Language Courses:
Two years (four semesters), or equivalent, of any language relevant to the Central Europe, including Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Bulgarian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian.
Central European Studies Content Courses:
Five Central European Studies content courses (15 credits) are required. One of them must be the core course for the program, HIST 0200 - Between Kafka and Hitler: How Central Europe Shaped the Modern World.
Two of the courses may overlap with the student’s major or other credentials. Two of the courses must be at the 1000 level and students must earn a C or better in classes counting toward the certificate.
To reflect an engagement with Central Europe’s diversity, the required courses beyond the core course must address topics related to at least two Central European ethnic, national or linguistic cultures.
Electronic Portfolio:
Additionally, for purposes of assessment, students will be required to produce an electronic portfolio upon completion of the certificate. Building on a narrative that explains the connection between the classes used to complete the requirements, students may include papers or projects developed as class assignments, observations from study abroad, and insights gained from pre-professional experiences such as internships and informational interviews. The portfolio can also serve as part of an online resumé, highlighting a student’s experiences, skills and interests.
These requirements match those of numerous other certificate programs offered in UCIS, including the West European Studies, Asian Studies, Transatlantic, and Russian and East European Studies Certificate programs.
The new core course, HIST 0200 - Between Kafka and Hitler: How Central Europe Shaped the Modern World, is being offered for the first time in the Fall of 2021. Dr. Gregor Thum has designed it so students will explore the following themes related to Central Europe:
Empire, borderland and diversity
Migration and the transformation of society
Nationalism, mass violence and collective memory
Democracy, authoritarianism and contested culture in Central Europe
Central Europe’s reintegration after the cold war
“Central Europa”, “Mitteleuropa”, “East Central Europe”: The politics of geographic labels
These themes are also intended to help students consider how they may choose courses and organize their studies in the certificate program.
