An Interdisciplinary Minor at Rutgers-Camden
- The minor in European Studies offers students a wide variety of ways in which they can gain recognition for learning about a diverse, fascinating, and important part of our world.
- Because a great many of our own institutions and customs can easily be traced either to Britain or the European continent, learning about these areas can serve as an excellent way of understanding much of the background to American history, society, and culture.
Such study can help us to gain new perspectives on ourselves in other ways too, by introducing us to people who have often gazed at the world through lenses quite different from the ones through which we look. - Many fields, from education and the arts to government, business, and scientific research, have increasing interactions with European countries. Because of these interactions and because of the wide range of courses and research options offered, this minor provides an added opportunity to prepare for careers in a variety of fields.
- Aside from accumulating eighteen credits from among the offerings listed on the Courses page, the only requirement is that students take at least two semesters of language courses in a single European language beyond the elementary level. Whether one is particularly interested in literature, history, government, religion, philsophy, or the fine arts, a serious student of a foreign civilization needs to be able to engage with that civilization through its language (or, in the case of Europe, one of its languages), not just through the filter of the English language.
- Otherwise, meeting requirements is a matter of individual decision, as each student fills his or her plate by selecting from among a rich variety of tasty dishes. Let the feast begin!