Specialization in Western European Studies

The Western European Studies Program exists to provide MSU undergraduates with an opportunity to pursue a significant and coherent body of course work in the culture, history, politics, economics, and geography of Western Europe. Aside from a range of courses including some that focus intensively on individual countries and others that are comparative and cross-national, the Program includes a research component so that students may acquire an in-depth knowledge of a major aspect of Western European affairs. The Program also requires proficiency in at least one Western European Language. The WES Program is administered by a Advisory Committee composed of interested faculty from each of the colleges whose courses are included in it, in conjunction with the Center for European and Russian Studies. The record keeping and certification to the Registrar are handled by James Madison College.

Requirements

I. Language Proficiency

Students must acquire the equivalent of five semesters of a college-level Western European foreign language. The "fifth" semester must be a course that uses the language to study the history, literature, politics or culture of the related country, rather than a grammar or composition course. The results of the MSU language placement test will be considered in determining the student's fulfillment of the language requirement.

II. Social Science Requirement

Students must complete a minimum of 3 courses selected from at least two of the Academic Units listed below (9 credits).

Economics

EC 306 Comparative Economic Systems (3)
EC 340 Survey of International Economics (3)
EC 440 International Trade (3)
EC 441 International Finance (3)

Geography

EO 336 Geography of Europe (3)

James Madison College

MC 270 Classical Republicanism (4)
MC 271 Constitutionalism and Democracy (4)
MC 321 Comparative Analysis of Foreign Policy (4)
MC 324e Regional Politics, Cooperation and Conflict in Europe (4)
MC 325 State and Society in Comparative Perspective (4)*
MC 370 Radical Challenges to Liberal Democracy (4)
MC 371 Beyond Liberal Democracy? New Directions in Political Theory (4)
MC 386 Women and Power in Comparative Perspective (4)*
MC 387 Jews and Anti-Semitism (4)
MC 390 Advanced Topics (4)*
MC 492 Senior Seminar in International Relations (5)*

Political Science

PLS 356 West European Politics (3)
PLS 362 Foreign Policy (3)
PLS 440 Comparative Politics (W) (3)*
PLS 460 International Relations (W) (4)*

III. Humanities Requirement

Students must complete a minimum of 3 courses selected from at least two of the Academic Units listed below (8 credits).

Art History

HA 201 Ancient and Medieval Art (4)
HA 202 Renaissance through Modern Art (4)
HA 203 Modern Art (3)
HA 401 Greek Art and Archaeology (3)
HA 402 Roman Art and Archaeology (3)
HA 406 Ancient Greek and Roman Painting (3)
HA 407 Greek & Roman Architecture & Sculpture (4)
HA 410 Early Christian and Byzantine Art (4)
HA 415 Early Medieval Art (4)
HA 416 Late Medieval Art (4)
HA 420 Renaissance Architecture and Sculpture (4)
HA 422 Italian Renaissance Painting (4)
HA 424 The Age of Michelangelo (3)
HA 427 Northern Renaissance Art (3)
HA 430 Baroque Art in Italy and Spain (3)
HA 432 Northern Baroque Art (3)
HA 445 Art in the Age of Revolution (4)
HA 446 Monet and his Times (4)
HA 450 Twentieth Century Western Art and Ideas (4)
HA 484 History of Prints (3)

English

ENG 205 Readings in British Literatures (3)
ENG 426a Comparative Drama: Classical and Medieval (3)
ENG 426b Comparative Drama: Renaissance-Baroque (3)
ENG 426d Comparative Drama: Ibsen to World War II (3)
ENG 457 British Literary Studies 1660-1800 (4)
ENG 458 British Literature in the Age of Revolution (3)
ENG 459 Victorian Studies (3)
ENG 460 British Literature in the Age of Empire (3)
ENG 472 Studies in British Film (4)

History

HST 332b Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1300 (3)
HST 333 Later Medieval and Renaissance Europe, 1300-1500 (3)
HST 334 Reformation Europe, 1500-1700 (3)
HST 335 Europe in the Age of Revolution, 1700-1870 (3)
HST 336 Contemporary Europe, 1870 to Present (3)
HST 337 European Intellectual History: Natural Philosophy through Romanticism (4)
HST 338 European Intellectual History: Modernism and Post-Modernism (4)
HST 340 England and Its Culture to 1688 (3)
HST 341 Modern Britain since 1688 (3)
HST 347 Modern France (3)
HST 348 Modern Germany (3)
HST 349 Modern Italy (3)
HST 352 European Economic History (3)
HST 390 History of International Relations (3)
HST 411 European Jewish History (3)
HST 412 Women in Modern European History (3)
HST 424 Age of Michelangelo (3)
HST 482 Seminar in Medieval History (3)
HST 483 Seminar in European History (3)*

Music

MUS 412 History of Oratorio (2)
MUS 420 Music of the Eighteenth Century (2)
MUS 421 Nineteenth Century European and American Music Literature (2)
MUS 422 Twentieth Century European and American Music Literature (2)
MUS 423 History of Opera (2)

* Only if topic is related to Western Europe & approved by the WES Advisory Committee Chair or CERS Director.

IV. Supervised Research Paper

The student must select one of the following four options, subject to approval of the Chair of the WES Advisory Committee or the CERS Director totaling 3 credits.

Independent Study. The student will submit an independent study research paper on a topic related to Western Europe.
Overseas Study. The student will submit a research paper completed as a part of a MSU overseas study program in Western Europe.
Internship. The student will submit an independent research paper completed as part of a MSU approved field experience or internship related to Western Europe.
Capstone Course. The student will submit a research paper on Western Europe completed as part of a capstone course.

V. Integrative Studies Core Courses

It is recommended that students in the Western European Studies Program meet their Integrative Studies Core requirements by taking courses in the Arts and Humanities and in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences which relate to Western Europe. Likewise, students are encouraged to meet their Transcollegiate Course requirement by taking a course dealing with Western Europe.

Recognition: Upon satisfactory completion of the Program, the following procedure will be used to enter an appropriate notation on the student's academic record:

The student must contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs in James Madison College and request certification of the completion of the program.
The Dean of James Madison College will initiate and sign an administrative action form certifying the completion of the program and forward it to the Registrar.
The Registrar will then record the following on the student's permanent academic record so that the transcript will state: "Undergraduate Program in Western European Studies Completed (date)."