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Why were many early University of Bologna students already working in church or government offices?
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Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, England.
Many early students at the University of Bologna were already employed in church or government offices because the university initially focused exclusively on the study of civil law and canon law.12
These fields of study were highly relevant to the professional responsibilities of mature men who were already serving as archdeacons, canons of cathedrals, and other state or ecclesiastical functionaries. Because these legal disciplines were the only branches of study offered at the time, the university naturally attracted individuals seeking to advance their expertise in the legal frameworks governing the church and the state.12