Jay Rubenstein, History, Chair
The Interdisciplinary Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies offers students the opportunity to explore cultures and societies of western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, from the collapse of the Roman Empire through the 17th century. The curriculum covers topics associated with these early periods and methodological approaches to them from the humanities, social sciences, languages, and arts. The concentration emphasizes the study of distinct and temporally remote cultures, including their material conditions, social and political institutions, values and ideals, and modes of perception and expression. It encourages students to encounter the past as "another country" and thus to understand in new ways the historical conditions that have shaped our increasingly interconnected contemporary world.