Especially useful as background work would be a college preparatory high school curriculum with courses in history, art appreciation, modern European languages, Latin, social studies, and literature. Good writing skills will be very helpful, as there is an emphasis in the program on the synthesis and interpretation in written form of interdisciplinary concerns. There are no specific criteria for admission to the major. Interested individuals should consult with the director of the Center. The GEC is a body of courses designed to ensure that each student becomes acquainted with the basic areas of academic study.
Some majors also require completion of a foreign language requirement.
The major consists of 55 hours of course work offered by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and its affiliated departments, including ten credit hours of foreign language above the GEC requirement. Please contact the center director for specific information. Specific course choices are worked out on an individual basis and will vary according to the student's particular interests. A concentration in a primary field will be complemented by select courses in other disciplines which will provide a solid foundation in the culture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as the tools required to pursue more advanced study of these periods in a given area. In fact, Ohio State is consistently ranked among the country's best institutions for overall academic reputation.