European Studies Minor

Institute for European Studies
120 Uris Hall
(607) 254–5854
einaudi.cornell.edu/programs/institute-european-studies/academics/european-studies-minor
Patricia T. Young, IES Program Manager & European Studies Minor Coordinator
pty6@cornell.edu

Students from any college may choose an undergraduate minor in European studies. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum that you can mold to your interests, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Europe’s past, present, and future and demonstrate a knowledge of European languages, culture, history, politics, and international relations. The minor offers the chance to take courses across colleges on subjects that shape your understanding of a globalizing world, while also providing you with an area of expertise. You will gain critical thinking skills, language abilities, and helpful frameworks for assessing today’s most pressing issues in Europe and around the world.

The requirements for the minor range from five to seven courses depending on the level of language proficiency already achieved:

1. Completion of a core course -  One of several courses can be selected to serve as the core course for the minor. This course should be a general survey of European history, society, politics, or culture. Examples of core courses are: Inside Europe (GOVT 2553 ), The Making of Modern Europe, from 1500 to the Present (HIST 1511 ), Politics of the European Union (GOVT 3437 ), Nineteenth and Twentieth Century European Thought (PHIL 2240 ), The History of Science in Europe: Newton to Darwin; Darwin to Einstein (STS 1942 ).
2. Competency in a European Language – Competence can be demonstrated by completing a third-semester course (even if you have tested out of the first two), successfully passing a competency exam, or by being a native speaker of a European language. Students who pass the competency exam or are native speakers will have to substitute one additional course to reach the minimum five-course requirement.
3. Completion of 3 elective courses – These electives are courses on more narrowly defined Europe-related topics, in disciplines including: History, Government, Sociology, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, English, Architecture, History of Art and Visual Studies, Classics, Music, Philosophy, Industrial and Labor Relations, Science and Technology Studies. Elective courses counted toward the European Studies minor cannot also be counted toward a student’s major. We encourage students to use their electives to explore Europe-related interests that go beyond their chosen major field of study.

A list of currently taught core, language, and elective courses are available on the Institute of European Studies website: European Studies Minor | Einaudi Center