European Studies

European Studies is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the politics, culture, economy, society and history of Europe, and on Europe’s place in the world. It puts you on the threshold of a world at the forefront of dynamic change -- social, cultural, political, and economic -- as well as a world of rich and resonant traditions in literature, philosophy, science, art and architecture. There are close to 70 faculty in various departments at UC San Diego affiliated with the European Studies Minor, whose courses form our curriculum. Students may choose from among these, with any emphasis that they desire. The European Studies Minor is a very useful credential to have on your degree, especially if you are interested in a career that has a global dimension. It also indicates an approach to the world that is attractive to law, medical and business schools.

Here are some of the issues your studies for the Minor could open up:

Brexit: what are the implications of the UK leaving the EU?
The Euro: how does an international currency function?
Immigration: how can the movement of peoples be conducted?
Heritage: how can the past be preserved for the future?
Privacy: what are the rights of citizens and the obligations of the state to individual privacy in the digital age?
Social Justice: how can inequality be addressed?

Students choosing to minor in European Studies may design their coursework to focus on their own interests by drawing from multiple disciplines including communications, economics, history, political science, literature, sociology, philosophy, the arts and more. The program also encourages students to complete some of their coursework through study abroad in Europe.

People

Program Directors

Frank Biess, Co-Director
Professor, History

Ulrike Strasser, Co-Director
Professor, History

Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor

Jennifer Dieli
Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor
Ridge Walk Academic Complex - Arts and Humanities Building, 6th Floor, Room 655

Current UC San Diego undergraduate students, please use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for all advising questions.

Faculty

Eric Bakovic, Linguistics

Ryan Bessett, Literature

Frank Biess, History

John D. Blanco, Literature

David Brink, Philosophy

Alain Cohen, Literature

Thomas Csordas, Anthropology

Adriana de Marchi Gherini, Literature

Page duBois, Literature

Thomas Gallant, History

Cathy Gere, History

Clark Gibson, Political Science

Amelia Glaser, Literature

Harvey Goldman, Sociology

Daniel Hallin, Communication

Mark G. Hanna, History

Michael Hardimon, Philosophy

Matthew Herbst
Director, Making of the Modern World

Deborah Hertz, History

Germaine Hoston, Political Science

Monte Johnson, Philosophy

Dayna Kalleres, Literature

Hasan Kayali, History

Grant Kester, Visual Arts

Robert Kluender, Linguistics

Todd Kontje, Literature

Lisa Lampert-Weissig, Literature

Martha Lampland, Sociology

Ping-hu Liao, Literature

Gerald Mackie, Political Science

Victor Magagna, Political Science

Babette Mangolte, Visual Arts

Isaac Martin, Sociology

Luis Martin-Cabrera, Literature

Patrick Patterson, History

Catherine Ploye, Literature

Michael Provence, History

Pamela B. Radcliff, History

Babak Rahimi, Literature

Samuel Rickless, Philosophy

Philip Roeder, Political Science

Akos Rona-Tas, Sociology

Jordan Rose, Visual Arts

Christina Schneider, Political Science

Gershon Shafir, Sociology

Kaare Strom, Political Science

Charles Thorpe, Sociology

Clinton Tolley, Philosophy

William Tronzo, Visual Arts

Eric Watkins, Philosophy

John Welchman, Visual Arts

Alena Williams, Visual Arts

Oumelbanine Zhiri, Literature

Minor

European Studies Minor

The European Studies minor is for students with strong European interests or who plan to study in Europe on an EAP or OAP program, but also those who seek to complement their major with the study of Europe as a political, cultural, and economic entity.

A minor in European Studies consists of completing 7 courses (twenty-eight units) that focus on Europe from two different departments. At least 5 of the courses must be upper division. Two of these courses can be replaced with language courses.

Resources:

Resources

UC San Diego Undergraduate Student Resources

Course Offerings

Refer to the official UC San Diego General Catalog for a complete list of approved courses that will count toward a minor in European Studies.

Course offerings are constantly changing. Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date listing.

(*) Indicates course may be petitioned for credit. Instructions on How to Petition Courses.

Fall 2023

HIEU 128. Europe since 1945
HIEU 140. History of Women and Gender in Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present
LTEU 140. Italian Literature in Translation. Topic “The Betrothed”
LTFR 104. Advanced French Reading and Writing
POLI 110A. Citizens and Saints: Political Thought from Plato to Augustine
POLI 110B. Sovereigns, Subjects, and the Modern State
PHIL 161. Topics in the History of Ethics
PHIL 167. Contemporary Political Philosophy
PHIL 169. Feminism and Philosophy
PHIL 13. Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics
PHIL 31. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
MUS 113. Topics in Classic, Romantic, and Modern Music
SOCI 100. Classical Sociological Theory
VIS 121C. Art and Bible in the Middle Ages:
LIFR 1A/1AX. French Conversation/Analysis of French
LIFR 1B/1BX. French Conversation/Analysis of French
LIGM 1D/1DX. German Conversation/German Conversation
LIGM 1A/1AX. German Conversation/German Conversation
LIGM 1D/1DX. German Conversation/German Conversation
LTGM 2A. Intermediate German I
LIIT 1A/1AX. Italian Conversation/Analysis of Italian
LIIT 1D/1DX. Italian Conversation/Analysis of Italian
LTIT 2A. Intermediate Italian I
LIPO 1A/1AX. Portuguese Conversation/Analysis of Portuguese
LIPO 1D/1DX. Portuguese Conversation/Analysis of Portuguese
LISP 1A/1AX. Spanish Conversation/Analysis of Spanish
LISP 1D/1DX. Spanish Conversation/Analysis of Spanish
LTSP 2A. Intermediate Spanish I: Foundations

Winter 2024

HIEU 109. Blood, Soil, Boundaries: Nationalism in Europe
*LTEU 100 - Introduction to Italian Literature "Luigi Pirandello, Metatheatre, and Metadrama"
*LTFR 141. Topics in Literatures in French
LIFR 1B/1BX. French Conversation/Analysis of French
LIGM 1B/1BX. German Conversation/German Conversation
LIIT 1B/1BX. Italian Conversation/Analysis of Italian
LIPO 1B/1BX. Portuguese Conversation/Analysis of Portuguese
LISP 1B/1BX. Spanish Conversation/Analysis of Spanish
LTGM 2B. Intermediate German II
LTGM 2C. Intermediate German III

Spring 2024

*HIEU 139. Sex and Gender from the Renaissance to the French Revolution
*LTFR 142.Topics in Literary Genres in French
*LTEU 111. European Realism
LTEU 141. French Literature in English Translation (4) Topic: Samples of French Cinema
POLI 120E. Scandinavian Politics
LIFR 1C/1CX. French Conversation/Analysis of French
LIGM 1C/1CX. German Conversation/German Conversation
LIIT 1C/1CX. Italian Conversation/Analysis of Italian
LIPO 1C/1CX. Portuguese Conversation/Analysis of Portuguese
LISP 1C/1CX. Spanish Conversation/Analysis of Spanish
LTFR 2A. Intermediate French
LTFR 2C. Intermediate French III: Composition and Cultural Contexts

Events

2021-2022 Events

March 10, 2022: War in Ukraine - Perspectives and Comments from UC San Diego Experts (Video)

March 8, 2022: Black German Women and and Intellectual Activism with Tiffany Florvil (Video)

January 10, 2022: Edmond Fleg and Jewish Minority Culture in Twentieth-Century France with Sally Charnow (Co-Sponsored with Jewish Studies Program) (Video)

2020-2021 Events

May 11, 2021: Ruin and Renewal: Civilizing Europe after World War II - Paul Betts in conversation with Frank Biess (Video)

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for responses to commonly asked questions. If you have further questions, please contact the European Studies program through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).

Who should minor in European Studies?

The European Studies Minor is ideal for students who:

plan to study in Europe on an EAP or OAP program (or are returning from study abroad in Europe)
have strong European interests and/or are already proficient in an European language
are thinking about working in Europe
seek to complement their major with the study of Europe as a political, cultural, and economic entity
are entertaining a career in foreign service, international non-governmental organizations, law, biomedical research, medicine, or business

Can I take courses P/NP for the European Studies minor?

No, P/NP courses cannot be used toward the minor. Courses must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C– or better.

I took a course not listed on the course catalog. Can I count it toward my minor?

You will need to petition the course to see if it will apply towards your European Studies minor.

Instructions on How to Petition Courses