Early Modern Studies

Understand how we got here

Many of the fundamental ideas about our world today were shaped centuries ago. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, thinkers and artists built some of the intellectual and cultural foundations of the modern world. In the Early Modern Studies Program you:

Explore the historical impact of European culture
Encounter ground-breaking art and artists like Shakespeare, Mozart and Michelangelo
Examine issues surrounding gender and race in early modern history, philosophy, literature, political thought, science, and the visual arts
Think critically about colonialism, and the impact of interactions between Europe and the wider world
Assess the significance of witchcraft, vampires, and maritime piracy in the early modern period
Learn about how shifting ideas about religion and science changed the way we understand our place in the universe.

Find out what’s new in the program

EMSP+ News & Events

Study abroad in Florence

An optional month-long, Early Modern studies course taught in Florence, Italy, lets you consider the art, literature, philosophical and politics of Early Modern Italy (1280-1580) through daily visits to the city’s churches, places and museums.

Find out more

Publish your work

Babel is an interdisciplinary academic journal written, edited, and published annually by the Early Modern Studies Students’ Society. The first group of Babel editors would surely never have guessed that their successors in 2021 would be putting this journal together from three different provinces, at the end of an entire year of remote learning. However, this year’s Babel is a testament to that passion and perseverance. It’s also a demonstration of the breadth of the Early Modern Studies program and society; there are papers from every year at King’s, from two FYP papers to papers from students in their final year, and the papers cover topics ranging from philosophy to Shakespeare to dye production.

Read the latest volume

Combined Honours

An EMSP student is required to take the program’s three core course doublets:

EMSP 2001.03 & EMSP 2002.03 (or EMSP 2000.06)
EMSP 3001.03 & EMSP 3002.03 (or EMSP 3000.06)
EMSP 4001.03 & EMSP 4002.03 (or EMSP 4000.06)

plus at least six credit hours EMSP electives.

The requirements for the second honours subject are dependent on that department, and vary from program to program. Early Modern Studies Program students may fulfil the honours requirement in either of the two honours subjects. Usually this subject will be the one in which the student has taken more classes. In the Early Modern Studies Program, completion of the Honours Seminar (EMSP 4501.03 & EMSP 4502.03) fulfils the requirement of the honours qualifying examination; alternatively, with the approval of the director, an honours thesis (in conjunction with EMSP 4551.03 & EMSP 4552.03) also fulfil the requirement of the honours qualifying examination. Both the Honours Thesis and Honours Seminar are full-year classes. They are normally taken as part of a regular course load.

Explore courses

Minor

You can take a minor in EMSP to complement your degree. Engage in an interdisciplinary exploration of the birth of the modern world.

Complete a minimum of 18 credit hours to a maximum of 27 credit hours including:

One of the core course doublets:
- EMSP 2001.03 & EMSP 2002.03 (or EMSP 2000.06)
  *Both EMSP 2001.03 & EMSP 2002.03 must normally be taken in the same academic year to meet this requirement.
- EMSP 3001.03 & EMSP 3002.03 (or EMSP 3000.06)
  *Both EMSP 3001.03 & EMSP 3002.03 must normally be taken in the same academic year to meet this requirement.
- EMSP 4001.03 & EMSP 4002.03 (or EMSP 4000.06)
  *Both EMSP 4001.03 & EMSP 4002.03 must normally be taken in the same academic year to meet this requirement.
6 credit hours at the 3000 or 4000 level. EMSP 3001.03 & EMSP 3002.03 (or EMSP 3000.06) OR EMSP 4001.03 & EMSP 4002.03 (or EMSP 4000.06) will also fulfill this requirement).
6 credit hours at any level.

Explore courses

Core Courses

: Structures of the Modern Self I; EMSP2001.03
Fall; Scotiabank Room
MW 1605-1725

: Structures of the Modern Self II; EMSP2002.03
Winter; Scotiabank Room
MW 1605-1725

: Humanity, Nature, and Environment in the Early Modern Period I: Renaissance to the Age of Reason; EMSP3001.03
Fall; Archibald Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325

: Humanity, Nature, and Environment in the Early Modern Period II: Enlightenment to Romanticism; EMSP3002.03
Winter; Archibald Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325

: Conceptions of State, Society and Revolution in the Early Modern Period I; EMSP4001.03
Fall; Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555

: Conceptions of State, Society and Revolution in the Early Modern Period II; EMSP4002.03
Winter; Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555

6 credit hours at the 3000 or 4000 level

: Humanity, Nature, and Environment in the Early Modern Period I: Renaissance to the Age of Reason; EMSP3001.03
Fall; Archibald Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325

: Humanity, Nature, and Environment in the Early Modern Period II: Enlightenment to Romanticism; EMSP3002.03
Winter; Archibald Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325

: The Ideal World of Enlightenment: Desire and Freedom; CTMP3110.03 / EMSP3210.03
Fall; Seminar Room
W 1730-2030

: The Real World of Enlightenment: Time and History; CTMP3115.03 / EMSP3220.03
Winter; Seminar Room
W 1730-2030

: Critiques of Modernity; CTMP3103.03 / EMSP3203.03
Fall; Seminar 7
MW 1605-1725

: Opera and the Idea of Enlightenment; EMSP3240.03
Winter; Archibald Room
R 1735-2025

: In Search of the Philosopher's Stone: The History of European Alchemy; HSTC3121.03 / EMSP3321.03 / HIST3990.03 / RELS3121.03
Winter; Archibald Room
TR 1605-1725

: Art, Optics, and Technologies of Illusion; EMSP 3350.03 / HSTC 3350.03
Winter; Seminar Room
TR 1005-1125

: Theories of Punishment; EMSP3430.03 / CTMP 3170.03
Fall; ONLINE / ASYNCHRONOUS

: Studies in Early Modern Subjectivities: The Republic of Women; EMSP 3610.03
Fall; Scotiabank Room
MW 1435-1555

: Conceptions of State, Society and Revolution in the Early Modern Period I; EMSP4001.03
Fall; Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555

: Conceptions of State, Society and Revolution in the Early Modern Period II; EMSP4002.03
Winter; Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555

6 credit hours at any level

: Structures of the Modern Self I; EMSP2001.03
Fall; Scotiabank Room
MW 1605-1725

: Structures of the Modern Self II; EMSP2002.03
Winter; Scotiabank Room
MW 1605-1725

: German Romanticism: from Goethe to Wagner; EMSP2290.03
Fall; Scotiabank Room
T 1435-1725

: The Vampire: Modernity and the Undead; EMSP2313.03 / CTMP2313.03
Winter; KTS Lecture Hall
T 1835-2125

: Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe; EMSP2320.03 / GWST2420.03 / RELS2320.03
Fall; Online / Asynchronous

: The Origins of Science Fiction in Early Modern Europe; EMSP2340.03 / HSTC2340.03
Fall; Scotiabank Room
TR 1305-1425

: Magic, Science and the Occult: from Antiquity to Postmodernity; HSTC2120.03 / EMSP2360.03 / HIST2990.03 / RELS2120.03
Fall; Archibald Room
TR 1305-1425

: The Art of Global Encounters in the Early Modern Period; EMSP2415.03
Winter; TR 1435-1555

: The Pirate and Piracy; EMSP2480.03 / HIST2750.03
Fall; KTS Lecture Hall
W 1835-2125

: Humanity, Nature, and Environment in the Early Modern Period I: Renaissance to the Age of Reason; EMSP3001.03
Fall; Archibald Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325

: Humanity, Nature, and Environment in the Early Modern Period II: Enlightenment to Romanticism; EMSP3002.03
Winter; Archibald Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325

: The Ideal World of Enlightenment: Desire and Freedom; CTMP3110.03 / EMSP3210.03
Fall; Seminar Room
W 1730-2030

: The Real World of Enlightenment: Time and History; CTMP3115.03 / EMSP3220.03
Winter; Seminar Room
W 1730-2030

: Critiques of Modernity; CTMP3103.03 / EMSP3203.03
Fall; Seminar 7
MW 1605-1725

: Opera and the Idea of Enlightenment; EMSP3240.03
Winter; Archibald Room
R 1735-2025

: In Search of the Philosopher's Stone: The History of European Alchemy; HSTC3121.03 / EMSP3321.03 / HIST3990.03 / RELS3121.03
Winter; Archibald Room
TR 1605-1725

: Art, Optics, and Technologies of Illusion; EMSP 3350.03 / HSTC 3350.03
Winter; Seminar Room
TR 1005-1125

: Theories of Punishment; EMSP3430.03 / CTMP 3170.03
Fall; ONLINE / ASYNCHRONOUS

: Studies in Early Modern Subjectivities: The Republic of Women; EMSP 3610.03
Fall; Scotiabank Room
MW 1435-1555

: Conceptions of State, Society and Revolution in the Early Modern Period I; EMSP4001.03
Fall; Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555

: Conceptions of State, Society and Revolution in the Early Modern Period II; EMSP4002.03
Winter; Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555

Dalhousie Selectives

Students enrolled in the Combined Honours or Minor program in EMSP can opt to have a maximum of one 3-credit course at Dalhousie University count towards the EMSP side of their degree. The Registrar’s Office at King’s should be notified if students wish to pursue this option.

Early Modern Studies

Understand how we got here

Find out what’s new in the program

Study abroad in Florence

Publish your work

Combined Honours

Core Courses

Scotiabank Room

MW 1605-1725

Scotiabank Room

MW 1605-1725

Archibald Room

M 1235-1425

W 1235-1325

Archibald Room

M 1235-1425

W 1235-1325

Frazee Room

TR 1435-1555

Frazee Room

TR 1435-1555

Electives

Scotiabank Room

MW 1605-1725

Scotiabank Room

MW 1605-1725

Scotiabank Room

T 1435-1725

KTS Lecture Hall

T 1835-2125

Online / Asynchronous

Scotiabank Room

TR 1305-1425

Archibald Room

TR 1305-1425

TR 1435-1555

KTS Lecture Hall

W 1835-2125

Archibald Room

M 1235-1425

W 1235-1325

Archibald Room

M 1235-1425

W 1235-1325

Seminar 7

MW 1605-1725

Seminar Room

W 1730-2030

Seminar Room

W 1730-2030

Archibald Room

TR 1605-1725

Archibald Room

R 1735-2025

Seminar Room

TR 1005-1125

ONLINE / ASYNCHRONOUS

Scotiabank Room

MW 1435-1555

Frazee Room