Modern European Studies Minor

Contact: Jacqueline Urla

Office: 208 Machmer

Phone: 545-2869

E-mail: jurla@anthro.umass.edu

www.umass.edu/mes

The Program

The minor in Modern European Studies is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental program that allows students to supplement their major with a focus on the geographical areas of western and eastern Europe. In addition to increasing the student's knowledge of European society, politics, culture, and heritage, the minor may be useful in supporting application to professional and graduate school, governmental and international service, and teaching or business.

The minor is open to all undergraduates, regardless of their major.

Requirements

1. Five courses (a total of at least 15 credits) that focus on modern Europe. No more than one may be at the 100 level, and none may be counted for both the minor and the student's major.

2. One of the five courses must be in a modern European language other than English. It must be more advanced than the fourth semester language course (240-249), unless it is the student's second European foreign language, in which case it must be at or above the second semester level (120-129). The advanced course must be conducted primarily in the foreign language in question.

3. One of the five courses must include a significant research component (a paper written from multiple sources, or equivalent work). Alternatively, by arrangement with any participating faculty member, the research may be carried out for the Independent Study course, EURO 396.

4. At least three of the five required courses must be taken in residence at the University of Massachusetts or one of the Five Colleges or while participating in an official University of Massachusetts study abroad program.

Courses

Any course that focuses primarily or exclusively on the culture, politics, or society of contemporary Europe, or its history after 1789, will qualify. Such courses are regularly offered by the following departments: Anthropology, Art History, Comparative Literature, Economics, English, French and Italian, Geosciences, Germanic Languages, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Slavic Languages, Spanish and Portuguese, and the Isenberg School of Management. Students should design their programs in consultation with a member of the Modern European Studies Executive Committee.

Study Abroad

Courses taken abroad can be used for credit toward the minor if they are approved by a member of the Modern European Studies Executive Committee.

The University offers full year, semester and summer programs in Europe. The countries involved include Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. In addition, the Anthropology Department operates a field program in various European countries.

Students who are going abroad during the academic year must make all arrangements with International Programs, from which detailed information on foreign study opportunities can be obtained.

Restriction

Upon completion, the minor is recorded on the student's transcript, but only courses passed at grade C or higher will count toward it.