European Studies

European Studies BA

Capstone Major

The European Studies major allows students to analyze the area or a subregion (e.g., Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Europe, Scandinavia, Western Europe/European Union) from an interdisciplinary and modern perspective. The major seeks to ground students in broad international issues that they can then use to focus on particular concerns of that part of the world.

The European Studies major has the following learning outcomes:

• In-depth analysis of a specific region or a thematic subject that spans regions
• Demonstrated critical understanding of issues relevant to a specific region or theme
• Demonstrated skills, including research, analysis, and writing
• Identification and analysis of appropriate sources, material evidence, and other forms of primary documents
• Demonstrated proficiency at collaborative engagement with peers through constructive feedback on written drafts and oral presentations
• Demonstrated proficiency at using peer feedback to enhance student’s own work
• Effective communication of complex ideas in a seminar setting
• Demonstrated effective oral and written communication of research findings
• Conception and execution of a project that identifies and engages with a specialized topic
• Working knowledge of scholarly discourse relative to a specialized topic

To be eligible to declare the European Studies major, students must have completed all nonlanguage preparation for the major courses and the foreign language courses through at least level 3 (elementary level). Any remaining language courses may be completed after students have been accepted to the major. Each preparation for the major course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have a UC grade-point average of 2.0 or better in those courses. In addition, students must have earned a grade of C or better in International and Area Studies 1.

Incoming freshman and transfer students may be admitted as European Studies premajors on acceptance to UCLA. Premajor students must apply for major standing at the end of fall quarter of their junior year; they are not automatically accepted into the major.

Required: (1) International and Area Studies 1, (2) one area studies course from Central and East European Studies 91, Comparative Literature 1C, 2CW, 4CW, Dutch 10, English 88G, French 12, 14 (or 14W), 41, 60, German 50B, 57, 59, 61A through 61D, History 1C (or 1CH), 97C, International and Area Studies 40, Italian 42B, 46, 50B, Portuguese 40A, Romanian 90, Russian 25 (or 25W), 30, 31, 32, 90B (or 90BW), Scandinavian 50 (or 50W), Slavic 90, Spanish 42, (3) two international politics and markets courses from Economics 1, 2, Geography 4, 6, Political Science 50 (or 50R), Sociology 1, (4) two international societies and cultures courses from Anthropology 3, Comparative Literature 1D (or 2DW or 4DW), Ethnomusicology 5, M25, Geography 3, History 2B, 22, World Arts and Cultures 20, 33, and (5) one area-related foreign language sequence through the intermediate level (e.g., Czech 102C, Dutch 103C, French 6, German 6, Hungarian 102C, Italian 6, Polish 102C, Portuguese 3, Romanian 102C, Russian 6, Scandinavian 29, 105B, 106B, 107B, Serbian/Croatian 102C, Spanish 5, Ukrainian 102C, Yiddish 102C). The language requirement can also be fulfilled in part or in total by taking a placement examination given through the appropriate language department. Each course must be taken for a letter grade.

Transfer applicants to the European Studies premajor with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: two courses from sociocultural anthropology, cultural geography, contemporary world history, and world literature and two courses from comparative politics, economic geography, macroeconomics, microeconomics, and introductory sociology. Transfer students must apply for the major by the end of fall quarter of their junior year.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The major consists of International and Area Studies 191 (capstone seminar) and 11 upper-division courses divided among area studies and international themes courses. To count as one 4-unit course, 2-unit courses must either be taken twice or two courses from the same category (if applicable) may be taken. Each course must be taken for a letter grade, with a minimum overall grade-point average of 2.0.

Area Studies: (1) Three humanities and arts group 1 courses from Art History 127B, M127C, Central and East European Studies 125, 126, Comparative Literature C163, C164, Dutch 113, 131, English 115B, 164A, 164B, 164C, Ethnomusicology 133, Film and Television 106B, French 114C, 119, 120, 131, 132, 138, 139, M140, 141, German 102, 103, 104, 110, 112, 160, 161, 162, 164, 165, 166, 173, 174, Italian 102C, 120, 121, 150, M158, Polish 152B, 152C, Russian 107B, 120, 121, 122, 125, 126, M127, 128, 130A, 130B, 130C, 131, M132, 140A through 140D, 150, Scandinavian C141A, 141C, CM144A, 155, 156, 157, 161, C163A, C163B, C163C, 173A, C174A, 174B, C180, Yiddish 131A, 131B; (2) three social sciences group 1 courses from Economics 181, Geography 152, 183, History 120A, 120B, 120C, 121D, 121E, 121F, 122F, 123B, 123C, 124B, 124C, 125B, 125C, 125D, 127B, 127C, 127D, 129B, 131A, 131B, 134B, 134C, 135C, 136B, 136C, 183A, 183B, Honors Collegium 173A, Political Science 127A, 128A, 128B, 153A, 156A; and (3) one additional elective course selected from either item 1 or 2 above.

International Themes: (1) Two international politics and markets courses from Anthropology 143, Economics 111, 112, 121, 122, Environment 134, Geography M128, 140, 148, International Development Studies 130, Management 109, 127C, Political Science 120B, 122A, M122B, 123A, 124A, 125A, 126, 129, 134, 137A, 138B, 150, 166, M167C, 167D, 168, Sociology 182, 183, Urban Planning M165 and (2) two international societies and cultures courses from Anthropology 130, 140, 146, 147, Art History C160, Communication 179, Comparative Literature 100, Environment M133, Film and Television 112, Geography M109, 110, 133, 138, 142, 147, 151, 159C, History M186B, Honors Collegium M152, International Development Studies 110, Sociology 116, 151, 154, 191D, 191F, World Arts and Cultures CM130.

The area studies electives listed above (group 1) focus on contemporary issues of that region after 1750. Students may substitute a maximum of three upper-division courses with focus on earlier historical aspects of the region or on diasporas with origins related to the region toward the area studies electives as long the distribution between humanities and arts and social sciences is maintained. They may be selected from either of the following lists: humanities and arts group 2: French 114A, 114B, 115, 116, 117, 118, 169, German 169, 170, 171, 172, Italian 102A, 102B, 103A, 103B, 110, 113, 114A, 114B, 116A, 116B, 118, 119, 140, Russian C124C, C124D, C124G, C124N, C124P, C124T, Scandinavian 142A, 143C, 152, 154 or social sciences group 2: History 121A, 121B, 121C, 122A, 122B, 122C, 125A, 126, Political Science 111C.