Medieval and Early Modern Studies major
Note: this major is only available to re-enrolling students.
Are you inspired by tales of the Vikings, moved by the drama of Shakespeare, intrigued by medieval castles and cathedrals, fascinated by the Renaissance, or curious about gender and sexuality throughout history? Then the Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) major may be for you. You can explore Europe between the fifth and eighteenth centuries from a variety of perspectives including history, literary studies, Latin, visual arts, philosophy and archaeology. The social and cultural structures and practices of contemporary Australia are still heavily influenced by the mindsets that European settlers and immigrants brought with them. Studying Medieval and Early Modern Studies will enable you to explore this background to our present through a wide and diverse range of topics, from a uniquely Australian perspective.
Outcomes
Students are able to (1) at the end of Level 1: (a) display familiarity with select modes of life, thought and culture in pre-modern Europe from 800–1700 CE; (b) display familiarity with the subject material of the medieval and early modern world from at least two different disciplinary perspectives; (c) display familiarity with various source types for study of the medieval and early modern period; (d) recognise varied disciplinary traditions on which MEMS scholars draw their analysis and interpretations; (e) contextualise their interpretations within distinct disciplinary traditions relevant to MEMS scholarship; and (f) present their learning using the appropriate discourse conventions of written and oral forms; (2) at the end of Level 2: (a) display increased familiarity with the fundamental intellectual structures of the medieval and early modern period (such as cosmological, scientific, and religious understandings); (b) show an understanding of how medieval society and culture related to, and re-imagined, the classical past; (c) locate appropriate sources independently; (d) read and interpret original source materials in support of an argument, contextualising their interpretation within existing scholarship, theories and methodologies; (e) display familiarity with the major disciplines that underpin study of medieval and early modern sources and their interpretation; (e) critically analyse the varied theoretical positions underpinning scholarship in the field; (f) develop nuanced interpretations from independent research and analysis, using the appropriate discourse conventions of written and oral form; and (3) at the end of Level 3: (a) understand key traditions and structures of European thought, science, society and culture in the medieval and early modern period, and analyse specific instances of their operations within particular historical contexts; (b) locate and interpret a range of original documents, texts and items of visual culture from the medieval and early modern period, in manuscript, print and other forms; (c) employ the appropriate necessary research techniques, such as palaeography, iconography, and an understanding of medieval literary theory, to interpretation of original source materials; (d) understand and locate their work within the breadth of appropriate disciplinary scholarship; (e) understand and locate their work within appropriate scholarly theories; (f) understand and develop their work using interdisciplinary methods and techniques in the context of long-running medieval and early modern cultural and historical traditions; (g) understand the significance of the pre-modern European period for the modern world, including Australia; and (h) present sophisticated interpretations from independent research and analysis, using the appropriate discourse conventions of written and oral forms; and (3) at the end of Level 3: (a) understand key traditions and structures of European thought, science, society and culture in the medieval and early modern period, and analyse specific instances of their operations within particular historical contexts; (b) locate and interpret a range of original documents, texts and items of visual culture from the medieval and early modern period, in manuscript, print and other forms; (c) employ the appropriate necessary research techniques, such as palaeography, iconography, and an understanding of medieval literary theory, to interpretation of original source materials; (d) understand and locate their work within the breadth of appropriate disciplinary scholarship; (e) understand and locate their work within appropriate scholarly theories; (f) understand and develop their work using interdisciplinary methods and techniques in the context of long-running medieval and early modern cultural and historical traditions; (g) understand the significance of the pre-modern European period for the modern world, including Australia; and (h) present sophisticated interpretations from independent research and analysis, using the appropriate discourse conventions of written and oral forms.
Broadening guidelines
All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.
Medieval and Early Modern Studies can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Overview of unit sequence
Medieval and Early Modern Studies is a degree-specific single major comprising:
- two Level 1 units
- two Level 2 units
- four Level 3 units
- one Level 3 complementary unit
Key to availability of units: |
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S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021 |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.
Level 1
Take the following unit:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
S1 | HIST1003 | Love, Belief, and Death in Europe, 800-1800 |
|
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
S2 | CLAN1101 | Latin 1 |
|
S1 | HART1000 | Great Moments in Art |
|
S2 | HIST1001 | Clash of Empires |
|
Take the following complementary unit:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
S1, S2 | PACM1101 | Communication in Practice |
|
Level 2
Take the following unit:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
MEMS2001 |
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
ENGL2601 | |||
ENGL2602 | |||
S1 | HART2207 | Caravaggio and the Baroque | |
HIST2004 | |||
S1 | HIST2011 | From 'Glorious Revolution' to Industrial Revolution: Making Britain, 1688–1888 |
|
HIST2012 | |||
S1 | HIST2013 | Medieval and Early Modern Women |
Level 3
Take the following unit:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
ENGL3003 |
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
N/A | ENGL3601 | Reading the Middle Ages |
|
S1 | ENGL3602 | Shakespeare: Page, Stage, Screen |
|
ENGL3603 | |||
S1 | HART3361 | The Dutch Golden Age and the Art of Exploration |
|
N/A | HART3371 | The Northern Renaissance |
|
S1 | HIST3007 | Crime and Punishment in Britain 1600–1900 | |
S1 | HIST3011 | Vikings, Crusaders, and Mongols: Medieval Europe in Conflict |
|
S2 | HIST3012 | Rights, Rule and Power: From Magna Carta to the French Revolution |
|
Choosing your degree-specific major
Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music
You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course. (You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.)
Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics
This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.
General degrees
You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.
To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .
Choosing a second major
You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .