Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) is a highly productive area of research and teaching in the English department at the University of Oklahoma, balancing a number of approaches. Faculty and students work on canonical and non-canonical texts and in related fields such as textual editing and history of the book. At the same time, their interests regularly take them into literary theory, cultural and social history, intertextuality, and questions of gender and representation.

Graduate students find strong support and mentoring as they develop as scholars and teachers. They present their work at national and regional conferences and seek publication in major journals. The department and the college provide competitive funding sources for conference travel and dissertation research.

M.A. or Ph.D. students working on medieval literature are also eligible for the Rudolph C. Bambas Memorial Scholarship. This award, of approximately $2,000 per year, was established by Dr. Frieda Derdeyn Bambas in memory of her husband Rudolph Bambas, a former professor of Anglo-Saxon at OU’s English Department.

Undergraduates with an interest in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance choose from an array of interesting survey and specialized courses. Chaucer, Arthurian Legend and Literature, and Shakespeare Comedy and Drama are just a few of the regularly offered courses in the English Department.

Outstanding Med/Ren resources at OU

The Variorum Chaucer project is based at OU. Founded in 1967, the project analyzes the textual history and offers a comprehensive overview of all facets of critical commentary for Chaucer’s individual works.

The History of Science Collections, part of the University Libraries system, comprise over 91,000 volumes spanning all fields of science and “natural philosophy.” They also provide an excellent resource for the early history of printing in all major European languages. Holdings range chronologically from Hrabanus Maurus’ Opus de universo (the Collections’ oldest book, printed before 20 July 1467) to current publications in the history of science and include a copy of Galileo’s works with the author’s handwritten notes.

The University of Oklahoma is also a member of the Renaissance Studies Consortium of the Newberry Library in Chicago. The consortium provides funding for faculty and graduate students to do research onsite with the library’s extensive primary and secondary resources in the field. Members of the Newberry Consortium also enjoy reciprocal membership in the Folger Institute of Washington, D.C.