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top left: Colosseum, Italy; top right: Neuschwanstein castle, bottom left: ceiling of the Church of All Saints, Russia; bottom right: Paris at night

About Us

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.

Each program combines intensive language training with the study of Europe’s diverse societies and cultures. Students typically graduate with a strong command of one or more foreign languages and a solid understanding of the complexities of contemporary Europe—essential skills both for successful careers with an international focus and for advanced degree programs in a broad variety of fields, including, for example, international business, law, international relations, journalism, and cultural studies.

The Department is deeply committed to fostering a learning environment supportive of diversity and inclusivity, in which all our faculty, staff and students are respected and represented. We recognize that our experiences and perspectives are formed at the intersections of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender and gender identity, ability, class, sexual orientation, religion, language, culture, and beyond. We champion an intellectual community that addresses unequal structures of power at all levels, from the local to the global, and works to eradicate systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression in the interest of social justice. We also provide experience with ways of thinking and expressing oneself that are inflected by cultural contexts within and beyond the Americas. Our welcoming, transcultural, and multilingual departmental community prioritizes support and mentoring of students, staff, and faculty from all backgrounds.

Classes in the European Studies Department are small by the standards of a large research university, creating a tight-knit community of students and faculty. This creates effective student-centered learning environments that encourage active participation, collaboration, and critical thinking. Students have access to mentoring from an experienced faculty who are committed to helping them thrive and achieve their goals toward a desired career or advanced graduate training.
European Studies is an interdisciplinary field, and the department therefore collaborates with many programs and centers across campus, including Africana Studies, History, the Honors Program, International Business, International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR), International Comparative Studies, Jewish Studies, the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences (MALAS), and Women’s Studies. The department also serves a substantial student population beyond its own majors and minors, enhancing the interdisciplinary character of its classes.
In language instruction we partner SDSU’s Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC), a state of the art facility that is part of a select group of 15 national centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education and one of five national Language Training Centers funded by the Department of Defense.
The department and the Center for European Studies, which is housed in the department, host a variety of Europe-related events throughout the year, including scholarly lectures, musical and theatrical performances, and film series, both on and off campus.