Welcome to the Program in Medieval and Early Modern Studies!
We often think of global interconnectedness as something new, but the reality is that the premodern world was also connected through networks of exchange. People, goods, and ideas circulated in ways that continue to shape our world today. MEMS is here to help you see beyond the present and to look beyond the familiar. Our students take advantage of UM’s unparalleled breadth of instruction to explore forces that shaped the past across continents, to uncover and explore meaningful connections between different peoples, cultures, and languages. You will come away from MEMS a more informed global citizen.
For students who want a formal approach to their study of the premodern world that is individually tailored to their interests, check out the Minor. If you have questions about the Minor, please contact mems-staff@umich.edu.
For students who are curious about what types of courses MEMS has to offer, check out our Current Courses.
If you choose to study abroad, the courses you take can often be counted toward your MEMS requirements. Recent MEMS students have studied in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. For an idea of programs abroad with courses that can be used towards the MEMS minor, check out our Study Abroad page.
For more information, visit the Center for Global and Intercultural Study (CGIS.)
What can I do with background in Medieval and Early Modern Studies?
Because Medieval and Early Modern Studies is a broad, interdisciplinary field, you can put training in MEMS to a very wide range of uses. Recent graduates have gone into medicine, law, library and information science, teaching, business careers, and graduate work in a variety of disciplines (e.g., history and medieval studies), many with a view to teaching in a college or university.
The knowledge and skills you acquire and hone in the MEMS program will prove enormously useful, whether or not you continue in an academic career. As a model liberal arts program, MEMS prepares you to cultivate interests and talents you can draw on for a lifetime of learning across a broad range of cultural, aesthetic, creative, and intellectual experiences.
