This is the first version of the 2025–26 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
The undergraduate Certificate in Medieval Studies requires at least 18 s.h. in medieval studies coursework. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in work for the certificate.
The Certificate in Medieval Studies enables students to combine study in three or more disciplines into an organized investigation of the Middle Ages, a rich historical period that continues to influence today's culture.
Students may earn the Certificate in Medieval Studies as a distinct interest or combine it with focused study in areas such as art history; classics; gender, women's, and sexuality studies; languages (e.g., French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish); music; philosophy; religion; theater; and literature.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.
Courses used to fulfill GE CLAS Core requirements or the requirements of a major or minor may be counted toward the certificate in most cases. Up to 6 s.h. of transfer credit may be counted toward certificate requirements with the Certificate in Medieval Studies coordinating committee's approval; contact the certificate program's coordinator.
The Certificate in Medieval Studies requires the following coursework.
Courses
Courses may be chosen from the "Associated Courses" list or from medieval studies courses (prefix MDVL) under Courses in this section of the catalog. Students must include courses from at least three different departments; they may count a maximum of 10 s.h. from a single department or program. Students should consult regularly with a medieval studies advisor while planning and completing their program of study.
Associated Courses
The following courses are approved for the medieval studies certificate. Other courses may be approved for the satisfaction of certificate requirements; students who wish to have a course approved should make a request to the Certificate in Medieval Studies coordinating committee. The coordinating committee revises the list of approved courses as necessary.
Arabic Language and Literature
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARAB:2001 | Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I | 5 |
| ARAB:2002 | Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II | 5 |
Art, Art History, and Design
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH:2420 | Medieval Art From Constantine to Columbus | 3 |
| ARTH:3310 | Celtic and Viking Art | 3 |
| ARTH:3390 | Early Medieval Art | 3 |
| ARTH:3400 | Romanesque and Gothic Art | 3 |
| ARTH:3420 | Gothic Architecture | 3 |
| ARTH:3990 | Topics in Art History (when topic is medieval) | 3 |
Center for the Book
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| UICB:4290 | Historical Book Structures | 3 |
| UICB:4420 | Introduction to Medieval Calligraphy | 3 |
| UICB:4910/HIST:4422/SLIS:4910 | The Book in the Middle Ages | 3 |
| UICB:4920/HIST:4429/SLIS:4920 | The Book in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
Classics
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CLSA:2127/ASIA:2127/JPNS:2127 | Books of the Silk Roads | 3 |
| CLSL:2001 | World of Cicero | 3 |
| CLSL:2002 | Golden Age of Roman Poetry | 3 |
English
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL:2216 | Selected Works of the Middle Ages | 3 |
| ENGL:2236 | Selected Early Authors (when topic is medieval) | 3 |
| ENGL:3216 | Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENGL:3226/MDVL:3226 | Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages | 3 |
| ENGL:3256 | Old English Language and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL:3257 | Old English Beowulf | 3 |
| ENGL:3266 | Medieval Celtic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL:3267 | Medieval Norse Literature | 3 |
| ENGL:3276/THTR:3276 | Medieval Drama | 3 |
| ENGL:3286 | Chaucer | 3 |
| ENGL:4009 | Honors Literature Seminar: Medieval and Early Modern Literature, Early Literature/17th Century | 3 |
History
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST:1402 | The West and the World: Medieval | 3 |
| HIST:2151 | Introduction to the History Major (when topic is medieval) | 3 |
| HIST:3409/MDVL:3409 | Medieval Civilization I | 3 |
| HIST:3410/MDVL:3410 | Medieval Civilization II | 3 |
| HIST:4412/MDVL:4412 | History of the Medieval Church | 3 |
Italian
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ITAL:4633 | Dante's Inferno | 3 |
Japanese
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| JPNS:3202 | Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| JPNS:3206 | Warriors' Dreams | 3 |
| JPNS:4201 | Genji Lab | 3 |
Music
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUS:2301 | History of Western Music I | 3 |
| MUS:4200 | Counterpoint Before 1600 | 3 |
Religious Studies
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RELS:1225/HIST:1025 | Medieval Religion and Culture | 3 |
| RELS:3243/CLSA:3443 | Pagans and Christians: The Church From Jesus to Muhammad | 3 |
| RELS:4001/CLSA:4901 | Biblical Hebrew I | 3-4 |
| RELS:4002/CLSA:4902 | Biblical Hebrew II | 3 |
Russian
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RUSS:1532 | Traces of Ancient Russian Culture (IX-XVII Centuries): Vikings, Mongols, and Tsars | 3 |
Spanish and Portuguese
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPAN:4690 | Topics in Spanish Literature (when topic is medieval) | 3 |
Language Courses
The Medieval Studies Program strongly encourages students to complete coursework in a language relevant to the medieval period. Latin is recommended for anyone intending to pursue graduate study in the field. Many language courses have prerequisites, and some are offered irregularly, so students should complete their language coursework as early as possible. The following language courses are approved for the medieval studies certificate.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARAB:2001 & ARAB:2002 | Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I and Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II | 10 |
| CLSL:2001 & CLSL:2002 | World of Cicero and Golden Age of Roman Poetry | 6 |
| CLSA:4901 & CLSA:4902 | Biblical Hebrew I and Biblical Hebrew II (same as RELS:4001-RELS:4002) | 6-7 |
| ENGL:3256 | Old English Language and Literature | 3 |
Sample Plans of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Medieval Studies, Certificate
For students with an interest in graduate-level work.
| Academic Career | ||
|---|---|---|
| Any Semester | Hours | |
| The undergraduate Certificate in Medieval Studies requires at least 18 s.h. in medieval studies coursework. | ||
| This sample plan is a suggestion for students with a general interest in medieval studies. | ||
| MDVL:3409 | Medieval Civilization I a | 3 |
| ENGL:3256 | Old English Language and Literature a | 3 |
| HIST:4412 | History of the Medieval Church a | 3 |
| JPNS:3202 | Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation a | 3 |
| MUS:2301 | History of Western Music I a | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
- a
- Students may substitute this course for another approved medieval studies course (refer to the General Catalog for a list of approved courses). Students must include courses from at least three different departments in their work for the certificate; they may count a maximum of 10 s.h. from a single department or program.