The Minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies is an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary program which explores the extraordinarily rich cultures of the Middle Ages, both in Europe and beyond. The thousand-year period often known as the Middle Ages (roughly 500-1500 C.E.) was a period of vibrant life and sometimes violent change. In diverse societies, people worked to understand their place in the world, and how they might best live in it. The medieval period witnessed key developments in literature and art, philosophy and religion, science and medicine. And many questions premodern people asked-for instance, how religious belief should relate to social order-are questions we are still asking and answering today. The minor also examines the transitional early modern period sometimes known as the “Renaissance,” lasting from roughly 1500-1700 C.E., during which both global interconnection and global inequalities intensified. The interdisciplinary minor allows you to choose among courses in political science, philosophy, art, and English as well as history.