Graduate Certificate
CEMERS, Binghamton University’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, offers
a graduate certificate at both the Master’s and doctoral levels as part of its larger
mission to promote innovative interdisciplinary work on topics that fall between late
antiquity and the early modern era.
The graduate certificate program is intended to foster the highest levels of concentrated
work both within departments and across departmental lines, enabling students to build
an interdisciplinary program in either Medieval or Early Modern Studies.
Two tracks are offered for the graduate certificate: Medieval (late 4th through 15th
centuries) and Early Modern (15th through 18th centuries).
Note: Students interested in the certificate program must be admitted to the University
through a department. A letter of application should then be submitted to the CEMERS
Graduate Committee, which consists of CEMERS faculty from departments granting graduate
degrees. The program’s Director of Graduate Studies presides over the CEMERS graduate
committee (applications should be sent directly to the DGS). The committee reviews
all applications. Its members may also mentor certificate students through the program.
After the application has been approved, the student still needs to submit the Add-on certificate application form through the Graduate School.
- Medieval Track - (late 4th through 15th centuries)
Minimally, five 4-credit, 500-level courses are required (overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
and minimum of B in each of the required courses).
- Two of the five courses should be taught by faculty from outside the student’s degree-granting
department.
- One of the two courses will be chosen from among the interdisciplinary “501” graduate
seminars parented by CEMERS and offered each year; by petition, this course may be
substituted with another seminar with a demonstrable interdisciplinary component,
offered through a department other than the student’s own.
Students may, in exceptional cases, petition the Graduate Certificate Committee to
accept one of the five courses at the 400-level.
Proficiency is required in languages appropriate to the course of study (one at the
Master’s level; two at the doctoral level), to be demonstrated by means acceptable
to the degree-granting department.
For doctoral students, reading proficiency in research languages relevant to their
research is required. This requirement may be met by passing a translation exam set
by the dissertation advisor and deposited on file in the CEMERS office. For students
working on the Latin West, this language should be medieval Latin unless otherwise
specified by the dissertation advisor; the requirement for medieval Latin may be met
either by passing a 500-level course (minimum “B”) in the subject (offered on campus
at least once every two years) or by passing a translation exam set by the dissertation
advisor or the instructor of medieval Latin and deposited on file in the CEMERS office.
Evidence of having taken an intensive language course in another research language
may also substitute for a translation exam in that language. A determination of equivalency
will be made on a case-by-case basis.
To assist doctoral-level candidates who need to acquire a research language above and beyond the two languages required by the home department, funds may be available through CEMERS for summer “immersion” courses in Latin, Greek, classical
Arabic, or classical Chinese (students may petition for funded study of other medieval
or ancient languages). For doctoral students working on the Latin West, funds may
also be available for summer courses or institutes in medieval Latin paleography.
Applications are to be made to the Graduate Certificate Committee and must include
documentation concerning the program of study in which the student plans to enroll.
*see note 1
Funding may be available through CEMERS for dissertation research abroad. Applications,
including an itemized budget, are to be submitted to the Graduate Certificate Committee
and reports are to be filed upon completion of the trip. *see note 2
Upon completion of coursework and prior to graduation, each doctoral candidate for
the certificate will present a chapter from the dissertation in a public lecture sponsored
by CEMERS.
With completion of the requirements, the awarding of the certificate will be noted
on the student’s transcript and formalized at graduation ceremonies.
Notes:
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts and shall
be returned if the course of study is not completed.
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts.
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts and shall
be returned if the course of study is not completed.
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts.
- Early Modern Track - (15th through 18th centuries)
Five 4-credit, 500-level courses are required (overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and minimum
of B in each of the required courses):
- Two of the five courses should be taught by faculty from outside the student’s degree-granting
department.
- One of the two courses will be chosen from among the interdisciplinary “501” graduate
seminars parented by CEMERS and offered each year; by petition, this course may be
substituted with another seminar with a demonstrable interdisciplinary component,
offered through a department other than the student’s own.
Students may, in exceptional cases, petition the Graduate Certificate Committee to
accept one of the five courses at the 400-level.
Proficiency is required in languages appropriate to the course of study (one at the
Master’s level; two at the doctoral level), to be demonstrated by means acceptable
to the degree-granting department.
For doctoral students whose research requires a reading facility in a third language
(e.g., Latin, Greek, classical Arabic, Ottoman Turkic, Classical Chinese), funds may
be available through CEMERS for intensive summer “immersion” courses. (Students may
petition for funded study of other languages.) Applications are to be made to the
CEMERS Graduate Committee documenting the program of study in which the student plans
to enroll. *see note 3
Funding may also be available through CEMERS for dissertation research abroad. Applications,
including an itemized budget, are to be made to the Graduate Certificate Committee
and reports are to be filed upon completion of the trip. *see note 4
Upon completion of coursework and prior to graduation, each doctoral candidate for
the certificate will present a chapter from the dissertation in a public lecture sponsored
by CEMERS.
With completion of the requirements, the awarding of the certificate will be noted
on the student’s transcript and formalized at graduation ceremonies.
Notes:
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts and shall
be returned if the course of study is not completed.
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts.
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts and shall
be returned if the course of study is not completed.
- Funding will be in the form of reimbursement after submission of receipts.
Graduate Assistantship
The CEMERS Graduate Assistantship is generally awarded to an advanced Ph.D. student
who is ABD, i.e., finished with course work and beyond their qualifying exams at the
time of appointment.
The work of the GA involves editorial assistance to the journal Mediaevalia and other publications (copy-editing and proofreading) and participation in all CEMERS
programming (assistance at CEMERS conferences, setting up and attending the talks
in our lecture series, and helping to chaperone speakers). The CEMERS GA is expected
to attend all CEMERS-sponsored events, which will enrich the student’s experience
with interdisciplinary scholarship and provide invaluable opportunities to establish
contacts and exchanges with scholars in different fields and from other institutions.
The CEMERS GA may also be asked to serve as liaison between visiting speakers, when
on campus, and CEMERS faculty and students. The GA-ship in CEMERS requires approximately
15–20 hours of work per week; the rest of the GA’s time should be dedicated to the
student’s own research and writing.
There is a shared office designated for the CEMERS GA, with a computer and printer.
Located across the hall from the CEMERS office, it is next to the CEMERS seminar room
and just down the hall from Bartle Library.
Nominations, which should come from dissertation advisors and include a letter of
recommendation and the candidate’s CV and statement of interest, should be sent to
the CEMERS Director. If you would like to be nominated for this assistantship, please
speak with your dissertation advisor.
