European Area StudiesEuropean Area StudiesProfessors—Bonds, Bradley, D'Agostino, Girard, Glanville, Kidner, Lawson, Luft, Nathan, Peters, Rappe, Stolz
Associate Professor—Steier
Minor in European Area Studies
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.
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.
Online course descriptions are available.
| Core Courses | Units | |
| HIST 111 | Western Civilization II | 3 |
| HIST/IR 346 | Recent European History | 3 |
| One course selected from the following: | 3-4 | |
| HIST 344 | Nineteenth Century Europe | |
| PLSI 352 | Political Theory: Reformation to Nineteenth Century (4) | |
| PLSI 353 | Political Theory: Twentieth Century (4) | |
| Total for core | 9-10 | |
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 | Postmodern Criticism | |
| HUM 440 | Martin Heidegger | |
| HUM 450 | California Culture | |
| 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] | |
| International Business and the Social Sciences | 6-8 | |
| ECON 600 | International Economics | |
| 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 344 | Nineteenth Century Europe | |
| IBUS 593 | European Business | |
| IR 327 | Europe: Forging a Union (4) | |
| IR 328 | Domestic and Foreign Policy: Eastern Europe (4) | |
| PLSI 352 | Political Theory: Reformation to Nineteenth Century (4) | |
| PLSI 353 | Political Theory: Twentieth Century (4) | |
| PLSI 370 | Classical Marxism (4) | |
| PLSI 407 | Politics of Russia (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 | |
| 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 | |
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.