatory to the departmental Level Two Latin examination, a pass in the course does not guarantee a pass of the departmental examination at the corresponding level. Advanced seminars are open to those with either prior credit in MST1001Y or else a pass of the Level Two Latin examination. These seminars thus serve both advanced students of medieval Latin as well as those who have passed MST1001Y but require further training in order to achieve the Level Two Latin examination pass.

  • By the end of the Fall session of Year 2, students should have a full Advisory Committee, consisting of a supervisor and two other members. The Advisory Committee must be formally approved by the PhD coordinator.

  • During the Spring session of the same academic year, students should develop the Special Field Proposal in consultation with the Advisory Committee. The proposal must be prepared according to CMS guidelines and consists of three documents:

    • The Reading List (minimum 150 and maximum 250 items, including both primary and secondary sources) — should be submitted to the Advisory Committee members by June 30 of Year 2.

    • A brief (one to two pages) description of scope of the Reading List.

    • The Special Field Proposal Form, which alone should be submitted to the PhD coordinator and graduate administrator at this time.

  • Special Field Examination: the purpose is to demonstrate both the student's scholarly expertise in the particular area of doctoral dissertation and a broader academic competence. The Special Field Examination consists of the following:

    • The Field paper (approximately 8,000 to 12,000 words, including footnotes) — should be submitted to the Advisory Committee members and the CMS Executive Committee for approval by January 15 of Year 3.

    • The Syllabus — should be submitted, together with the final version of the Field paper, to the Advisory Committee members by March 31 of Year 3.

    • The Special Field Examination — a two-hour-long oral exam to be held by April 30 of Year 3, and graded on a pass/fail basis. The Advisory Committee, in consultation with the Executive Committee, has the discretion to determine if a student may retake the Special Field Examination. Only one retake is permitted and must take place within two months of the first exam. Students who do not pass the Special Field Examination before the beginning of Year 4 will be recommended to SGS for termination of registration.

  • Students must pass the Level Two Latin examination and the CMS's examinations in the French and German languages before moving on to the Special Field Examination. In exceptional cases, a student may petition to replace one of the modern languages (French and German) with another language in their area of research. A written request, with a signed confirmation of support for the petition from the supervisor, must be submitted as early as possible, and no later than the end of the Fall session of Year 2 for consideration by the Executive Committee. In the case of a successful petition, the student will be expected to take the exam no later than the next examination date. Such substitute examinations will be offered no more than two times per year (April and September). Failure to pass all the language exams by the end of Year 3 leads to an automatic failure of the Special Field Examination and thus, to termination from the program.

  • The candidate will be required to defend the dissertation at the Doctoral Final Oral Examination.

  • It is possible to complete a PhD in Medieval Studies in four years, but most students, depending on their background preparation, find that it takes at least five years.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS)'s additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants enter with an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university with an average grade of at least A– in the applicant's overall program. Coursework in the medieval period must have formed part of the program.

  • All applicants must:

    • Follow the application instructions on the department's website.

    • Complete the forms in which they state the reasons for undertaking graduate studies in the medieval area and their qualifications for applying to do so.

    • Pass the Level One Latin examination before they register in the PhD program.

Completion Requirements

  • During Years 1, 2, and 3, students must take a minimum of 5.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs), including 2.0 FCEs in a major field and 1.0 FCE in a minor field. In view of the CMS's interdepartmental nature, some of these courses on the Middle Ages can be taken in other departments, with the approval of the PhD coordinator. MST1001Y may not be counted towards the 1.0 FCE minor field requirements or included in the 5.0 FCEs minimum for the degree, but it must be taken in addition to the 5.0 FCEs minimum by all those who do not pass the Level Two Latin examination right before or upon arrival in the program. In addition to the 5.0 FCEs minimum, MST1003H Professional Development for Medieval Studies PhDs must be taken by all students over the course of the first three years of registration.

  • In the PhD program, course training in Latin is given at two levels. MST1001Y Medieval Latin II is the PhD-level course. While this course is preparatory to the departmental Level Two Latin examination, a pass in the course does not guarantee a pass of the departmental examination at the corresponding level. Advanced seminars are open to those with either prior credit in MST1001Y or else a pass of the Level Two Latin examination. These seminars thus serve both advanced students of medieval Latin as well as those who have passed MST1001Y but require further training in order to achieve the Level Two Latin examination pass.

  • By the end of the Fall session of Year 3, students should have a full Advisory Committee, consisting of a supervisor and two other members. The Advisory Committee must be formally approved by the PhD coordinator.

  • During the Spring session of the same academic year, students should develop the Special Field Proposal in consultation with the Advisory Committee. The proposal must be prepared according to CMS guidelines and consists of three documents:

    • The Reading List (minimum 150 and maximum 250 items, including both primary and secondary sources) — should be submitted to the Advisory Committee members by June 30 of Year 2.

    • A brief (one to two pages) description of scope of the Reading List.

    • The Special Field Proposal Form, which alone should be submitted to the PhD coordinator and graduate administrator at this time.

  • Special Field Examination: the purpose is to demonstrate both the student's scholarly expertise in the particular area of doctoral dissertation and a broader academic competence. The Special Field Examination consists of the following:

    • The Field paper (approximately 8,000 to 12,000 words, including footnotes) — should be submitted to the Advisory Committee members and the CMS Executive Committee for approval by January 15 of Year 3;

    • The Syllabus — should be submitted, together with the final version of the Field paper, to the Advisory Committee members by March 31 of Year 3.

    • The Special Field Examination — a two-hour-long oral exam to be held by April 30 of Year 3, and graded on a pass/fail basis. The Advisory Committee, in consultation with the Executive Committee, has the discretion to determine if a student may retake the Special Field Examination. Only one retake is permitted and must take place within two months of the first exam. Students who do not pass the Special Field Examination before the beginning of Year 4 will be recommended to SGS for termination of registration.

  • Students must pass the Level Two Latin examination and the CMS's examinations in the French and German languages before moving on to the Special Field Examination. In exceptional cases, a student may petition to replace one of the modern languages (French and German) with another language in their area of research. A written request, with a signed confirmation of support for the petition from the supervisor, must be submitted as early as possible, and no later than the end of the Fall session of Year 2 for consideration by the Executive Committee. In the case of a successful petition, the student will be expected to take the exam no later than the next examination date. Such substitute examinations will be offered no more than two times per year (April and September). Failure to pass all the language exams by the end of the Spring session of Year 4 leads to an automatic failure of the Special Field Examination and thus to termination from the program.

  • The candidate will be required to defend the dissertation at the Doctoral Final Oral Examination.

  • It is possible to complete a direct-entry PhD in Medieval Studies in five years but some students, depending on their background preparation, find that it takes longer than five years. Students intending to work in an area of medieval studies that requires the acquisition of one or more extra languages may find that it is not possible to complete a doctorate within five years.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time

 


Medieval Studies: Medieval Studies MA, PhD Courses

Not all courses are offered every year. Please consult the Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS)' website which lists the courses that will be offered this year as well as those offered by associated departments. A graduate course is understood to require at least two hours per week of class meeting and such research hours as may be required.

Art History

Course CodeCourse Title
The Medieval Treasury
Global Medieval Art in China
Early Medieval Art

Book History and Print Culture

Course CodeCourse Title
Introduction to Book History
Book History in Practice
Advanced Seminar in Book History and Print Culture
Individual Practicum in Book History and Print Culture

Classics

Course CodeCourse Title
Criticism of Latin Poetry

Comparative Literature

Course CodeCourse Title
Feminist Approaches to Medieval Literature
Literature, Culture, and Contact in Medieval Iberia

English

Course CodeCourse Title
Old English I
Introduction to Old English II: Beowulf
The Canterbury Tales

French Language and Literature

Course CodeCourse Title
Initiation au français médiéval
Séminaire de littérature II : période

Germanic Languages and Literatures

Course CodeCourse Title
Middle High German

History

Course CodeCourse Title
Medieval Institutes of Perfection
Social Change in Medieval England, 1154–1279
Topics in Early Modern European Social History

Italian Studies

Course CodeCourse Title
Dante
Dante as a Reader of Augustine's City of God: Augustinian Textual Communities at the Beginning of the 14th Century
Boccaccio
Petrarch and Petrarchism
ITA1535HTopics in Italian Literature
Renaissance Italian Theatre
The Commedia dell'Arte

Medieval Studies

Course CodeCourse Title
Medieval Latin I
Medieval Latin II
Advanced Medieval Latin
MST1003HProfessional Development for Medieval Studies PhDs
Medieval Representations of Sexual Dissidence
The Medieval Latin Epic
MST1021HThe Bibliographic Imagination in the Middle Ages
MST1022HTransmission and Reception: the Survival and Use of the Latin Classics
MST1023HEarly Medieval Latin and Greek Poetry
Codicology
Practical Palaeography
Latin Palaeography I
Latin Palaeography II
Latin Textual Criticism
Diplomatics and Diplomatic Editing
English Palaeography
MST1117HMedieval English Handwriting, 1300–1500
MST1372HWhy Europe Grew Rich and Asia Did Not: the Great Divergence Debate
MST1373HEnglish Language and Literature in Transition, 1100–1250
MST1383HPoetry and Prose of the Vercelli Book
The Exeter Book of Old English Verse
MST1388HThe Junius Manuscript: Old Testament Narratives
MST1398HAlfredian Prose
Introduction to the Study of Magic in the Middle Ages
Old Saxon
MST2007HOld High German
Old Norse
MST2018HCeltic and Hiberno-Latin
MST2029HOld Irish I
MST2030HOld Irish II
MST2031HTopics in Medieval Celtic Literature
Medieval Irish Poetry 500–1600
Textual Studies in Medieval Irish Poetry
Legendary History of Britain and Ireland
Medieval Brittany
Beginnings of Medieval Rhetoric and Poetics
MST2042HMedieval Literary Theory in the Later Middle Ages
MST2048HMusic in Medieval Life
MST2051HMiddle Welsh I
MST2052HMiddle Welsh II
Studies in Middle Welsh Texts
Introduction to Ge'ez (Classical Ethiopic)
MST3016HIntermediate Ge'ez (Classical Ethiopic)
Boethius
Consolation Through the Ages: Later Medieval Approaches to Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy
Medieval Representations of Death, Sickness, and Crime (1100–1500)
Introduction to Medieval Medicine
Medieval Studies in the Digital Age
The Apocalypse in Medieval English Literature
MST3127HTexts and the City in Medieval Northern Europe
MST3135HDigital Old English
Medieval Catalan Language and Literature
Medieval French Epic: Kings and Heroes
Medieval Occitan I
Medieval Occitan II — Literature
MST3155HMiddle French Literature
Classical Antiquity in the French Middle Ages
MST3160HIntroduction to Romance Philology: From Vulgar Latin to the First Literary Texts
Medieval French Historiography
Medieval French Romance: The Grail
Violence in Medieval Society
Decretists and Decretalists: Canonical Jurisprudence 1140–1300
Jews and Christians in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
MST3226HMedieval Mediterranean History
MST3231HClio's Workshop: Introduction to Historical Methods
MST3232HVernacular Literature in Medieval Europe: Status and Function
Communal Florence, 1150–1530
MST3237HMonastic Rules and Customaries
Everyday Life in Medieval Europe
Carolingian Europe 750–900 CE
Saints of Early Medieval Italy
The Merovingians
MST3253HMedieval Sicily
MST3261HCluny in the Central Middle Ages
MST3263HGender and Sexuality in Medieval Literature
Themes in Medieval Philosophy
Birth of the Will: Augustine and Anselm
MST3310HThomas Aquinas
Topics in Medieval Metaphysics
Philosophy of Mind in the Middle Ages
William of Ockham
Free Will and Human Action in Medieval Philosophy
Medieval Islamic Philosophy
MST3347HLate Antique and Early Medieval Philosophical Commentators
Introduction to the Medieval Christian Liturgy
Medieval Spanish Sources in Context
MST3602HCrime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
MST3603HSociety and Literary Texts in Medieval Spain
MST3604HThe Culture of Food, Cooking, and Diet Through Daily Life and Tradition in Medieval Europe
MST3606HHistorical Archives in the Digital Age: Books Along the Silk Roads
MST5001HTopics in Medieval Art History
MST5002HTopics in Medieval History
MST5003HTopics in Medieval Languages and Literatures
MST5004HTopics in Medieval Manuscript Studies and Textual Cultures
MST5005HTopics in Medieval Musicology
MST5006HTopics in Medieval Religion and Theology
MST9310HDirected Reading
Directed Reading
Directed Reading

Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

Course CodeCourse Title
Persian Mirrors for Princes
Medieval Persian Historiography and Diplomatics

Slavic Languages and Literatures

Course CodeCourse Title
Introduction to Old Church Slavonic
Studies in Old Church Slavonic