Ancient and medieval civilizations (AMC) is a multidisciplinary
academic program drawing upon courses from a variety of departments and
skills to access cultures and peoples of the far past. Courses in
ancient history, ancient languages, material culture, philosophy, and
religion help to bring students to an understanding of ancient and
medieval civilizations. While most of our courses focus on Europe, we do
offer many courses pertinent to the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia.
Pursuing a minor in AMC means acquiring fundamental language skills
in classical languages (Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian, or Chinese--based
on the student's focus), along with a wide-ranging knowledge of the
ancient and medieval history. At every stage, students are led to
reflect on the many connections of these times to the modern world, and
how the civilizations involved contributed to shape the present day.
To better understand what studying AMC entails, students are
encouraged to familiarize themselves with the core learning goals that
motivate the teaching of AMC (below), and to contact the AMC program
director with any questions. AMC students should discuss with the
director the focus of their minor, whether it will be oriented
toward the west or east, ancient or medieval, in particular.
The program's broad goals can be divided into two categories: conceptual learning goals that delineate the principles of the discipline, and practical learning goals that define important skills that students can expect to develop by taking courses in AMC.
Conceptual Learning Goals
Students who study AMC at Rutgers University–Newark can expect to:
-
demonstrate substantial expertise in at least one classical language,
engage in advanced analysis of ancient texts in the original language,
and use the study of the language to better understand their historical,
intellectual, and material contexts;
-
form, through the study of the languages and of ancient and medieval
history and civilization, a broad and critically informed understanding
of major events, concepts, documents, and material artifacts of these
civilizations, and of their continuing influence on and connections to
the modern world;
-
produce culturally and historically informed analyses of ancient and medieval ideas, texts, and artifacts;
- appreciate the role of diversity and difference in shaping human experience; and
- acquire a global perspective through
in-depth study of ancient and medieval cultures in their historical
contexts, as well as through opportunities to study abroad, especially
those given by Rutgers Study Abroad programs, e.g., the Rutgers University Archaeological Field School in Italy, which is operated by faculty from the AMC program.
Practical Learning Goals
Students who study AMC at Rutgers University–Newark can expect to:
- acquire necessary analytical, research, and thinking skills to read critically;
- learn to communicate effectively in speaking and in writing;
- read, understand, and appreciate a variety of
literary forms, including primary sources (poetry, speeches, plays,
histories), as well as secondary sources written in academic prose;
- construct an original thesis statement and
support it with logical evidence using several research databases;
- work independently and conduct independent research; and
-
pursue a wide range of careers (as below).
An AMC minor is excellent preparation for the pursuit of a
wide range of careers in a large number of fields, including, but not
limited to, government, law, education, business, journalism, library
science, publishing, foreign service, finance, the entertainment
industry, museum and preservation work, pharmaceutical sciences, music
and the arts, foundations, technology, web design, and labor relations.
