Medieval Studies Today:
New Developments in a Program Rooted in the 1960s

By Genevieve Shiffrar

April 27, 2001

To those who are fascinated by the Middle Ages—lured to the iconography in the stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral or fascinated by Hildegard von Bingen's visionary writings in the 12th century—a very special program on campus has much to offer.

The Medieval Studies Program is an interdisciplinary group that hosts a number of events designed to foster intellectual exchange among medievalists, and does so in a very "Berkeley" way. The program also initiated recently an undergraduate minor degree program and offers a Joint Ph.D. in Medieval Studies.

Leaf from a French Missal ca. 1270-1290 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Established by five professors in the 1960s, the program is infused with the idealistic atmosphere in which it was born—a campus energized by anti-establishment-minded students banding together to demand civil rights for all citizens and the right of free speech on campus.

At that time, Robert Brentano of History, Richard Crocker of Music, Blake Spahr of German, Charles Witke of Classics, and David Wright of Art History gathered regularly to share their enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and to dream of uniting with the other medievalists scattered throughout the College of Letters and Science. These faculty were aware keenly of the image of the university as an Ivory Tower and believed that an atmosphere of informality would facilitate best the exchange of ideas.

They imagined weekly meetings throughout the semester at which students, faculty, and other scholars could gather for lunch, a casual presentation by a guest speaker, and discussion. To further the cross-pollination of ideas, the group also desired to bring to campus every year an influential scholar from outside the U.S. The Distinguished Visiting Professor in Medieval Studies would teach an upper-division course and a graduate seminar in his or her area of expertise. The group proposed the program to Sanford Elberg, Dean of the Graduate Division at the time. Dean Elberg enthusiastically provided the guidance and the finances to make the program a reality.

Today, the informal Friday lunches continue to invigorate the program, and now, medievalists from Stanford, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz, as well as other teachers and independent scholars from across the Bay Area, join the Berkeley group. For 32 years, Distinguished Visiting Professors of Medieval Studies have enriched Cal's community of medievalists. In the fall of 2001, Wendy Davies from the University of London will share her knowledge of early Celtic social history as the next Distinguished Visiting Professor.

While these initiatives invigorate the group with new ideas, the undergraduate and graduate degree programs help to train new medieval scholars. Both programs provide "horizontal study"—in depth investigation of one period of time. Such an approach is well suited for the Berkeley campus where the "vertical training" provided by the many top ranked departments in the College of Letters and Science supplements richly the more focused investigation of the Medieval period.

The group is proud to have instituted this year a new undergraduate minor degree in Medieval Studies. Now, students with an interest in the Middle Ages can have a specific goal to achieve. The requirements, five courses in Medieval Studies in two or more departments, give the degree an inherently comparative flare. In addition to a wide variety of classes in disciplines such as Art History, Music, Near Eastern Studies, and Religious Studies, the offerings in languages and literature courses are particularly impressive in their variety, including courses such as Old Norse, Old and Middle Irish, and Medieval Arabic.

The graduate program in Medieval Studies is like no other on campus. A student already admitted into a regular Ph.D. program at Berkeley may apply to the Medieval Studies Program for a Joint Ph.D. Their diploma will state they have earned a Ph.D. in their home department program and in Medieval Studies, e.g., French and Medieval Studies. The requirements are substantial but can suit students with serious interest in the Middle Ages. The graduate students must demonstrate competence in Latin. Recently this requirement was made easier to fulfill, in that students may now satisfy it either by coursework or exam. Graduate students must also complete course work outside of their home department, a requirement designed to provide the student with broad familiarity with the Middle Ages.

With continued emphasis on intellectual exchange in an informal atmosphere, a new undergraduate minor degree, and more streamlined requirements for the Joint Ph.D., the Medieval Studies Program ensures scholarship in the Middle Ages will continue to grow strong at Berkeley well into the 21st century.