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The European Studies Program, in cooperation with the Center for European Studies, the Jean Monnet European Union Center of Excellence (JMEUCE), and the DAAD Center for German and European Studies (CGES), promotes knowledge and understanding of Europe both on and off campus. Established in 1968, the program provides integrated interdisciplinary studies on contemporary Europe for both undergraduate and graduate students. The program brings together scholars on campus interested in different aspects of Europe to discuss topics of mutual interest. More than thirty departments offer courses on Europe (excluding language courses), providing the largest number of courses on any region of the world other than the United States.

Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the Center for European Studies or the undergraduate advisor.

Requirements for the Certificate

Language REQUIREMENT

Students may satisfy the European language requirement by taking college courses, or through high school units. There are two options to complete the requirement—students can either complete:

  1. Four units of a single European language
    or
  2. Three units of one European language and two units of a second European language.

Fourth, Third, and Second Unit Courses 

Fourth unit courses:
Courses above fourth semester may used to satisfy this requirement.
Fourth Semester French
Fourth Semester German
Fourth Semester Dutch
Fourth Semester Turkish
Fourth Semester Ancient Greek
Fourth Semester Italian
Fourth Semester Portuguese
Second Year Norwegian
Second Year Swedish
Second Year Danish
Fourth Semester Spanish
Fourth Semester Polish
Fourth Semester Czech
Fourth Semester Serbo-Croatian
Third unit courses:
Third Semester French
Third Semester German
Third Semester Dutch
Third Semester Turkish
Third Semester Ancient Greek
Third Semester Italian
Third Semester Portuguese
Second Year Norwegian
Second Year Swedish
Second Year Danish
Third Semester Spanish
Third Semester Polish
Third Semester Czech
Third Semester Serbo-Croatian
Second unit courses:
Second Semester French
Second Semester German
Second Semester Dutch
Second Semester Turkish
Second Semester Ancient Greek
Second Semester Ancient Greek
Second Semester Italian
Second Semester Portuguese
Second Semester Norwegian
Second Semester Swedish
Second Semester Danish
Second Semester Finnish
Second Semester Spanish
Second Semester Czech
Second Semester Polish
Second Semester Serbo-Croatian

European AREA Studies REQUIREMENT

Complete seven courses and 21 credits, with courses being taken in at least two subjects, and distributed in one of two ways:

  1. Option 1: Seven courses on Europe as a whole:  focusing on topics such as the European Union, European history, or European literature.
  2. Option 2: Seven courses distributed across three or more regional/national areas. (Students may use Europe as a whole courses in partial fulfillment of this option combined with courses on two other regional/national areas).

Option 1: Europe as a Whole

Europe as a Whole

Complete seven courses from at least two subjects:21
Ethnicity, Nations, and Nationalism
Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture
19th Century Painting in Europe
ART HIST 351
History of Photography
Topics in Medieval Art
Proseminar in Medieval Art
Proseminar in Northern European Painting
Proseminar in 19th Century European Art
Proseminar in 20th Century European Art
C&E SOC 230
Film History to 1960
Introduction to Rhetoric in Politics and Culture
Great Speakers and Speeches
Introduction to Pre-Modern Literatures/Impact on the Modern World
Comparative Problems in Periods and Movements
Globalizing Education
Internationalizing Educational Knowledge
History of Fashion, 1400-Present
History of Architecture and Interiors I: Antiquity through 18th Century
ECON 364
International Trade
International Industrial Organizations
The History of the University in the West
Wealth, Poverty and Inequality: Transnational Perspectives on Policy and Practice in Education
Comparative Education
Introduction to International Education Development
Globalization and Education
Comparative History of Childhood and Adolescence
Introduction to Comparative and International Education
Women in Literature
Introduction to the City
Introduction to Geopolitics
World Regions in Global Context
Europe
Historical Geography of European Urbanization
Economic Geography
The History of the University in the West
Medieval Europe 410-1500
HISTORY 118
Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Europe and the Modern World 1815 to the Present
Western Intellectual and Religious History to 1500
Western Intellectual and Religious History since 1500
The History of Western Christianity to 1750
Introduction to Modern Jewish History
Explorations in European History (H)
Explorations in European History (S)
War, Race, and Religion in Europe and the United States, from the Scramble for Africa to Today
History Study Abroad: European History
The Crusades: Christianity and Islam
The Holocaust
The Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton
Science in the Enlightenment
Environmental History of Europe
Global History of Humanitarianism
Trans/Gender in Historical Perspective
The First World War and the Shaping of Twentieth-Century Europe
Seventeenth-Century Europe
The Second World War
History of Europe Since 1945
From Fascism to Today: Social Movements and Politics in Europe
Women and Gender in Modern Europe
Immigration and Assimilation in American History
The Enlightenment and Its Critics
The Soviet Union and the World, 1917-1991
The History of Punishment
American Foreign Relations, 1901 to the Present
The Making of the American Landscape
Medieval Law and Society
Comparative History of Childhood and Adolescence
Anti-Semitism in European Culture, 1700-1945
History of Books and Print Culture in Europe and North America
The Origins of Scientific Thought
The Making of Modern Science
HIST SCI 203
Technology and Social Change in History
HIST SCI 230
Physician in History (Honors)
Ancient and Medieval Science
The Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton
Science in the Enlightenment
Science, Medicine and Religion
History of Modern Biology
The Darwinian Revolution
History of Ecology
History of Pharmacy
Health, Disease and Healing I
International Health and Global Society
Studies in Early Modern Science
Western Culture: Science, Technology, Philosophy I
Western Culture: Science, Technology, Philosophy II
Western Culture: Literature and the Arts I
Western Culture: Literature and the Arts II
Western Culture: Political, Economic, and Social Thought I
Western Culture: Political, Economic, and Social Thought II
Genres of Western Religious Writing
International Business
Intercultural Communication in Business
Global Issues in Management
Global Marketing Strategy
International Real Estate
Multinational Business Finance
The World of Sagas
Global Marketing Strategy
History of Mathematics
Bodies, Diseases, and Healers: An Introduction to the History of Medicine
Health, Disease and Healing II
Ancient and Medieval Science
Great Composers
Musical Women in Europe and America: Creativity, Performance, and Identity
Survey of Music in the Middle Ages
Survey of Music in the Renaissance
Survey of Music in the Baroque Era
Survey of Music in the Classic Era
Survey of Music in the Romantic Era
Survey of Music in the Twentieth Century
Survey of Opera
History of Modern Philosophy
Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century
Freedom Fate and Choice
Great Moral Philosophers
Political Philosophy
Development of Ancient and Medieval Western Political Thought
The European Union: Politics and Political Economy
International Political Economy
Principles of International Law
Study Abroad Topics in Political Science: International Relations
Comparative Legal Institutions
The Comparative Study of Genocide
Politics and Policies in the European Union
Study Abroad Topics in Political Science: Comparative Politics
Classical Sociological Theory
Class, State and Ideology: an Introduction to Marxist Social Science
History of Costume for the Stage
Experimental Drama: The Theatre of Europe 1850-the Present

Option 2: Three Regions/Countries

Complete seven courses from at least two subjects and from at least three regions/countries

Ancient Europe

Ancient Europe
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece
Myths, Loves, and Lives in Greek Vases
Greek Sculpture
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome
Icons, Religion, and Empire: Early Christian and Byzantine Art, ca. 200-1453
Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece
Proseminar in Ancient Art
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece
Legacy of Greece and Rome in Modern Culture
The Ancient Mediterranean
Ancient Greek and Roman Monsters
Classical Mythology
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome
The Greeks
The Romans
Women and Gender in the Classical World
Sex and Power in Greece and Rome
Topics in Greek Culture
Topics in Roman Culture
Topics in Classical Culture
Topics in Classical Archaeology
Greeks, Romans and the Natural Environment
Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean
Undergraduate Seminar: Approaches to the Classical World
Classical Rhetorical Theory
Women and Gender in the Classical World
Readings in Greek Literature
Homer
Hesiod
Greek Lyric Poets
Greek Comedy
Greek Tragedy
Thucydides
Attic Orators
Hellenistic Greek
The Ancient Mediterranean
Culture & Society in the Ancient Mediterranean
The World of Late Antiquity (200-900 C.E.)
A History of Greek Civilization
Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean
Rome: Lust for Glory
Fourth Semester Latin
Readings in Latin Literature
Vergil
Latin Poetry
Roman Drama
LATIN 521
Roman Lyric Poetry
Roman Satire
Roman Novel
Latin Historical Writers
Latin Philosophical Writers
Latin Oratory
History of Ancient Philosophy
Classical Philosophers

Balkans

Balkans
History of Serbian and Croatian Literature
Modern Serbian and Croatian Literature in Translation
Introduction to Serbian and Croatian Literature
History of Serbo-Croatian Literature
Modern Serbo-Croatian Literature

Belgium

Belgium Used for Brussels Study Abroad courses

Central Europe

Central Europe Also used for Central European Study Abroad courses
Kafka and the Kafkaesque
The Writings of Vaclav Havel: Crtitique of Modern Society

Denmark

Denmark
In Translation: The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
In Translation: The Art of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen
Readings in Danish Literature
Kierkegaard and Scandinavian Literature
The Art of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen
The Writings of Hans Christian Andersen for Scandinavian Majors

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe: An Interdisciplinary Survey
Introduction to Geopolitics
Folklore of Central, Eastern and Northern Europe
Cultures of Sustainability: Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe
Philosophy, Theory, Criticism
Advanced Topics in East European and Central Asian Languages and Cultures
Eastern Europe since 1900
The Soviet Union and the World, 1917-1991
Slavic Science Fiction through Literature and Film
Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Cultures
Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe
Topics in Slavic Literatures in Translation
Yiddish Literature and Culture in Europe
Vampires
In Translation: Slavic Drama in Context
Politics and Society: Contemporary Eastern Europe
Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe
Topics in Slavic Literatures
Slavic and East European Folklore

Europe as a Whole

Europe as a Whole
Please see Option 1's Europe as a Whole course list for courses approved for this category.

Finland

Finland
In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore
Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today
Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore
Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today
Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore

France

France
French Film
FRENCH 210
Ethnic Studies in the French/Francophone World(s)
Literature, Comics, and Film in French
Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)
Professional Communication and Culture in the Francophone World
Contemporary Issues in Business, Government and NGOs
Medieval and Early Modern French Literature
Modern French and Francophone Literature
Visual Culture in French/Francophone Studies
Medieval and Early Modern Culture
Modernity Studies
Study Abroad: French/Francophone Literature
Study Abroad: French/Francophone Civilization
Topics in French: Study Abroad
Readings in Medieval and Renaissance Literature
Readings in Early Modern Literature
Francophone Modernity Studies
Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern Studies
French/Francophone Literary Studies Across the Centuries
French/Francophone Cultural Studies Across the Centuries
Literature and Medicine in French-Speaking Cultures
French/Francophone Film
Aspects of Contemporary French Literature
FRENCH 472
Undergraduate Seminar in French/Francophone Literary Studies
Undergraduate Seminar in French/Francophone Cultural Studies
Critical Approaches to Literature and Culture: French and Francophone Perspectives
Career Strategies for the French-Speaking World
Critical Approaches to French Literature
The Age of Reason
17th-Century French Literature
The 17th-Century Novel
The French Novel: 1850-1900
19th-Century French Literature
17th-Century Literature
Culture and Societies
16th-Century French Literature
The 20th-Century French Novel
French and Francophone Cinema
Early Modern France, 1500-1715
France from Napoleon to the Great War, 1799-1914
Contemporary France, 1914 to the Present
French Revolution and Napoleon
Masterpieces of French Literature and Culture
Literature in Translation: Nineteenth-Century French Masterpieces
French Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century
French Pop Culture
French and Italian Renaissance Literature Online
Existentialism

Germany

Germany
Art in Germany, 1900-1945
German Film
Holocaust: History, Memory and Education
German Women Writers in Translation
Culture in 20th Century Berlin
Topics in German and/or Yiddish Culture
Yiddish Song and the Jewish Experience
Yiddish Literature and Culture in Europe
The German Immigration Experience
Nazi Culture
Kafka and the Kafkaesque
Special Topics in German and World Literature/s
Topics in German Culture
From Grimm to Gryffindor: German Fairytales (Re)imagined
Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts
Topics in German Literature
Study Abroad in German Literature
Study Abroad in German Culture
Topics in German Culture
Honors Seminar in German Literature
Kultur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts
German-Jewish Culture Since the 18th Century
Topics in German Studies
German Literary Movements Since 1750
A Theme in German Literature
Theory and Practice of German Drama
Seminar in German Culture Studies
Senior Honors Seminar in German Literature
History of Germany, 1871 to the Present
German Women Writers in Translation
Special Topics in German and World Literature/s
Topics in Twentieth-Century German Literature (in Translation)
Moral Philosophy and the Holocaust
Great Moral Philosophers
German Politics

Iceland

Iceland
The World of Sagas
In Translation: The Icelandic Sagas
Survey of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature
The Sagas of Icelanders in English Translation

Ireland

Ireland
James Joyce
The Irish Tradition
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations

Italy

Italy
Have Brush, Will Travel: The Italian Renaissance from Florence to Rome
Italian Renaissance Art
From Michelangelo & Raphael to Titian: The Arts in 16th Century Italy
Study Abroad in Renaissance/Baroque/Northern Art
Topics in Italian Renaissance Art
Race and Gender in Italian Early Modern Art
Proseminar in Italian Renaissance Art
Italian Film
A History of Rome
Italian Studies Abroad in the Humanities I
Modern Italian Culture
Italian Studies Abroad in the Humanities II
Studies in Italian Literature and Culture I
Studies in Italian Literature and Culture II
Rome: Lust for Glory
Machiavelli and His World
Topics in Italian: Study Abroad
Special Topics in Italian Literature
Special Topics in Italian Studies: Culture, Film, Language
Italian Film
The 19th Century
The 18th Century
The 18th Century
Italian Theatre
Features in Italian Literature
Features in Italian Literature
The Italian Novel
The Renaissance
Dante's Divina Commedia
The 13th Century
Love and Sex in Italian Comedy
Of Demons and Angels. Dante's Divine Comedy
In Translation: Lit of Modern Italy-Existentialism, Fascism, Resistance
Black Death and Medieval Life Through Boccaccio's Decameron
Italy and the Invention of America: from Columbus to World War II
In Translation: Special Topics in Italian Literature

Netherlands

Netherlands
Angels, Demons, and Nudes: Early Netherlandish Painting from Bosch to Bruegel
Topics in Dutch Life and Culture
Topics in Dutch Literature
Study Abroad in Dutch Literature
Study Abroad in Dutch Culture
Topics in Dutch Culture
Letterkunde der Lage Landen
Cultuurkunde der Lage Landen
Topics in Dutch Literature in Translation

Norway

Norway
In Translation: The Drama of Henrik Ibsen
Readings in Norwegian Literature
The Drama of Henrik Ibsen
Memory and Literature from Proust to Knausgard

Poland

Poland
History of Poland and the Baltic Area
Polish Literature in Translation: 14th to the Mid-19th Century
Polish Literature (in Translation), Middle Ages to 1863
Polish Literature (in Translation) since 1863
History and Ethics on Film: Polish Cinema
Study Abroad in Poland
Polish Culture and Area Studies on Study Abroad
Living at the End of Times: Contemporary Polish Literature and Culture
History of Polish Literature until 1863
History of Polish Literature after 1863

Portugal

Portugal
Introduction to Luso-Afro-Brazilian Literature
Portuguese Civilization
Survey of Portuguese Literature before 1825
Survey of Portuguese Literature since 1825

Scandinavia

Scandinavia
Nordic Mythology
The Nordic Storyteller
In Translation: The Icelandic Sagas
History of Scandinavia to 1815
History of Scandinavia Since 1815
Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History
In Translation:Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature, Middle Ages-1900
In Translation: Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature-the 20th Century
Topics in Scandinavian Literature
In Translation: Scandinavian Topics in Depth
In Translation: 19th Century Scandinavian Fiction
Contemporary Scandinavian Literature in Translation
Scandinavian Decadence in its European Context
The Vikings
Culture & Community in Scandinavia
Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature: From the Middle Ages to 1900
Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature: the Twentieth Century
Areas in Scandinavian Literature
Nineteenth-Century Scandinavian Fiction
Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
Memory and Literature from Proust to Knausgard
Topics in Scandinavian Literature
Sexual Politics in Scandinavia
Nordic Filmmakers
Scandinavian American Folklore
Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations
Scandinavian Decadence in its European Context
Scandinavian Life and Civilization II
Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History
Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1500-1800
Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1800-1890

Spain

Spain
Spanish Literary Masterpieces in Translation
Literatura de la Edad Media Castellana (ss. XII-XV)
Survey of Medieval Literature
Survey of Medieval Literature
Introduction to Hispanic Cultures
Introduction to Hispanic Literatures
Survey of Early Hispanic Literature
Survey of Modern Spanish Literature
Spanish Civilization
Literatura del Siglo de Oro
Cervantes
Literature of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
Literature of the Twentieth Century
Study Abroad in Hispanic Literatures
Study Abroad in Hispanic Cultures
Advanced Survey of Spanish Literature
Advanced Survey of Spanish Literature

Sweden

Sweden
In Translation: The Drama of August Strindberg
Readings in Swedish Literature
The Drama of August Strindberg
In Translation: The Drama of August Strindberg

Switzerland

Switzerland
Undergraduate Seminar in French/Francophone Cultural Studies

Turkey

Turkey
Readings in Turkish: Contemporary Turkey through Literature and Media

United Kingdom

United Kingdom
British Art and Society from the Eighteenth Century to the Present
Introduction to Cross-Cultural Literary Forms
History of Radical and Experimental Education in the US and UK
Shakespeare
British and American Writers
Shakespearean Drama
Shakespearean Drama
Topics in English, Study Abroad - Literature
The Sixteenth Century
Seventeenth-Century Literature and Culture
Eighteenth Century Literature and Culture
Stage and Page in the Long Eighteenth Century
Eighteenth-Century Novel
Romantic Literature and Culture
Nineteenth-Century Novel
Victorian Poetry
Modernist Novel
British Literature since 1900
The Anglo-Saxons
Outstanding Figure(s) in Literature before 1800
Topic in Medieval Literature and Culture
Medieval Drama
Medieval Romance
Chaucers Courtly Poetry
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Topic in Early Modern Literature and Culture
Early Works of Shakespeare
Later Works of Shakespeare
Spenser
Milton
Topic in Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture
Outstanding Figure(s) in Literature since 1800
Topic in Romantic or Victorian Literature and Culture
Topic in British Literature and Culture since 1900
Old English
Topic in Travel Writing before 1800
British Drama, 1914 to Present
Literature of the Environment: Speaking for Nature
The Scottish Tradition
English History: England to 1688
British History: 1688 to the Present
The Anglo-Saxons
The Emergence of Mod Britain: England 1485-1660
Society and Ideas in Shakespeare's England
History of Radical and Experimental Education in the US and UK
Topic in Medieval Literature and Culture
British Drama, 1914 to Present

Residence and Quality of Work

  • Minimum 2.500 GPA on all certificate courses.
  • At least 11 certificate credits must be completed in residence.

Certificate Completion Requirement

This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.

  1. (Historical Grounding) understanding the historical, political, and cultural forces and conditions that have given rise to the unity and diversity in the region today.
  2. (Multi-disciplinarity) analyzing contemporary political, economic, and cultural realities in the region from at least two disciplinary perspectives, ideally including humanities, social sciences and sometimes natural science approaches.
  3. (Depth of knowledge) mastering at the undergraduate generalist level a particular facet of life in the region by taking seven courses on three particular sub-regions or countries or by taking seven courses on the region in more than one discipline
  4. (Language knowledge) mastering at undergraduate generalist level a particular facet of life in the region by studying a regional language to the intermediate level.

Advising for the certificate is through the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS). The IRIS Assistant Director for Students and Curriculum can assist students in developing a plan of study for the certificate, track progress toward the certificate, explore study abroad and international internship options, and begin the career exploration process. We offer walk-in advising, advising workshops, and scheduled appointments. We strongly encourage students to begin career exploration early on and to make use of the many resources available on campus.

L&S career resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

Faculty: Copelovitch (Director, Political Science and Public Affairs), Ringe (Political Science), Brossard (Life Sciences Communication), Covington (European Studies), Klug (Law), Livorni (French and Italian), Olds (Geography), Potter (German), Klocke (Director, CGES, GNS+), Wolf (Scandinavian Studies)

As a regional center within the Institute for Regional and International Studies, we support and enhance international and global awareness in our student communities and inspire informed thinking about the complexities of our world. We encourage our students to connect to international networks and our regional communities through our program’s lecture series, film screenings, and varied outreach events and activities. We encourage our students to study abroad, do international internships, learn foreign languages, and expect them to gain an interdisciplinary grounding in global and regional affairs. We provide resources and expertise on our world area to students, and prospective students, and more broadly to K-12 teachers and students, postsecondary educators and graduate students, businesses, the media, the military, the community at large, and anyone else who wants it.

Information about funding through the Center for European Studies is available from our website. We also encourage our students to explore funding options available through the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) Awards Office.