The Medieval World: From Constantine to the Khans

About this course

The course examines how the Middle Ages have been defined and represented, while exploring the political, economic, religious and social changes that shaped lives between approximately 500 and 1500. Topics include conversion, rural and urban communities, environment, exploration, material culture, gender, everyday life and encounters across cultures. Lectures and seminars introduce participants to chronicles, charters, accounts, poetry, songs, images and artefacts. Learning is assessed through a primary-source analysis, a summary of modern scholarship and a longer essay.

What you'll learn

• Analyse primary sources including chronicles, charters, accounts, poems, songs, images and artefacts
• Examine how historiography and medievalism have shaped interpretations of the Middle Ages
• Assess political, economic, religious and social change across medieval societies
• Relate everyday experiences to wider themes such as conversion, urbanism, environment, gender and material culture
• Construct written arguments using primary evidence and modern scholarship

Is this course right for you?

Presented as a thematic introduction for learners at all levels, the course involves participation in lectures and seminars alongside assessed academic writing. No specific previous experience is stated. Learners study alongside students taking undergraduate or postgraduate courses.

• Includes three assessed pieces of academic writing
• Can be taken as a standalone short course
• Involves studying alongside current undergraduate and postgraduate students