Majors & Minor
Explore and Discover. As a European studies major you will explore a wide variety of regions, topics, and timeframes, ranging from Northern Ireland to Eastern Ukraine, from ancient art to contemporary political debates, and from post-colonialism to neo-imperialism.
You will learn to:
- Conceive and execute projects, either in groups or individually
- Analyze historic material and use contemporary scholarship
- Draw connections among various cultures, identify trends, and contextualize debates, events, and conflicts
- Interpret European cultures and understand the mutually dependent actions of Europe’s individual nations
- See Europe and its role in the world from a global perspective
- Connect language skills and knowledge of cultures and nations
- Use your culture experience in a variety of professions
A European studies major prepares you for a range of careers in law, politics, business, science, art, education, and other fields.
Major | Joint Majors | Minor | Honors | Declaring a Major or Minor
European Studies Major
Students with an interest in European culture, politics, and societies choose from set of overview courses to deepen their understanding of historical and contemporary European topics, select up to five additional electives in EUS, and fulfill language requirements to ascertain their training in intercultural literacy. The major prepares for careers in international law, politics, and diplomacy as well as in cultural administration with the visit of advanced studies or Ph.D. programs. Most EUS majors participate in approved study abroad programs in Europe. Active participation is expected in events and activities, such as guest lectures, symposia, and luncheons, organized by EUS in conjunction with the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies.
Requirements
Core Courses (9 credit hours)
- EUS 2201 — “European Society and Culture” OR EUS 2203 — “The Idea of Europe”
- EUS 2202 — “European Politics”
- EUS 2204 — “European Cultural History”
Foreign Language Requirement (6 credit hours)
The foreign language requirement is to be satisfied in one of the following ways:
- 6 credit hours of course work at the intermediate level in one European language;
- Course work through the beginner level in two European Languages;
- Demonstration of proficiency equivalent to either of the preceeding options; or participation in one of the Vanderbilt intensive-language programs in Europe;
European languages recognized for the major include: Albanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romani, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukranian, and Yiddish. Other languages may be approved by the major advidor.
Independent Study (3 credit hours)
- EUS 3850 — “Independent Readings and Research”
Students will complete EUS 3850, “Independent Readings and Research” supervised by a professor in EUS or outside the program with expertise in the field; normally completed in the junior or senior year.
Electives (12 credit hours)
Students choose four courses in EUS (usually above EUS 2204; an additional core course may count as one elective). No more than two courses may be substituted by courses taken outside of EUS either from individually approved courses or courses taken abroad with the approval of the DUS. Students majoring in EUS are advised to select courses from the social sciences and humanities that complement their areas of interest and thematic focus.
Students seeking a second major may count a maximum of 6 credit hours of course work to meet requirements in both majors.
European Studies Minor
The EUS minor is a good complement to a major in anthropology, economics, history, literary studies, philosophy, and political science. It consists of a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work and requires students to take three of the EUS core courses and three electives from the EUS catalog. One of the electives may be replaced by a course from another department or program with the prior approval of the director of EUS. A background in a modern foreign language is highly recommended:
Core Courses (9 credit hours)
- EUS 2201 — “European Society and Culture” OR EUS 2203 — “The Idea of Europe”
- EUS 2202 — “European Politics”
- EUS 2204 — “European Cultural History”
Electives (9 credit hours)
Three courses from the EUS catalog above EUS 2204. One course can be replaced by a course from another department or program with the prior approval of the director of EUS.
Honors in European Studies
The Honors Program in European studies is a high-level form of independent study that is the basis for receiving honors in European studies.
The Honors Program requires:
The Program in European Studies offers qualified majors the option of completing a portion of their major requirements in an Honors Program. Students engage in interdisciplinary reading, consultations with faculty, and research on the overarching theme of their program of concentration. To be admitted to the program students must have attained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.300 and a minimum grade point average of 3.300 in all courses that count toward the EUS major; identify an adviser for the honors thesis; submit a detailed description of their proposed program of study for approval by the director of EUS; complete 3 credit hours of independent research (normally EUS 3850); complete 3 credit hours of credit in EUS 4998, Senior Honors Research, that involves researching and writing a senior honors thesis of approximately fifty pages; successfully defend the honors thesis before a committee normally consisting of the adviser, the director of EUS, and another faculty member. Information concerning the Honors Program is available from the director of EUS. College regulations governing honors programs may be found in this catalog under Honors Programs, Special Programs for Arts and Science.
Declaring a Major or Minor
To declare a Eurpoean studies major or minor, download the major and minor declaration form and follow the instructions. Bring the completed forms to the director of undergraduate studies.