Certificate of Advanced Study in the European Union and Contemporary Europe

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Jessica Smith (Deactivated)
Last updated: Aug 31, 2023 by
Eleanor Langford
3 min read

Program Description:

The Certificate of Advanced Study in the European Union and Contemporary Europe is available to Syracuse University students in all graduate programs who are looking to supplement their degree with a strong foundation in the region's culture and politics or to prepare for a career involving regional specialization. In completing the Certificate Program, students are required to take at least 12 credit hours of study focused on the region, including one of the required courses and nine credits from a set of elective courses and/or approved other activities such as internships, independent study, or capstone experiences.

Obtaining The Certificate:

Interested students are encouraged to interact with the Director of the Certificate Program early in their tenure to develop a program of study. Once you are approved, you will need to fill out several forms such as the Graduate School’s Internal Admission form to enroll in the program. Please see our webpage for more details.

In order to receive the certificate, students must complete the 12-credit hours of coursework and earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in these courses and successfully complete the degree program in their primary field. 

Administrative Steps:

Students who have been pre-approved by the Director of the Certificate Program should complete the Graduate Enrollment Internal Admission Application form to receive admission to the program. Once completed, the form should be submitted to Eleanor Langford at the Moynihan Institute (346-E Eggers Hall) who will pass it on to the Graduate Enrollment Management Processing Center (716 E. Washington Street). Please note that the “Program Code” for the certificate in is EU10C.

Please also remember that a Graduate Diploma Request Form must be completed through MySlice during the semester the student will graduate. Students must complete a separate form for each of their degree programs as each results in its own degree date and diploma.

The Director will recommend granting the Certificate to students who have met all of the requirements (while maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for all classes taken toward it) and who are in good standing in their graduate school or department.  

Program Requirements

Twelve credits in four courses must be earned to be eligible for the certificate. These must include:

  1. The choice of one of the required courses:
  • PSC 756 Politics of the European Union
  • PSC 600 The EU and Beyond: Identity, Politics, and the New Europe* 
  • ANT/HUM/SOC 670 The Culture and Politics of Reconciliation in Central Europe**

2.    Nine credits from a set of elective courses and/or approved other activities such as internships, independent study, or capstone experiences. 

Electives: 

ANT 629 Transformation of Eastern Europe

ANT 673 Peace and Conflict in the Balkans

ANT 701 / PAI 701 Multilateral Peacekeeping

FRE 600 Contemporary France in Literature & Film*

FRE 600 Selected Topics

GER 600 Selected Topics

HST 735 Readings and Research on European History

IRP 600.1 Religion, Law, and Human Rights in Comparative Perspective*

LAW 910 English Legal System***

PHI 640 / REL 660 Continental Philosophy of Religion

PAI 715 Issues in Global Economic and Financial Security*****

PAI 715 International Trade and Economic Negotiations*****

PA 715 Statecraft and Smart Power in the Digital Era*****

PAI 727 Responding to Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

PAI 788 Transnational Crime, Drugs & Terrorism

PAI 716/ECN 610 Economic Dimensions of Global Power

PSC 600 The Politics of Brexit***

PSC 600 European National and International Conflict: What Alternatives to Violence*

PSC 600 European Human Rights*

PSC 700.002 Politics and Demographic Aging

PSC 769 Comparative Parties and Politics

PSC 785 Comparative Civil-Military Relations

PSC 786 Russian and Post-Soviet Politics

PSC 788 Political Leadership

PSC 759 Crisis Management

SOC/QSX/WGS 600 Sexuality in Spain****

SPA 653 Women in Spanish Literature

SPA 658 Narrative and Film in Spain (1940 to the Present)


*Offered during Summer at the University's Strasbourg Center in France.

**Offered during Summer in Strasbourg, Berlin, and Wroclaw.

***Offered during Summer in London.

****Offered during Summer in Madrid.

*****Offered during Fall at the University's Washington, DC Center.


In addition to these classes, students may also earn credits towards the Certificate in the following ways:

  • Students can take a maximum of six-credit hours in any of the regional languages offered at the University at the 600 level. Turkish, Portuguese, and Polish are also considered regional languages in addition to those more generally considered when focusing on Europe. 
  • Students can take a maximum of three-credit hours for an internship experience in Europe or for the completion of a capstone course that focuses on a topic related to contemporary Europe or the EU (with the approval of the Director of the Certificate Program). 
  • Students can petition to count other courses if at least 33% of their course grade in those courses comes from EU/Contemporary Europe focused assignment(s).

 For any further questions, please contact Glyn Morgan (dgmorgan@syr.edu) by email.