European Area Studies

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joel Kassiola

European Area Studies Program
HSS 381
415-338-2073
Director:

Faculty

 Professors--Bonds, Bradley, D'Agostino, Girard, Glanville, Kidner, Lawson, Luft, Nathan, Peters, Rappe, Stolz

Associate Professor--Steier

Program

Minor in European Area Studies

Program Scope

We are entering an age of increasing regional and world-wide interdependence and integration, both economically and socio-politically. In no part of the globe are these developments more keenly felt than in Europe, where the economic and political integration of the European Union steadily advances, attracting new members and new aspirants to membership from Eastern Europe, and where the failure to abandon old nationalistic ties has wreaked such havoc in former Yugoslavia. Understanding these developments is crucial to our understanding of the human polity and of the European civilization that constitutes one of the most important roots of the American heritage. The economic integration of West Europe has changed the nature of international relations, as well as internal domestic politics within the European Union. The multicultural nature of American life has European civilization as one of its most important roots, yet many American students seem oblivious to that part of their heritage.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once opened an address to the Daughters of the American Revolution with the salutation, "Dear Fellow Immigrants." This was his way of reminding even the oldest, most established, and venerably patriotic Americans that we all came here from elsewhere, often to escape religious, economic, or political oppression. This minor in European Area Studies is intended to remind the sons and daughters of immigrants from Europe of their cultural roots and heritage. It is also intended to inform interested students descending from other roots about the Eurocentric aspects of American history, politics, and culture. Thus, this minor seeks to improve students' multicultural sensitivity and understanding and gives focus to the campus-wide commitment to "internationalizing the curriculum."

In addition to this need for an increase in general awareness, there is a need for a carefully designed program to relate student career and intellectual interests. The ability to link their majors to a European Area Studies Minor will be especially attractive to students in international business, foreign languages, history, political science, international relations, the arts, humanities, and K-12 teaching.

MINOR IN EUROPEAN AREA STUDIES

The European Area Studies Minor consists of a core curriculum of nine to ten units which contain material and perspectives which reach across the normal disciplinary divisions of the university, plus fifteen to seventeen units of upper division courses taken from the following list on advisement. The minor must include courses from at least three different disciplines (prefixes) and two colleges.

Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference).

Program Units
Core Courses
HIST 111 History of Western Civilization 3
HIST/IR 346 Recent European History 3
One course selected from the following: 3-4
HIST 344 Nineteenth Century Europe
HUM 465 Contemporary Culture
PLSI 352 Political Theory: Reformation to Nineteenth Century (4)
PLSI 353 Political Theory: Twentieth Century (4)
PLSI 402 Politics of Western Europe (4)
Total for core 9-10
Elective Courses
Students are to select two courses from Humanities and Literature; two courses from History, the Social Sciences, and International Business; and one course from Art History and the Performing Arts. These selections may focus on Europe as a civilization (e.g., the formation of Europe, Europe in transition, and contemporary Europe); a section of Europe (e.g., Russia and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the European community, etc.); or on European artistic and intellectual traditions.
Humanities and Literature 6
ENG 422 History of the English Language
ENG 552 Modern British Novel
FR 410 Contemporary French Civilization
GER 402 Contemporary German Civilization
HIST 330/HUM 420 The Early Middle Ages
HIST 331/HUM 421 The High Middle Ages
HUM 430 Renaissance Culture
HUM 440 Baroque Culture
HUM 450 Romanticism and Impressionism
HUM 460/PHIL 304 The Modern Revolution
ITAL 401 Italian Culture and Civilization
NEXA 387 Origins of Modern Science
PHIL 302 Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 303 Modern Philosophy
RUSS 401 Russian Culture and Civilization
SPAN 401 Culture and Civilization of Spain
WCL 445 National Literatures [Europe variants]
WCL 490 Modern Continental Novel
International Business and the Social Sciences 6-8
ECON 600 International Economics
ECON 611 Socialist Economic Systems
HIST 330/HUM 420 The Early Middle Ages
HIST 331/HUM 421 The High Middle Ages
HIST 334 The Renaissance
HIST 336 The Reformation
HIST 338 The Age of Louis XIV
HIST 340 Europe during the Old Regime 1715-1789
HIST 342 Europe and the French Revolution
HIST 343 Europe in the Age of Napoleon
HIST 344 Nineteenth Century Europe
HIST 384 Imperial Russia
IBUS 593 Doing Business in Europe
IR 327 Western European Foreign Policy (4)
IR 328 Soviet and East European Relations (4)
PLSI 352 Political Theory: Reformation to Nineteenth Century (4)
PLSI 353 Political Theory: Twentieth Century (4)
PLSI 370 Classical Marxism (4)
PLSI 402 Politics of Western Europe (4)
[All topics]
PLSI 405 Politics of France (4)
PLSI 407 Politics of the USSR (4)
PLSI 413 Comparative Communism (4)
Art History and the Performing Arts 3
ART 201 Western Art History I
ART 202 Western Art History II
ART 203 Modern Art History
MUS 550 Music from the Middle Ages to 1750
MUS 551 Classic and Romantic Music
THA 401 Theatre Backgrounds: 500 B.C.-1642
THA 402 Theatre Backgrounds: 1642-1900
Total for electives 15-17
Total for minor 24-27

Foreign Language Requirement

All students completing the European Area Studies Minor are required to demonstrate intermediate level competency in a language other than English, relevant to the area. This requirement may be met by completing the university entrance requirement of two years of high school language study, one year of successful college level language study, or demonstration of equivalent competency.