Introduction To Medieval History Class 7
Kristy Suzuki
This course offers an introduction to major artistic monuments and artistic developments of the medieval period (roughly 300-1450 CE) with a focus on Europe. It surveys a diverse range of works of art and architecture from this period and positions them within their original social, political, spiritual, and economic contexts. Lectures and discussion sections will trace the shifting ways in which images were defined and perceived over time and consider how the flow of objects and styles linked Europeans to broader world systems. We will also identify key moments in the birth and development of architectural forms still common today such as churches and mosques. Students will develop skills in visual analysis and gain a basic understanding of the methods and aims of art historical study.
HSTAM 203 Introduction to the Middle Ages: Medieval People (5) SSc
Introduction to the Western Middle Ages through a study of social roles and statuses as seen through documents and imaginative literature. The groups studied are rulers, aristocracy, peasants, townspeople, clergy, outcasts, and outsiders.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 203
HSTAM 205 Military History of the Ancient World (5) SSc
Military history from prehistoric times to the fall of the Roman Empire, with special emphasis on the Greco-Roman period and the campaigns of Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar.
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HSTAM 215 Tudor England (5) SSc
Covers the political, social, and cultural history of England from Wars of the Roses to reign of Elizabeth I; themes include social order, economy and society; imposition of order after a change of dynasty; political propaganda; English Reformation and Renaissance; literature and culture; witch beliefs and witch trials; and political rebellion.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 215
HSTAM 221 The Prison from Antiquity to Today (5) SSc, DIV
Explores the history of the prison from antiquity to today, focusing on the experiences of prisoners and the ideology of societies who lock them up. Investigates incarceration as a colonial and capitalist tool for punishing deviance, extracting labor, and organizing society.
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HSTAM 231 Race, Identity, and the Ancient Mediterranean World (5) SSc, DIV
Explores ancient authors' perceptions of others (foreigners, "barbarians," people on the margins of their known-worlds, slaves, etc.) alongside current scholarship on ancient perceptions of race and identity. Also examines how different groups/nations in nineteenth/twenty-first centuries used their views of Greek and Roman societies to make modern claims about race, white privileges, and power. Offered: jointly with CLAS 231.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 231
HSTAM 250 The Mongols: Empire and Resistance in Medieval Eurasia (5) SSc
Under the leadership of Genghis Khan (d. 1227), Mongol armies established the largest land-based empire in world history. Traces the history of the Mongol Empire, with attention to the geography and cultures of the regions it conquered. Examines how diverse communities across Eurasia responded to the rise of Mongol power, and listens carefully to voices of those who fought, fled, or collaborated with Mongol forces.
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HSTAM 276 Celtic Civilizations of the European Middle Ages (5) A&H/SSc
Introduction to the history and pseudo-history of medieval Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and Gaul. Topics include "Celtic" religion, mythology, social institutions, nationalism, and the relationship between history and myth. Particular attention to how historians "do" history in the absence of straightforward historical sources.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 276
HSTAM 314 The World of Late Antiquity (5) SSc
Examines the transformation of the ancient world from the third-century crisis of the Roman Empire to the rise of Islamic civilization. Explores the manifold political, cultural, and social changes that transformed Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East between the third and the eighth centuries CE.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 314
HSTAM 320 Reacting to the Past: Religion and Politics in the European Middle Ages (5) SSc
Role-playing-based class focusing on religion and politics in the Middle Ages. Students take on identities and pursue game-structured strategies centered on key historical moments such as the struggle between church and state and the mission and trial of Joan of Arc.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 320
HSTAM 325 Empires in Ancient Iran (5) SSc
Explores the history of ancient and early medieval Iran, from the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster to the Islamic conquest of the Sasanian Empire. Focuses on the two dominant imperial phases of pre-Islamic Iranian history: the Achaemenid Empire created by Kings Cyrus and Darius, and the Sasanian Empire.
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HSTAM 333 Late Middle Ages (5) SSc
Disintegration of the medieval order under the impact of the national state, the secularization of society, and the decline of the church. Movements of reform and revolution. The culture of late gothic Europe.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 333
HSTAM 334 Social and Cultural History of Premodern Europe: Medieval and Early Modern People (5) SSc
Introduction to the social and cultural history of premodern Europe. Covers how Europeans accomplished fundamental imperatives to farm, feed, and reproduce between 800 and 1800 AD with attention to climatic, economic, social, and cultural contexts. Themes include Europe's changing place in global trade circuits, demographic regimes, the organization of farming, and how religious life gave meaning to ordinary lives.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 334
HSTAM 340 Medieval Women (5) SSc, DIV
The experiences of women in medieval society: public and private power, changing concepts of family and the domestic sphere, ideal and reality in courtly love, women in religious life, women in the workplace, the querelle des femmes and the beginnings of "feminist" thought.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 340
HSTAM 403 Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age (5) SSc
Rise of Macedonia, conquest of Near East by Alexander, and division into lesser kingdoms after Alexander's death. Special emphasis on fusion of cultures and change from city-state to world-state.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 403
HSTAM 505 Ancient Greece and Rome: Writings and Interpretations (3-6, max. 6)
Study of historians, development of historical study as a distinct pursuit, focus of attention in historical scholarship in the ancient world and comparison with modern interpretation of antiquity.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 505
HSTAM 518 Topics in Late Antiquity (3-6, max. 18)
Examines various topics in the transformation of the ancient world from the third-century crisis of the Roman Empire to the rise of Islamic civilization. Serves as the field course for masters and Ph.D. students.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 518
HSTAM 590 Topics in Ancient and Medieval History (5, max. 15)
Seminar on selected topics in ancient and medieval history, with special emphasis on preparation for field examinations. Topics vary according to interests of students and instructor.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAM 590
The information on this page is for 2024 entry. If you are considering applying for 2025 entry or later, some of these details may differ and we advise you to check the page again before you apply. To receive a notification of when applications open for 2025 entry, please register your interest.
The MA (Hons) in Medieval History will teach you to engage with sophisticated modes of thought and expression across medieval Europe and the Middle East. You will grapple with complex issues and gain a clear understanding of the historical background which underlies the present day.
Medieval history students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.
In third and fourth year, you will be able to choose from a wide range of specialist studies within the history of the medieval world. You will also be encouraged to dive deeper into a specialist topic of your choice.
If you decide to take medieval history in your third and fourth years, you choose from a wide variety of advanced options, with topics ranging from the fall of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the modern age, and from Britain to the Eastern Mediterranean.
In fourth year, students also undertake a dissertation of around 12,000 words on a topic of their choice. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.
Classroom examinations often incorporate essays and source exercises. In addition, many modules include an examination held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand.
Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team with expertise and knowledge of medieval history. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials under the supervision of the module leader.
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