Department of European Studies
The Department of European Studies at San Diego State University is one of the few integrated, interdisciplinary European Studies departments in the United States. It takes a comprehensive and transnational approach to the study of Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Mediterranean, and Europe’s diasporic and postcolonial communities around the world.
The department offers a number of distinct degree programs, which in addition to the European Studies major include specialized B.A. degrees in French, German, German Studies, Russian, and Russian and Central European Studies. The department also offers minors in European Studies, French, German, Italian, Russian, and the Master’s degree in French.
Outstanding Graduating Senior 2025
Congratulations to this year’s Outstanding Graduating Senior in European Studies, Raul Rodriguez.
Raul Rodriguez is a first-generation college student with a passion for learning languages and new cultures. He was born in San Diego but grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. When Raul started his journey at Southwestern College, he realized he wanted to pursue a career in translation and/or interpretation, and he considered learning a new language an essential part to reach his goal. During his time at Southwestern College, he decided to pursue an associate degree in Italian and became vice president of the Italian club. When Raul was in the process of applying to universities, he was looking for a program that offered him the opportunity of an experience abroad, and this is how he found the Department of European Studies. When he read about the program, he fell in love with the topics presented. The best part? He saw the opportunity he was looking for: the Florence Summer Abroad program.
At SDSU, Raul has achieved remarkable accomplishments that far exceeded his expectations. In the spring semester of 2024, he represented SDSU at the Schuman Challenge in Washington, D.C., an annual foreign affairs contest for undergraduate students in the United States organized and hosted by the EU Delegation. He defines this experience as transformative and something that would not have happened without the support of his professors and the European Studies program. In the summer of 2024, Raul fulfilled his dream of studying abroad by participating in the Florence Summer Program, where he delved into the history of the Etruscans and the Renaissance. Furthermore, during the application process for this program, Raul was honored with the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship awarded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, another significant achievement.
(left to rigtht): Emily Schuckman-Matthews, Clarissa Clò, and Kristin Rebien
Raul will graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors and is very grateful for everything he has learned in the past two years. He says that one of his goals is to talk to his friends about the classes he has taken and encourage them to take them.
Upon graduation, Raul intends to collaborate with the Gilman Program on projects they offer to their alumni. Additionally, he aims to apply to volunteer programs in Italy to enhance his Italian language skills, with the ultimate goal of enrolling in the Master of Arts in Translation program offered by Georgetown University in approximately two or three years.
Lastly, Raul wanted to thank his most influential faculty member, Clarissa Clò, and professors Emily Schuckman-Matthews and Kristin Rebien. They played a crucial role in his experience at SDSU, and he considers them role models in his academic career.
Department Bookshelf
Coerced Liberation: Muslim Women in Soviet Tajikistan
Zamira Abman
2024
Postsocialist Memory in Contemporary German Culture
Kristin Rebien
2024
Sex Work in Contemporary Russia: A Cultural Perspective
Emily Schuckman-Matthews
2023
This Is What I Live For: An Afro-Italian Hip-Hop Memoir
Clarissa Clò
2023
Germans of Waterloo Region
Mathias Schulze
2022
The Algerian War in Film Fifty Years Later, 2004-2012
Anne Donadey
2020
Statement of Solidarity
with the people of Ukraine
The Department of European Studies strongly condemns Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine for whom this war will take an enormous toll and join those around the world, including in Russia and Belarus, who are urging for an end to this war of aggression.
with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
The Department of European Studies stands in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. We stand against racist misogyny, gendered racism, and hate. We encourage everyone to Sign the Pledge.
with Black Lives Matter and Against Anti-Blackness
SDSU’s College of Arts and Letters stands in solidarity with our Black communities. We denounce racism in any form and violence against Black people, and we stand firm in our belief that Black lives matter. We encourage everyone to Sign the Pledge.
As a community of university faculty and staff, it is our duty to actively support
and advocate for solutions to systemic racism across our nation, the world, and our
campus. Read the full statement.