There are certain academic disciplines in which knowledge of a specific geographic area would provide a competitive edge. This Area Studies minor allows the student to concentrate in the politics, culture, and economic structure of a specific geographic region. This minor will enable students to apply their academic experience in their major discipline to a geographic region. This allows the student to present a broader academic portfolio to potential employers or graduate schools. While eighteen credit hours are the traditional requirement for a minor in the American Public University System, the area studies minor requires 24 credit hours. The credit hours will increase to 30 credit hours with the introduction of foreign language courses.
Students may apply transfer credit towards courses that count towards the minor. Many students will be able to fulfill the majority of the course requirements for a minor by carefully selecting and aligning the electives within their degree program.
General Knowledge of Comparative Politics - Understand the concepts and theories of comparative analysis of different political regimes and economic markets.
- Understand the role of international and transnational organizations in both a global and regional setting.
- Compare and contrast the political, economic, social and military components of national and regional power.
- Evaluate the role of civilization in relationships among nations.
Politics and Security - Determine the significant political, economic, security, diplomatic, and social challenges facing a selected region -- individually as separate nations and collectively as a region.
- Articulate the importance of key nations to the strategic interests of the United States.
Cultures - Examine the origins, course, and character of the civilization of a selected area from prehistory until the present.
- Understand the history of a selected region and future prospects of the region in the 21st century.
Philosophies, Religions, and Popular Culture - Evaluate the importance of philosophical, cultural, and religious schools of thought underlying development in the selected area of study.
- Analyze the rise and spread of the major philosophies and religions in the selected area of study.
- Understand the impact of the predominant religions in the selected region.
- Value the literature of the selected region through a reading of the national literature.
Core Courses (9 Semester hours)
SS411 / INR 300 - Comparative Political Systems (required)
Student will select 2 courses from the following courses:
SS300 / INR 213 - Political Geography
SS401 / INR 412 - Comparative Foreign Policy
SS403 / INR 302 - International Development
SS450 / INR392 - Globalization and the Market Economy
European Studies Specific Courses (15 Semester hours)
The student who graduates with a minor in European Studies will be able to: - Recognize the emerging role of the European Union in the global community.
- Explain the historical, sociological, economic, geographic, political, and defense factors as they relate to current events in Europe.
- Discuss the new security arrangements emerging in Europe and the continued defense arrangements with the United States.
- Investigate the forces of integration and disintegration in Europe that are affecting the traditional definition of national sovereignty.
Select five courses from the list below:
IR374 / INR 341 - Government and Security in Eastern Europe
IR375 / INR 342 - Government and Security in Western Europe
IR376 / HIS 310 - History of Modern Europe
MH373 / MLH 373 - The Balkans: Conflict and Peace
MH379 / INR 416 - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
RQ313 / INT 315 - Foreign Intelligence Organizations
SS384 / INR 240 - European Peoples and Cultures |
