Academic Minor Program
Minimum Credits: 15 credit hours (and five courses), including at least two upper-division courses, in the medieval and early modern periods, chosen in consultation with the MEMS department advisor. These courses must include:
1. Geographic area courses. Select one course from two of these five areas:
African cultures
American cultures
Asian cultures
European cultures
Middle Eastern cultures
2. Disciplinary courses. Select one course from three of these four disciplines:
historical studies
art historical or archaeological studies
language or literary studies
musicological studies
A single course may count toward both geographic and disciplinary distribution requirements. With the approval of the department advisor, students whose major includes a medieval and early modern studies course in one of these disciplinary categories may substitute one course from a discipline different from that of the major.
The MEMS distribution requirements insure that students reach beyond a single discipline and geographic zone in their study of pre-modern cultures. The disciplinary requirement fosters a deeper familiarity with premodern cultures in the core disciplines of history, art, literature, and music. This enables students to develop a coherent understanding of past cultures as wholes, rather than the fragmentary vision that ensues from studying single aspects in isolation (only art, or only literature, for example). The geographical requirement fosters awareness of cultural connections (and differences) among the diverse cultural zones of the premodern world; cross-cultural comparison not only contributes to the breadth necessary to advance students in the humanities and social sciences, but also deepens students’ understanding of their primary cultural focus.
Constraints: none.
MEMS minors will have academic advising by program faculty to help them plan a coherent program of study. The MEMS Program Associate (MEMS-staff@umich.edu) serves as the primary point of contact for MEMS minors.
