The concentration in Early Modern Studies offers students an opportunity to examine the meaning and value of the Early Modern period through the study of the origins and precursors of modern institutions, beliefs and cultural practices. EMW takes a comparative and multicultural approach to the Early Modern era, with an emphasis on the humanities and humanistic social sciences. EMW faculty, graduate students and staff in Early Modern Studies bring a wealth of knowledge from different disciplines. The field itself, at one time anchored in the study of Western Europe, now includes the Americas, Africa and Asia before modernity. This expanded conception of early modern studies is an area of opportunity for the concentration to attract a broad array of students interested in focusing on a place and time period in an area in which they may have broader competency from another concentration. 

An EMW concentration allows students to:

• Understand the thought and social practices that distinguish pre-modern from contemporary societies

• Develop an interdisciplinary knowledge of a place and time between ca. 1350-1800 CE

• Undertake advanced, independent research in a non-English language 

• Complete an honors or capstone project under the direction of a faculty advisor with the participation of curators, librarians and graduate students, taking advantage of the special collections at Brown and RISD if relevant to the project.

All EMW courses (listed on this site and in C@B under EMOW) originate in and are cross-listed with other departments to allow the greatest flexibility in identifying a course of study. Students plan their concentration in close conversation with the concentration advisor, the EMW director, and often with a faculty advisor in their chosen area of concentration.

The concentration requires a minimum of eight courses. Three of those courses must be in one field in which the student has primary interest or training, such as literature or history. Three other courses are selected from two additional fields. A capstone project is required of all concentrators and counts as one of the eight credits. The final credit may be earned through any relevant course of the student's choosing, in consultation with the concentration advisor. In addition to fulfilling eight credits (nine if taking Honors), students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a relevant modern or ancient language other than English.

The Capstone Project

The capstone project is developed in consultation with the EMW concentration advisor and a faculty advisor from the department in which the topic of the research lies. Students register for an Independent Study with either the faculty advisor or, if the advisor is a curator or librarian, with the concentration advisor or director. The nature of the project is determined by the student's interest and can take the form of (1) a written thesis, roughly equivalent to an upper-division seminar paper; (2) the staging of an early modern play, musical performance, or other event that offers students an opportunity to develop professional competency in a field in which they already have experience and expertise; (3) an exhibition, website or other curated project with a public outcome.