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MPhil in Medieval Language, Literature and Culture

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Course Description

Medieval Language, Literature and Culture (MPhil)

Course Description

This interdisciplinary course is designed for well-qualified graduates who wish to extend their interest in medieval studies. The flexible structure of the course allows students to construct their degree around their particular areas of interest, while acquiring both the technical expertise to investigate primary medieval documents and an insight into the complexities of medieval culture generally. Students will have the opportunity to be taught not only by Trinity staff but also by visiting lecturers from other internationally renowned institutions.

In the Michaelmas term students take three core courses: Research Methodology; Medieval Culture and Society; and a language chosen from: Medieval Latin, Old English, Middle English, Italian, Medieval German, Medieval French, Old Irish. 

In the Hilary and Trinity terms students take one core course, Medieval Thought. They also follow two options. Currently these include: Chaucer; Language and Genre; Varieties of Comedy in Dante and Boccaccio; Arthurian Heroes; Medieval French Poetry; Courtly love song in Medieval Europe, Early Medieval Ireland; Text and Image; Old English Heroic Poetry; Medieval Song; Medieval Latin Genres; Medieval Philosophy. The course concludes with a 20,000 word dissertation to be submitted by 31st August. Students are encouraged to supplement their studies by attending the Seminar Programme organized by the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Aims

Although there are in Ireland other M.Phil. courses in particular areas of medieval studies, what distinguishes this one is its multidisciplinary nature: contributors from a wide range of areas: Art History, English, French, German, Irish, Italian, Music, Philosophy, are involved at some level. This interdisciplinary M.Phil. offers students the opportunity to acquire both a broad knowledge of the main cultural trends that characterize the Middle Ages at a European level and a more specialized study of at least three areas of their choice. It seeks to equip students with the basic technical tools (palaeography, codicology, linguistic skills) for interrogating primary medieval documents; to broaden their awareness of the complexities of medieval culture, with particular emphases on its social, philosophical, literary and linguistic aspects; and to deepen their knowledge of specific topics through the writing of assessed essays and a dissertation. Given its interdisciplinary nature, such an M.Phil. promotes collaboration between scholars in various fields. In these ways the M.Phil. in Medieval Language, Literature and Culture aims to produce well-qualified graduates, with both a broad and a specialized knowledge of the Middle Ages, who are in a position to undertake original research on medieval topics.

Overall Objectives

By the end of the course students should have

1. a broad awareness of some of the more significant issues relating to medieval culture;

2. a specialised knowledge of three areas of medieval studies;

3. enhanced competence in one or more medieval languages;

4. an ability to understand and analyse a varied range of medieval documents and texts;

5. an ability to locate, assemble and assess critically a range of secondary scholarly material;

6. an ability to present written research in the appropriate scholarly manner.

Target Groups

This is a course for Arts graduates both from Ireland and abroad and preferably, but not exclusively, for graduates in those areas with which the course mainly deals. It will appeal to recent graduates who wish to extend and deepen an interest in medieval studies which may have developed during their undergraduate careers. It will be particularly attractive to students who wish to pursue an interest in more than one area of medieval studies, while acquiring skills in research methodology particularly suited to the medievalist. The course will also appeal to those who wish eventually to pursue doctoral research in this area. It is hoped that a number of doctoral students will be recruited from among the more successful students in each cohort of MPhils.

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for admission, candidates should hold an honours degree, preferably at least a II.1 or its equivalent (for example, a GPA of 3.3 or better), in one of the subjects on which the course concentrates. The course Admissions Committee will also consider applications from mature students. As part of the application process all applicants are required to forward a sample of their recent written work – ideally on a medieval topic – to the Course Co-ordinator. Applicants whose first language is not English should possess one of the following qualifications: IELTS grade 6.5; TOEFL grade 230 (computer-based) or 570 (paper-based); Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Proficiency in English grade C; or another qualification deemed acceptable by the course committee.