Students

MHIS2201 – Encountering the Middle Ages

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Clare Monagle
clare.monagle@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit will explore the culture, politics and religion of the medieval period. It considers Byzantium, the establishment of Islam and the Islamic world, and the emergence of Latin Christendom in western Europe.  Each of these ‘new’ societies established novel forms of political organisation and social structure, embedded in their religious culture. This unit will explore these changes by consideration of a diversity of visual and written sources. Students will also be exposed to scholarly debates relevant to these fields. Some historians argue that the medieval period provides the foundation for modernity, while others suggest that we should encounter the Middle Ages as other to the present. Students will engage with these debates to develop advanced skills in historiography, as well as to build capacity in their knowledge of the pre-modern past. 

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify the key political, religious, and cultural developments of the medieval period across Byzantium, the Islamic world, and Latin Christendom.
  • ULO2: Analyse and interpret a diverse range of medieval primary sources, including written and visual materials, within their historical contexts.
  • ULO3: Evaluate and synthesise differing scholarly interpretations of medieval history to identify historiographical trends and debates.
  • ULO4: Reflect critically on the relationship between the medieval past and the modern world, assessing the relevance and implications of historical figures, ideas, and events.

General Assessment Information

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    
This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
For more information about Special Consideration, including automatic short extensions, please consult https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Oral Presentation - Secondary Source 25% No 16/10/2026 Individual No Observed
Professional Writing Response 50% No 06/11/2026 Individual Yes Open
Historiographical Response 25% No 11/09/2026 Individual Yes Open

Oral Presentation - Secondary Source

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 16/10/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

Students will be assigned a secondary reading (book chapter or journal article). They will be asked to provide an analytical praecis of the reading’s argument and will field questions from the class and tutor.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the key political, religious, and cultural developments of the medieval period across Byzantium, the Islamic world, and Latin Christendom.
  • Analyse and interpret a diverse range of medieval primary sources, including written and visual materials, within their historical contexts.
  • Evaluate and synthesise differing scholarly interpretations of medieval history to identify historiographical trends and debates.

Professional Writing Response

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 06/11/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will write a response aimed at the public in the style of long-form journalism. They will be asked to explore the biography of a historical figure and make a case for the ongoing relevance of that person’s life and achievements.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the key political, religious, and cultural developments of the medieval period across Byzantium, the Islamic world, and Latin Christendom.
  • Reflect critically on the relationship between the medieval past and the modern world, assessing the relevance and implications of historical figures, ideas, and events.

Historiographical Response

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 11/09/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will choose a relevant primary source and explore how that primary source has been interpreted by at least three scholars. They will present their findings in the format of a literature review in the humanities.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and interpret a diverse range of medieval primary sources, including written and visual materials, within their historical contexts.
  • Evaluate and synthesise differing scholarly interpretations of medieval history to identify historiographical trends and debates.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Lectures will take place Monday, 2pm, T2 Theatre, 23WW.

Lectures will be recorded and available via Echo360.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.05 of the Handbook