Bachelor [Medieval Studies] From Bard College

A broad approach is particularly appropriate to the study of medieval culture because the national and disciplinary boundaries to which the university has become habituated did not exist. French was spoken in England, Proven?al in Italy, Arabic in Spain, and Latin everywhere. The dominant political organizations in Western Europe?the Church and Holy Roman Empire?were transnational by definition.

In the Lower College, students take at least two semesters of a survey course (such as History 2110,?Early Middle Ages; Literature 204A,?Comparative Literature I; or Literature 250,?English Literature I). Students are required to have a reading knowledge of a foreign language by their senior year, and are encouraged to begin or continue work in languages as soon as possible. Students may choose to specialize in one discipline, but are expected to become familiar with a variety of fields.