Medieval Universities

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Medieval Universities

The appearance of universities was part of the same high-medieval education boom. Originally universities were institutions where students could attain specialized instruction in advanced studies. These types of studies were not available in the average cathedral schools. Advanced schools existed in the ancient world, but did not promote a fixed curricula or award degrees.

The term university originally meant a corporation of guild. All universities were corporations of students or teachers. Guilds were originally established to protect the interests and rights of the members. The majority of the universities practiced diverse curriculum ( a few universities did specialize in medicine or law). A new social order gradually began to develop during the 11th and 12th centuries. As this new university culture became accepted, secular studies were incorporated. The new curriculum was divided into two divisions: the elementary trivium and the more advanced quadrivium. The trivium consisted of grammar, logic and rhetoric while the quadrivium consisted of geometry, music, astronomy, and arithmetic. This curriculum was referred to as the Seven Liberal Arts. When a student completed the trivium and oral exams, he was entitled to a bachelor's degree. Continuation of the quadrivium granted the student a master's degree.

Today's student has many advantages over a medieval student. It is easy to think of the many advantages: paper, multiple classrooms and professors, computers. To think of the disadvantages today's student has compared to his medieval counterpart, is somewhat a more difficult task. For the purposes of this paper, the discussion will focus on three disadvantages.

Today's univers...

... middle of paper ...

...t. Foreign language is not introduced until the senior high school and is only instructed for two years. The average student is in school for twelve years before entering the university.

For the medieval student, he attends today's equivalent of a grammar school, a cathedral school, until he reaches the age of twelve. He has studied, extensively, Latin grammar and was assumed to know it thoroughly before entering the university setting. This student must know a great deal of educational information in order to succeed at the university. The student is also very mature for his young age.

As noted earlier, today's student has many advantages over the medieval student. However, the medieval student had some great advantages as well. a medieval student appreciated his chance at learning and took his studies seriously. Too bad today's student cannot say the same.

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