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Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) is a highly productive area of research and teaching in the English department, balancing a number of approaches. Faculty and students work on canonical and non-canonical texts and in related fields such as textual editing. At the same time, their interests regularly take them into literary theory, cultural and social history, intertextuality, and questions of gender and representation. 

Graduate students find strong support and mentoring as they develop as scholars and teachers. They present their work at national and regional conferences and seek publication in major journals. The department and the college provide competitive funding sources for conference travel and dissertation research.

M.A. or Ph.D. students working on medieval literature are also eligible for the .. Rudolph C. Bambas Memorial Scholarship. This award, of approximately $2,000 per year, was established by Dr. Frieda Derdeyn Bambas in memory of her husband Rudolph Bambas, a former professor of Anglo-Saxon at OU's English Department.

Undergraduates with an interest in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance choose from an array of interesting survey and specialized courses. Chaucer, Arthurian Legend and Literature, and Shakespeare Comedy and Drama are just a few of the regularly offered courses in the English Department.

OU is also the home of the Variorum Chaucer project. Founded in 1967, the project analyzes the textual history and offers a comprehensive overview of all facets of critical commentary for Chaucer's individual works.

There are also many interdisciplinary opportunities available for graduate students. The History of Science Collections, as a part of the University Libraries system, serve students, faculty, and scholars interested in the history of science and related fields. The 90,000 volumes span all fields of science and natural knowledge. In addition, the History  of Science Collections comprise an excellent resource for the early history of printing in all major European languages.  Holdings range chronologically from Hrabanus Maurus' Opus de universo (the Collections' oldest book, printed before 20 July 1467) to current publications in the history of science.