Cross-Cultural Studies Minor

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Director: Michael Sollenberger (Foreign Languages and Literatures)

The minor in cross-cultural studies offers students a wide range of options for the study of human cultures around the globe through a variety of traditional disciplines and interdisciplinary courses. By extending students’ exposure to these cultures beyond requirements in the core curriculum or the major, this program helps students develop an awareness of the problems and responsibilities involved in global citizenship. Each course in the program seeks to develop an awareness of the theoretical and actual problems involved in the effort of studying other cultures in a sympathetic manner.

Program Requirements

Students seeking the interdisciplinary minor in cross-cultural studies develop a course of study with the approval of the director of the cross-cultural studies minor and the associate provost. The minor consists of six courses (18 credits). Students will select from among Global Encounters and other courses offered by various departments in the University which involve study of another culture.

Students pursuing a cross-cultural studies minor may begin to take cultural courses at any time-as early as the freshman year. Students who elect to minor in cross-cultural studies may have one course meet multiple requirements. For example, one Global Encounters course may fulfill three requirements: the core curriculum requirement in Global Encounters, a requirement in a major, and a requirement in the cross-cultural studies minor. Students may count up to three courses (9 credits) toward both their major and the cross-cultural studies minor.

Students may count toward the minor “Life and Culture” courses offered in the University’s study abroad program in conjunction with AIFS in Dublin, Florence, London, and Prague as well as the Study Abroad and Study Tour courses offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Currently, those courses are offered in Tours (France), Seville (Spain), Argentina, Peru, and Costa Rica.