Center for Medieval Studies

	The Center for Medieval Studies
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	Graduate Studies Masters Degree ·Doctoral Certificate ·Doctoral Consortium · Financial Aid · Graduate Essay Prize · Graduate Student Assn · Workshops Known for its excellence in diverse fields of medieval research, Fordham University offers the master of arts degree in medieval studies and a doctoral-level medieval concentration. Fordham's intimate size and tradition of devotion to teaching offers students an intellectual climate in which faculty members, well-known and active in the scholarly community, encourage and support students in their academic pursuits. The University offers graduate assistantships and fellowships to a limited number of students. The program is administered through its Director and through the Center for Medieval Studies, located at the Rose Hill campus. The Center houses a small library and discussion area available to students. The main University library is especially strong in its medieval holdings. Fordham's location in New York City affords easy access to other major libraries (such as the Pierpont Morgan and the New York Public Library), museums (for example, The Cloisters and the Metropolitan Museum of Art), and other institutions of higher learning. A University-operated campus shuttle makes regular trips between the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses throughout the day and evening. The Center supports the exchange of views and information through its annual conferences and speakers series. Fordham faculty are also invited to address colleagues and students informally, and graduate students have also presented lectures. Selected Areas in Medieval Studies Medieval English, Latin and Romance Languages Medieval Ecclesiastical and Intellectual History Medieval Mysticism Patristic Studies Medieval Art History Medieval Scholarly Editing, Manuscript Studies and Paleography Women in Medieval History, Art, and Literature Spanish, Italian, French, and English Medieval History Monasticism and Scholasticism The Master of Arts Degree in Medieval Studies The master's degree appeals to those interested in a broader spectrum of medieval subjects than is available within a specific discipline. Its 30-credit requirement allows the serious student to complete course work in one year of full-time study. Requirements for admission to the MA program are those of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: a bachelor's degree from an accredited American or foreign university; the Graduate Record Examination (General Aptitude Test); and, for foreign students, an English proficiency examination such as TOEFL. The curriculum for the master of arts degree comprises courses designed especially for the program, as well as a wide variety of offerings in the graduate wings of participating departments. The special program courses are typically interdisciplinary, bringing together two or more subjects or approaches in order to present to students the integrated approach of medieval studies. Students are required to take two of these courses (those with a MVGA prefix), one medieval history course, and two courses in each of two additional disciplines or thematic fields (art and music history, Latin and Romance literatures, English literature, history, manuscript studies, philosophy, theology). Two medieval courses can be taken as electives. Latin and a second foreign language are strongly recommended. Upon completion of course work, master's candidates may choose to take a comprehensive examination or write a thesis. Those electing to pass the examination must have given evidence in a graduate-level course of their ability to write a developed paper. The Doctoral Certificate in Medieval Studies Medieval Studies is an interdisciplinary program that offers students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the Middle Ages and to integrate in a coherent whole various facets of medieval civilization. While stressing the importance of obtaining a thorough grounding in one of the medieval disciplines, the program also encourages students to pursue additional studies in medieval subjects outside the major field. Students who have already been accepted to a doctoral program in one of the participating doctoral departments at Fordham (Classics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Theology) are eligible to apply to the Director of the Center for Medieval Studies for admission to the Medieval Studies doctoral concentration. Upon acceptance, the candidate must complete the following requirements: Four graduate-level courses selected from among the medieval course offerings of the Medieval Studies program and the Center’s participating departments. The courses should be chosen to create two minor fields (two courses in each field), both of which must be outside the student's own doctoral department. A minor field may be disciplinary (for example, two courses offered by one department) or thematic (for example, Manuscript Studies, Medieval Art, Medieval Italian Literature, Medieval Liturgy, Medieval Mysticism and Spirituality, Medieval Women, Monasticism, Old French, Scholastic Thought, etc.). Students who have completed an MA in Medieval Studies at Fordham may count two of their MA courses towards the doctoral concentration. A course in Latin Paleography. A reading knowledge of Latin (or Greek where appropriate). A reading knowledge of two vernacular languages (other than English). Upon completion of all course and language requirements, the student must pass comprehensive exams in the two minor fields. The assessment of reading knowledge in a foreign language follows the guidelines set out by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The comprehensive exams in the minor fields generally consist of a three-hour written exam for each field, with questions set and marked by the student's instructors in the minor field courses. In doctoral departments which allow students to choose a minor field outside the department, candidates for the doctoral certificate may opt to take one of the minor fields according to the guidelines of the home department (for example, an oral exam if the student is doing a PhD in History). Minor field exams will normally be graded high pass, pass, or fail. Students who fail one or more of the minor field exams is allowed to retake each exam once, normally within one calendar year of the first attempt. Upon the successful completion of these requirements and a successful defense of a dissertation written under a mentor from the major department, the student will receive the Doctoral Certificate in Medieval Studies at Commencement ceremonies when the PhD is awarded. Inter-University Doctoral Consortium Fordham University is a member of the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) which allows doctoral students who have completed at least one year of full time study toward the Ph.D to take graduate courses at participating universities in the New York metropolitan area. IUDC members include the City University of New York Graduate Center (CUNY), Columbia University, New York University, and the New School for Social Research, Princeton University, Rutgers University, and the State University of New York, Stony Brook (SUNY). Students in doctoral programs at the above schools may cross-register for courses offered at any of these institutions, use their libraries, and consult with their faculty while enrolled in those courses, thereby expanding their course options and research opportunities. Access to these courses depends on space being available, the approval of the instructor, approval of the GSAS associate dean, and approval of the departmental chair or program director. To register for courses, complete the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium Registration Form, obtain the required signatures, and register for ZZGA0920 (consortium registration). More information about the consortium and contacts at host schools can be found on the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium website. Financial Aid Graduate assistantships and fellowships, funded at competitive levels with stipend awards ranging from $13,000 to $18,500, are available to all applicants to graduate departments on a merit basis. Graduate assistantships include full tuition for one calendar year and a stipend (usually $13,500) for nine months in return for working for the department or another academic unit for around 15 hours a week. Fellowships include higher stipends (up to $18,500). Presidential scholarships offering full or partial tuition remission are also available on a competitive basis. The Joseph P. Fitzpatrick, S.J. Doctoral Fellowship Program offer generously funded awards to exceptionally qualified minority students seeking the doctoral degree. Those enrolled in the Medieval Studies Doctoral Certificate program are also eligible to apply for a Senior Teaching Fellowship. Graduate Essay Prizes The Center for Medieval Studies offers two prizes each year for essays written on a medieval topic in a graduate course offered by one of the participating departments; winners receive a book or cash prize and a certificate in recognition of their achievement. *The First Year Graduate Essay Prize in Medieval Studies:* The author of the essay must be a graduate student in his or her first year of study at Fordham in the academic year. Nominated papers must be no longer than 25 pages and written for a graduate course in one of our participating departments, on a medieval topic. One copy of the essay should be submitted to the Director of Medieval Studies, along with a letter of nomination by a faculty member. *The Joseph O'Callaghan Graduate Essay Prize in Medieval Studies:* The author of the essay should be a graduate student at Fordham University. Nominated papers can be of any length, but should have been written for a graduate course in one of the participating departments, on a medieval topic. One copy of the essay should be submitted to the Director of Medieval Studies, along with a letter of nomination by a faculty member. Graduate Student Association and the Medieval Studies Mentoring Program Beginning in 2006, The Medieval Studies department at Fordham will be launching a new mentoring program for incoming graduate students. This mentoring program is intended to aid new students in learning the ins and outs of Fordham University, as well as the Medieval Studies program itself. Students will be introduced at orientation, and remain in contact throughout the year. Another resource available to all graduate students at fordham is the Graduate Student Association (GSA). The GSA is a student-run organization dedicated to promoting academic excellence and student solidarity among the departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Your GSA representative is responsible for helping students obtain funding for conferences or other projects, orienting incoming students, and organizing social events. Please feel free to contact your GSA representative if you have any questions about the Medieval Studies program or the GSA. Current Representative: Nicole Brennan Email: brennan@fordham.edu Workshops The Center organizes one to two workshops each year which focus on professional development. Past workshops have centered on such topics as "Writing and Building your Curriculum Vitae," (with a panel of faculty from different disciplines, and handouts of guidelines for writing an academic resumé); "Submitting a Conference Paper and Writing a Conference Abstract" (with a panel of faculty and advanced graduate students at Fordham); and "Finding a Job in Academia: What We Wish We Knew Then That We Know Now" (with a panel of recent PhD graduates in English, History, and Theology).
	Last modified: June 19, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Fordham University. All rights reserved.