This spring, the Humanities Council’s Program in Medieval Studies asked seniors to tell us about their experiences in the medieval studies minor — why they were interested in the field, their favorite MED courses, their independent research, and more. Read on for some highlights from the spotlight series, and read the full Q&As on the program’s website.
“My favorite MED course was ‘From Parchment to Print: Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism.’ [It’s a Classics course, cross-listed with Medieval Studies and Hellenic Studies.] I learned how to read medieval Greek manuscripts, which became a new passion for me and has since shaped my independent research at Princeton.”
– Jack Geld ’26 on his favorite Medieval Studies course
“[The medieval studies minor] has been a great way to connect with professors and be exposed to new interests with support from some of the best in the field. I would highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity!”
– Nadia Makuc ’26 on her experience in the Medieval Studies minor
“Instead of a Roman Empire phase, I had a Byzantine Empire phase in high school. When perusing areas of study at Princeton, Medieval Studies and Molecular Biology are next to each other in the alphabetic order, which I took as my sign to take the opportunity to learn more about the medieval period. I had never taken an art history course before college, so I took ‘ART 228 Art and Power in the Middle Ages,’ to merge both interests. I loved it and haven’t looked back since!”
– Kasia Kirnie ’26 on why she chose to minor in Medieval Studies
“My senior thesis, on the Military Order of Calatrava in Medieval Spain, largely came out of my junior paper on the early Reconquista and the formation of the Kingdom of Asturias. My thesis is a textual history, tracing the development of the military orders and crusading spirituality in the Reconquista through Papal decretals, Canon law, and Chronicles. I love my topic, it keeps me up at night.”
– Dan Kaiser ’26 on his senior independent work
“Although I came into the medieval minor with an interest in the subject, I stayed because of the people. The faculty in the department have been some of the kindest and most supportive I have met at Princeton, and the students are all extremely dedicated and wonderful peers to learn with and from.”
– Lilli Duberstein ’26 on her experience in the Program in Medieval Studies
