Regent master

Regent master(Magister regens) was a title conferred in themedieval universitiesupon a student who had acquired amaster's degree.The degree meant simply the right to teach, theLicentia docendi,a right which could be granted, in theUniversity of Paris,only by theChancellorof the Cathedral ofNotre Dame,or the Chancellor of St. Geneviève. According to theThird Council of Lateran,held in 1179, this Licentia docendi had to be granted gratuitously, and to all duly qualified applicants.

If the new member stayed in the university and continued to take an active part in its teaching, he was called amagister regens,a practising teacher. If he were to look for another career, however, he would becomenon regens:a passive member of the corporation of masters, without losing his affiliation to it, which usually lasted for life. An example of regent master wasWilliam Vorilong,French philosopher of the Middle Ages.

References

• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Olaf Pedersen, Richard North,The First Universities,Cambridge University Press, 1997