Certificate Program

The certificate program in Polish and Central European Studies provides students with an opportunity to develop interdisciplinary knowledge about Poland and Central Europe. Interested students should put together a list of 10 courses (or 40 credit hours) with the following departmental distribution:

Six courses from the primary list, of which:

  • Four must be in social sciences (political science, economics, or history)
  • Two must be in languages (any western Slavic language, Romanian, Hungarian, or Yiddish) or cultures (anthropology, art, film studies, music, philosophy, theater, or religion)

The last four courses can be from either the primary or secondary list.

You can register for the certificate by completing the certificate registration form and submitting it to the Multidisciplinary Studies Center.

Course Policies

Substitutes for these courses may be approved by the program director. Up to two substitute courses can be foreign language courses above the 105 level.

Courses transferred from another college must be approved by the program director.

No primary course can be taken satisfactory/fail, and no more than one secondary course can be taken satisfactory/fail.

Students must earn an overall grade-point average of at least 2.0 in courses submitted for the certificate. Upon graduation, students successfully completing the program will receive a certificate in Polish and Central European Studies.

Course Listings

Primary Courses

Social Sciences

CLTR 160: The New Europe
CLTR 202: Holocaust: Affect and Absence
FMST 209: The Holocaust in Film and Literature
INTR 216: Political Post Communism
INTR 221: Nationalism, Central Europe and the Russia – Ukraine War
INTR 222: Politics of New Europe
INTR 223: Opposition in an Authoritarian State: Poland, 1945-1989
INTR 241: Polish Foreign Policy
INTR 240: Human Rights, Minorities, and Migration in Europe
INTR 242W: Identity in Poland, Tajikistan, and Iran
INTR/PSCI 271: Russia and Eastern Europe: Politics and International Relations
INTR 280A: Communism and Democracy in Eastern Europe (on location)
INTR 280/PSCI 269: Communism and Democracy in Eastern Europe
INTR 281: Business and Politics in Eastern and Central Europe
INTR 282: Eastern Europe: Philosophy and Reform
INTR 283: Politics in the European Union
HIST 102: The West and the World since 1942
HIST 116: Introduction to History of Poland
HIST 116A/HIST 137A: History of Poland (on location)
HIST 126: Hitler’s Germany, 1914-1945
HIST 151: Imperial Russia (RSST 171)
HIST 155: History of Russia to 1692 (RSST 155)
HIST 205: Europe since 1945
HIST 206/RELC 218: The Holocaust
HIST 226: Hitler's Germany: 1914-1945
HIST 245A: War and memory in Eastern Europe
HIST 293: Stalinism
HIST 292/292W: Totalitarianism and Everyday Life
HIST 301W: Stalinism (RSST 246)
HIST 331W/431: The Soviet Union and the Cold War
POLS 225/JWST 225: The Holocaust and Its Memory in Eastern Europe
PSCI 169: Politics of New Europe
PSCI 254: Political Economy of Europe
PSCI 260/INTR 231: The Cold War
PSCI 266: Politics of European Union
RSST 160: The New Europe
RSST 161: Europe Today

Languages and Cultures

ANTH 284: Anthropology of Tourism
AHST 290/POLS 201A: Polish Art: Past and Present (on location)
ENGL 237: Studies in International Literature
ENGL 242: International Poetry: Contemporary Polish and American Poetry
FMST 289: Men of Marble, Women of Steel: An Introduction to East European Film
INTR 241: Polish Foreign Policy
JWST 210: Jewish Civilization in Poland
MHS 123: Musical Politics in 20th Century
MHS 590: 20th Century Music of Eastern Europe
POLS 101: Elementary Polish I
POLS 102: Elementary Polish II
POLS 151: Intermediate Polish
POLS 157: Polish in Poland (on location)
POLS 201: Polish Review
POLS 202/FMST 241: Polish Cinematography
POLS 220/FMST 220/ENGL 262/LTST 220: Polish Literature, Film, and Culture: Local Perspectives, Global Ambitions
POLS 224: Polish Culture: Lessons in Polish Literature (on location)
POLS 268/FMST 268/POLS 468: Post-1989 Polish Culture Through Film, Literature, and Digital Media
RUSS 289/HIST 243: Dangerous Texts: Literature and Politics in Russia

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Secondary Courses

CLTR 209A: Russian Civilization
CLTR 217: Men of Marble, Women of Steel: An Introduction to East European Film
HIST 113: History of Judaism
HIST 126: Hitler’s Germany, 1914-1945
HIST 153/RUSS 127: Russia Now
HIST 197Q: Religion and Society in Modern Europe
HIST 198: Stalin and His Legacy in Eastern Europe,1939-1991
HIST 206: Dangerous Texts: Literature and Politics in Russia
HIST 215: The Enlightenment
HIST 217: Gothic Europe
HIST 247/RSST 247: Secret Nation
HIST 284: Art/Culture of Eastern Christianity
HIST 292: Totalitarianism and Everyday Life
HIST 350: Topics in Medieval History
INTR 101/PSCI 101: Introduction to Comparative Politics
INTR 106/PSCI 106: Introduction to International Relations
INTR 215: Populism in 21st Century Politics
INTR/PSCI 250: Conflict in Democracies
INTR/PSCI 252: Ethnic Politics
INTR/PSCI 253: Comparative Political Parties
INTR/PSCI 256: Theories of Comparative Politics
PSCI 254: Political Economy of Europe/of Post Communism
PSCI 258: Democratic Regimes
PSCI 262: Globalization Past and Present
INTR/PSCI 263: Comparative Law and Courts
INTR/PSCI 264: Comparative Political Institutions
INTR/PSCI 265: Civil War and the International System
INTR/PSCI 267: Identity, Ethnicity and Nationalism
INTR/PSCI 276: The Politics of Insurgency and Terrorism
PSCI 270: International Politics/Mechanisms of International Relations
PSCI 272: Theories of International Relations
PSCI 274: International Political Economy
INTR/PSCI 279: War and the Nation State
INTR 286W: Political Economy of Developing Countries
RELC 104: History of Christianity

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