The Center for Medieval and Byzantine Studies offers an interdisciplinary major and minor in Medieval and Byzantine Studies that introduce students to the various fields of the discipline and their methodologies in the following areas: History and Social Structures; Thought and Worship; and Cultural and Artistic Expressions.

Are you considering becoming an MBS major or minor?

You may already have completed some of the courses required! Up to two of your medieval courses in another major (e.g. History, English) and a number of your distribution requirement courses with a medieval focus (e.g. in theology, philosophy, literature, history) may be counted towards the MBS degree. Please contact the MBS Undergraduate Advisor or the Director (see under Contact Us) to find out what you need to do next.

What is special about the major and minor in MBS?

• It offers a breadth of knowledge across cultures (Western civilization, Eastern Christianity, the Islamic world), time periods (from 300 to 1500 AD), and disciplines (history, literature, theology, philosophy, etc.) while allowing you to design your own area of interest and expertise.
• The interdisciplinary nature of the program introduces you to a variety of research fields and methodologies, preparing you for a number of different graduate programs.
• You have the opportunity to work with faculty from a variety of schools and departments. For our list of faculty, visit the Faculty page.
• Due to the small size of the program, you get a lot of individual attention.
• You become part of a scholarly community of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates affiliated with the Center, and you are invited to participate in extracurricular events, workshops, lectures, seminars, field trips, etc. For example, the Catholic University Medieval Society host such events throughout the year. 
• It is an unusual degree with interdisciplinary and cross-cultural training that will set you apart from the crowd when applying to graduate school or jobs.