Premodern Studies

Director: Jacquelyn Hendricks

The minor in Premodern Studies offers students from all departments a cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary program of study of the global premodern period between late antiquity and 1800. These periods lay on the edge of modernity, when the distinctive characteristics of the contemporary world began to form and when major new connections were made between Europe and Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and the Americas. Study of these periods from many different points of view affords an opportunity to gain valuable perspectives on the ways that premodern people, events, and institutions helped to shape the modern world. Completion of the minor is noted on the student's transcript, and students receive a certificate acknowledging their accomplishment.

Requirements for the Minor

Students must complete the following requirements for a minor in Premodern Studies:

Seven courses selected from three different departments with a maximum of three lower-division courses.
One of the upper-division courses must require an interdisciplinary research paper based on source materials and secondary works dealing with a topic rooted in the premodern period. The research paper requirement may be fulfilled by enrolling in a 199 in one of the associated departments under the supervision of an affiliated faculty member or the program director.
The study of French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, and/or Spanish is strongly recommended but not required. Students should consult with the program director to determine the cluster of courses best suited to their personal interests and preparation.

Premodern Studies Courses

199. Independent Study

Directed reading and research in source materials and secondary works dealing with selected problems rooted in the premodern period, culminating in an interdisciplinary paper. Prerequisite: Permission of program director and instructor. (2-5 units)

Note: In addition to the courses listed below, certain sections of Cultures & Ideas 11A and 12A may be applied to the minor. Many departments offer occasional special topics, directed reading/directed research, and seminar courses on premodern topics (including ARTH 97/197 and 196; ENGL 146, 147, 149, 166, 167, 190, and 97/197; HIST 130, 149, and 169; FREN 197; GERM 197; ITAL 125 and 197; SPAN 197; MUSC 193; PHIL 180; THTR 111, 112, 113, and 185). Students should consult with the program director to determine the applicability of these to the minor, as well as courses taken at other institutions or while studying abroad.

Anthropology Courses

ANTH 146. Anthropological Perspectives on Colonial California

ANTH 148. Historical Archaeology

ANTH 184. Religion and Culture in Latin America

ANTH 185. Peoples of Latin America

Art History Courses

ARTH 21. Introduction to Arts of Ancient and Medieval Europe

ARTH 22. Art in the Age of Exploration: Introduction to Early Modern Europe

ARTH 23. Art and Revolution: Europe and the United States, 18th-20th Centuries

ARTH 25. Indigenous Visions: Introduction to the Arts of the Americas

ARTH 114. Topics in Medieval Art

ARTH 120. Keeping up with the Medici: Fame and Family in Renaissance Florence

ARTH 121. Venice: The Sinking City

ARTH 123. The Global Renaissance

ARTH 144. Race, Gender, and Nation in 18th and 19th Century American Art

ARTH 165. Islamic Art in the Age of Empire

ARTH 166. From Emaki to Manga

ARTH 167. Cityscapes, Past and Present

Classics Courses

CLAS 51. History of Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval

CLAS 52. Introduction to Arts of Ancient and Medieval Europe

CLAS 135. Late Antique and Medieval Latin

CLAS 144. Heretics and Holy War

English Courses

ENGL 41. Introduction to British Literature I

ENGL 54. Shakespeare

ENGL 119. Language Studies

ENGL 131. Early American Literature

ENGL 141. Medieval Literature

ENGL 143. Renaissance Literature

ENGL 144. 18th-Century British Literature

ENGL 144G. Gender in 18th-Century British Literature

ENGL 151A. Shakespeare’s Tragedies

ENGL 151B. Shakespeare’s Comedies

ENGL 151C. Studies in Shakespeare

History Courses

HIST 30. The French Revolution: An Introduction

HIST 43/143. The Haitian Revolution in World History and Memory

HIST 70/170. The American Revolution

HIST 75/175. Natives and Newcomers: Early North America

HIST 91. Africa in World History

HIST 94. Europe

HIST 96A. Colonization, Revolution, and Civil War: The United States, Origins to 1877

HIST 97. West Asia and the Middle East

HIST 104. World History until 1492

HIST 117. State and Church in the Middle Ages, 1000-1450

HIST 118. Representation, Rights, and Democracy, 1050-1792

HIST 120. The Crusades: Christian and Muslim Perspectives

HIST 123. History of Plagues, Epidemics, and Infections

HIST 126. Conflicts in Medieval Christianity

HIST 130A. The French Enlightenment and Revolutions in Global Context

HIST 146A. Medieval and Early Modern Japan

HIST 147A. Wonders of Ancient China

HIST 152. History of Christianity in China

HIST 166. Latin America: Empires

HIST 186. California

Modern Languages and Literature Courses

FREN 115. French Literature and Culture I

FREN 150. The French Revolution in a Global Context

FREN 182. Women in French Literature

GERM 140. German Fairy Tales

ITAL 120. Italian Literature and Culture I

SPAN 130. Survey of Latin American Literature I

SPAN 165. Cervantes: Don Quijote

Music Courses

MUSC 42/142. Concert Choir (Performance)

MUSC 43/143. Chamber Singers (Performance)

MUSC 189. Sacred Music and the Church

MUSC 190. Music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance

MUSC 192. Music of the Baroque and Classical Periods

Philosophy Courses

PHIL 14. History of Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval

PHIL 15. History of Philosophy: Early Modern

PHIL 124. The Natural Law Tradition

PHIL 125. Aristotle and Aquinas on Justice

PHIL 142. Medieval Philosophy

PHIL 155. Skepticism

PHIL 178. Arabic Philosophy

PHIL 179. Jewish Philosophy

Religious Studies Courses

SCTR 19. Religions of the Book

SCTR 112. Martyrdom

SCTR 157. The Bible and Empire

SCTR 175. Wealth, Work, and the Gospel

RSOC 7. Religious Traditions of South and Southeast Asia

RSOC 81. Islam

TESP 71. Mysticism in Catholicism

TESP 79. Women in Christian Tradition

TESP 82. Witches, Saints, and Heretics: Religious Outsiders

TESP 143. Theology and Ethics of Thomas Aquinas

TESP 183. Ignatian Spirituality

TESP 190. Celtic Christianity

Theatre Courses

THTR 116. Shakespeare's Tragedies

THTR 117. Shakespeare's Comedies

THTR 118. Shakespeare Studies

THTR 119. Shakespeare’s Plays in Performance

THTR 120. Acting Styles I: Shakespeare

Women and Gender Studies Courses

WGST 48. Women in the Christian Tradition

WGST 141A. Gender in 18th-Century British Literature

WGST 153. The Bible and Empire

WGST 176. Women in French Literature