Studium generale is the old customary name for amedieval university in medieval Europe.
There is no official definition for the termstudium generale. The termstudium generale first appeared at the beginning of the 13th century out of customary usage, and meant a place where students from everywhere were welcomed, not merely those of the local district or region.[1]
In the 13th century, the term gradually acquired a more precise (but still unofficial) meaning as a place that (1) received students from all places, (2) taught thearts and had at least one of the higher faculties (that is,theology,law ormedicine) and (3) that a significant part of the teaching was done by those with amaster's degree.[2]
A fourth criterion slowly appeared: a master who had taught and was registered in the Guild of Masters of astudium generale was entitled to teach in any otherstudium without further examination. That privilege, known asjus ubique docendi, was, by custom, reserved only to the masters of the three oldest universities:Salerno,Bologna andParis. Their reputations were so great that their graduates and teachers were welcome to teach in all otherstudia, but they accepted no outside teachers without an examination.
Pope Gregory IX, who, seeking to elevate the prestige of the papal-sponsoredUniversity of Toulouse, which he had founded in 1229, issued a bull in 1233, allowing Masters of Toulouse to teach in anystudium without an examination. It consequently became customary forstudia generalia, eager to elevate themselves, to apply for similar bulls. The older universities at first disdained requesting such privileges themselves, feeling their reputation was sufficient. However, Bologna and Paris eventually stooped down to apply for them too, receiving their papal bulls in 1292.[3]
Arguably, the most coveted feature of the papal bulls was the special exemption, instituted by Pope Honorius III in 1219, which allowed teachers and students to continue reaping the fruits of any clericalbenefices they might have elsewhere. That dispensed them from the residency requirements set out incanon law.[4] As this privilege was granted only to those instudia generalia, certainly routinely by the 14th century, it began to be considered by many to be not only another (fifth) criterion but the definition of astudium generale .(Although the old universities ofOxford andPadua, which resisted asking for a papal bull, had sufficient reputation to be referred to asstudium generale without a bull, Oxford masters were not allowed to teach in Paris without examination. Oxford reciprocated by demanding examinations from Paris masters and ignoring the papal privileges Paris enjoyed.)
Finally, the pope could issue bulls guaranteeing the autonomy of the university from the interference of local civil or diocesan authorities, a process that had begun with the issuing of the 1231 bull for the University of Paris. Although not a necessary criterion, bestowing the "privileges of Paris" to otherstudia generalia became customary.
The pope was not the only supplier of privileges. TheHoly Roman Emperor also issued imperial charters granting much the same privileges, starting with theUniversity of Naples in 1224.
A universal student body, one or more higher faculties, teaching by masters, the right to teach in otherstudia, retention of benefices, autonomy: those were common features instudia generalia. In other respects (structure, administration, curriculum etc.),studia generalia varied. Generally speaking, most tended to copy one of two old models: the student-centred system of Bologne or the master-centered structure of Paris.
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Most of the earlystudia generalia were found inItaly,France,England,Spain andPortugal, and these were considered the most prestigious places of learning inEurope. The Vatican continues to designate many new universities asstudia generalia, although the popular significance of this honour has declined over the centuries.
As early as the 13th century, scholars from astudium generale were encouraged to give lecture courses at other institutes across Europe and to share documents, and this led to the current academic culture seen in modern European universities.
The universities generally consideredstudia generalia in the 13th century were:
Both theological and secular universities were registered. This list quickly grew as new universities were founded throughout Europe. Many of these universities received formal confirmation of their status asstudia generalia towards the end of the 13th century by way ofpapal bull, along with a host of newer universities. While these papal bulls initially did little more than confer the privileges of a specified university such as Bologna or Paris, by the end of the 13th century universities sought a papal bull conferring on themius ubique docendi, the privilege of granting to masters licences to teach in all universities without further examination (Haskins, 1941:282).
Universities officially recognized asstudia generalia in the 14th century were several, among them:
Todaystudium generale is primarily used within a European university context as a description for lectures, seminars and other activities which aim at providing academic foundations for students and the general public. They are in line with thehumanistic roots of the traditional universities to reach outside of their boundaries and provide a general education.
In the earlypost-war years in Germany the concept was re-introduced,[5] for example, with a formal programme begun in 1948 at the Leibniz College[6] ofUniversity of Tübingen.
Today the term is often used interchangeably withorientation year and may be regarded as the academic equivalent of aGap year.
Astudium particulare tended to take local students. Astudium generale, by contrast, would take students from all regions and all countries.[7]
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