CULTURAL AREA STUDIES AT SRU

The curriculum in this program will provide students the opportunity to connect with other cultures, understand global issues, and correlate what they learn in the classroom to global and local settings. Among the fields studied: history, politics, languages, anthropology, philosophy, the arts and literature. Students will have diverse experiences, and through internships, take part in international travel and study to apply what they’ve learned to real-world situations. Students can choose to study American studies, Asian studies, European studies, Latin-American studies and Middle East studies. This program is designed to take a multi-disciplinary and integrative approach to learning. Students will learn how societies and cultures develop, grow, change and interact within and between other societies. Cultural sensitivity and literacy, including language skills, are important areas that will be developed through an interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes theoretical classroom knowledge that is applied through student faculty research, internships, and practicums, and international travel and study. An integrative research project is a capstone experience required of all students. This project will build upon experiences inside and outside the classroom and integrate classroom theory and application.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A CULTURAL AREA STUDIES DEGREE?

With a degree in cultural area studies, students will be well-positioned to embark on a wide variety of careers, including international non-governmental organizations and international nonprofit agencies, airline and travel, teacher/professor, international law, environmental agencies, business, health and education, diplomatic positions and more.

RELATED LINKS

Interdisciplinary Programs - Cultural Area Studies, BS Program Page

Professional Licensure/Certification Page

Curriculum Guide

GPA Requirement

Major GPA: 2.0 or higher
Overall GPA: 2.0 or higher

Summary*

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Rock Studies 2 Requirements		42
Other Basic Requirments		0-3
Major/Concentration Requirements		42
Electives		36

* All undergraduate degree programs require a minimum of 120 credits.  Some courses meet multiple requirements, but are only counted once toward the 120 credit total required to graduate.

Rock Studies 2 Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
The Rock
SUBJ 139	Foundations of Academic Discovery 1	3
ENGL 102	Critical Writing	3
ENGL 104	Critical Reading	3
MATH 117	Quantitative Reasoning	3
Select one of the following:		3
COMM 200	Civil Discourse: Theory & Practice
PHIL 110	Ethics and Civil Discourse
POLS 235	Civil Discourse and Democracy
Subtotal		15
Integrated Inquiry
Creative and Aesthetic Inquiry
Select 3 Credits		3
Humanities Inquiry
Select 3 Credits		3
Social Science Inquiry
Select 3 Credits		3
Natural Science Inquiry
SCI 101	Science of Life	3
Physical Science Inquiry
SCI 102	Understanding the Physical World	3
Subtotal		15
Thematic Thread
Select 12 Credits 2		12
Subtotal		12
Total Hours		42

¹

Course offered in multiple subjects; cannot take course in first major subject.

²

One course from each category; six credits must be 300-level or above; no more than 4 credits from one subject area; specific courses required in first major, regardless of prefix of course, cannot be used to satisfy thread requirements; any course with same prefix as first major cannot be used to satisfy thread requirements, even if it is not a course in the first major.

Basic Math Requirement

Check with your adviser or a current degree audit report to see if you have been exempted from this course. The credit earned in this course will not be counted toward the 120 credit hour minimum needed to earn a degree.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following:		0-3
Meet required minimum SAT or ACT math score OR
ESAP 110	Beginning Algebra
Total Hours		0-3

DIVERSITY,  EQUITY,  AND INCLUSION REQUIREMENT

Students must take and pass a course with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) designation prior to graduation.  Students can meet this requirement by taking any DEI - designated course in any program at any time during their undergraduate career. 

major Requirements

• 21 major credits must be taken at SRU or PASSHE
• 21 major credits must be taken at the 300 level or above (Adviser approved courses)
• Courses used in this major may not be used to satisfy ROCK Studies 2, a minor, or another major’s requirements.
• AP, Credit by Exam, CLEP, and institutional credit by exam may count towards the degree to a maximum of 45 credits. Pass/Fail and non-credit courses will not be counted in the major.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
Oral and Written Communication
INDP 499	Capstone: Applied Interdisciplinary Studies	3
Select one the following:		3
COMM 217	Intercultural Communication 1
GES 105	World Regional Geography 1
POLS 103	International Relations 1
Subtotal		6
Interpersonal Skills and Civic Responsibility 2
Select one of the following: 3		3
Modern Language Course
Hist & Dev Eng Lang (Amer. St. only)
Select one of the following: 4		3
Modern Language Course
By advisement (American Studies only)
Subtotal		6
Analytical, Quantitative & Critical Thinking Skills
Select one of the following courses approved for your cultural area:		3
HIST 151	Ancient World to the Age of Global Encounters 1
HIST 152	Early Modern to Contemporary World 1
INDP 106	Race and Ethnic Diversity in the USA 1
INDP 310	Cultural Area Studies 1
INDP 322	Archaeology of the Americas 1
MODL 105	Introduction to Asian Civilizations 1
Subtotal		3
Required
INDP 102	Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies	3
INDP 318	Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Studies 1	3
Subtotal		6
Emphasis Area
Courses selected by advisement
Cultural Area - America, Asia, Europe, Latin America or Middle East
Select 21 credits from the following categories: Foundations, Culture and Society, History, Current Issues		21
Subtotal		21
Experiential Learning Activities
Must complete 40 hours of experiential learning activities which are approved by the Academic Adviser. Please consult with your Adviser for details of the options available.
Total Hours		42

¹

Course counts for 50% of Major requirements and Major GPA.

²

Take Modern Language courses at the 102 and 103, approved for your cultural area. American studies students must take ENGL 331 and another course by advisement.

³

ARAB, CHIN, FREN, JAPN, KORN, SPAN 102 or ENGL 331.

⁴

ARAB, CHIN, FREN, JAPN, KORN, SPAN 103 or Approved course.

*

Some courses may require pre-requisites. Please see course descriptions to determine if there are any pre-requisites for that specific course.

Co-curricular and Experiential Learning

Students are encouraged to explore additional curricular and co-curricular opportunities. There is a strong correlation between long-term student success and participation in the following types of programs and activities:

1. International study programs (short-term, semester)
2. High-Impact Practice (HIP) designated classes
3. Student-faculty creative projects
4. Internships
5. Experiential Learning (Practice experience outside the classroom)

Important Curriculum Guide Notes

This Curriculum Guide is provided to help SRU students and prospective students better understand their intended major curriculum. Enrolled SRU students should note that the My Rock Audit may place already-earned and/or in progress courses in different, yet valid, curriculum categories. Enrolled SRU students should use the My Rock Audit Report and materials and information provided by their faculty advisers to ensure accurate progress towards degree completion. The information on this guide is current as of the date listed. Students are responsible for curriculum requirements at the time of enrollment at the University.

PASSHE - Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Institutions

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS - BS (5198)
Concentration in Cultural Area Studies (CULT)
This program is effective as of Fall 2020
Revised 06.29.2022
UCC 03.05.20