Announcements
New name, same global vision
The Department of European Studies is now the Department of Comparative International Studies (CINTS). Our faculty and commitment to student success remain unchanged—what’s new is a broader lens on today’s interconnected world.
We now offer the CINTS major as well as minors in European Studies, French, German, Italian, and Russian. Expect the same rigorous learning across regions and disciplines.
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 Comparative International Studies major include minors in European Studies, French, German, Italian, Russian, and the Master’s degree in French.
Lecturer Spotlight - Amy Harker
Born and raised in San Diego, Amy Harker first studied Spanish for six years before unexpectedly discovering a passion for
French during her freshman year at UCLA. Inspired by a dynamic professor whose enthusiasm
and pedagogy brought the language to life, she continued enrolling in French courses
even as a psychology major. A study abroad experience in Bordeaux solidified her love
for the language, leading her to change her major to French.
After five years in corporate America, she realized she missed French and wanted to
pursue teaching, ultimately earning her M.A. in French at SDSU in 2025.
Since joining SDSU as a Lecturer in Comparative International Studies in the College of Arts and Letters, Amy has expanded her teaching portfolio to include beginning, intermediate, and advanced French courses, covering Francophone Literature, Grammar, Business French, and Translation. She has also taught French Civilization in English for the Department of Humanities and Contemporary Europe for European Studies. Her favorite part of teaching is witnessing the spark in students’ eyes when they realize they can communicate deeply in the target language—an achievement that requires courage, humility, and persistence. She fosters a supportive classroom environment where high expectations are balanced with encouragement and teamwork.
Passionate about showing students that it is never too late to learn a foreign language, Amy shares her own journey of beginning French at 18 and working tirelessly to master it. She encourages lecturers to keep growing professionally and embrace new opportunities at SDSU. Outside the classroom, she brings the same energy to teaching fitness classes in Cardio Kickboxing, Dance, HIIT, and Yoga, and expresses her creativity as a singer in rock, pop, blues, and jazz bands.
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
Subject/Object and Beyond: Women in Early Modern France
Edith Benkov
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.