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| UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 1999 • 2002 | [ Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page ] |
UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
The University Center for International Studies (UCIS) is the central coordinating and support mechanism for the international activities of the University of Pittsburgh. As a University-wide center, UCIS supports multidisciplinary programs of research and instruction in international and area studies, linking departments and schools of the University. It connects the University and private and public sector institutions, other universities, and institutions in other countries to strengthen the University's international dimension of teaching, research, and public service. UCIS aids students in their acquisition of international knowledge through certificate programs, study abroad programs, curriculum development, and seminars; assists faculty in their international research, teaching, and service; and develops and manages international programs and projects. The center offers undergraduate certificate programs through its four area studies centers (Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Russian and East European Studies, West European Studies), all of which are designated by the federal government as National Resource Centers. Area studies certificates evidence language proficiency and area knowledge that students find useful for international careers or for advanced degrees with a concentration in a particular world area.
CONTACT INFORMATION
University Center for International Studies
4G Forbes Quadrangle
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 648-7390
Fax: (412) 648-4672
ucis+@pitt.edu
http://www.ucis.pitt.edu
Formal admission to the UCIS certificate programs is accomplished by completing a simple application form. Interested students are encouraged to apply in their freshman or sophomore year. There are no special requirements for admission. All undergraduate certificate programs in UCIS (with the exception of the certificate program in Latin American studies described below) require 15 credits/five courses in the respective world area, one of which should be in the major, and four in at least two departments other than the major. Language requirements vary from four to six terms.
Certificate courses can be used simultaneously to fulfill the student's general education and international/foreign culture requirements. Any course in which students do not earn at least a C will not be accepted for the certificate program. Upon graduation, both the academic degree and the certificate are posted on students' transcripts.
All area studies certificate programs provide advising services to students interested or registered in certificate programs in addition to regular advising by the students' major advisors. Center advisors assist in selecting courses, language training, and arranging internships or study abroad to fit the students' academic and personal interests. See the program descriptions below for contact information.
SPECIAL ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to the regular certificate programs, UCIS offers the following special academic opportunities:
ASIAN STUDIES SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Students enrolled in the Asian studies certificate program are eligible for a variety of fellowships and scholarships, including the Chinese Summer Language Study Abroad Scholarships, the Japanese Studies Undergraduate Scholarship, the Year-in-Japan Scholarship, and the Japanese Summer Language Study Scholarship.
LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR/FIELD TRIP
The Undergraduate Seminar/Field Trip is a unique component of the Latin American studies program. The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) firmly believes that all of its undergraduate certificate students should have the opportunity to experience Latin American culture firsthand. This objective is met through an annual field trip to a selected Latin American country for which about 12 students are chosen each year. CLAS subsidizes the cost of this trip via scholarships to place it within the means of virtually all students. Student participants register for a seminar in the Spring Term (January-April) that prepares them for the field trip through study of the culture, economics, geography, history, and politics of the area to be visited. Students also are introduced to research methodology and are guided through the development of a project, which forms the basis for research they conduct while in the field. In the Summer Session (mid-May through mid-June), the students travel to Latin America where they reside with host families and undertake their research projects under the direction of a CLAS faculty member. (In past years, groups have gone to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.)
RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES CAP COURSE
Each year, through a specific department in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Center for Russian and East European Studies (REES) offers a capstone (or exit) course for juniors or seniors in its undergraduate certificate program. The cap course is recommended, but is not a mandatory requirement. It is designed to give students from a variety of academic disciplines the opportunity to investigate a common development in the region. Topics have included women writers, political and economic transition, and nationalism. The courses are not exclusively for REES students, and are open to undergraduates who are knowledgeable and interested in the region. Course requirements include research paper(s), and class size is limited to 25 students.
The REES certificate requires that students enroll in courses that focus on this world region from at least three different academic departments. This cap or exit course is an opportunity for students from different disciplines to take the same course, which is interdisciplinary in nature. The classes include both lectures and discussion sessions.
RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES SUMMER STUDY ABROAD AND INTERNSHIP AWARD
The Center for Russian and East European Studies believes that study or work abroad is a key component of its certificate program. In an effort to encourage students to travel to the region, REES offers three scholarships each summer to students enrolled in the certificate program.
Undergraduate Advisor:
Dianne F. Dakis
Assistant Director
Asian Studies Program
4E-48 Forbes Quadrangle
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 648-7367
Fax: (412) 648-2199
dakis+@pitt.edu
http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/asp/cert.html
Students in any school of the University can pursue an undergraduate certificate in Asian studies as a supplement to a major. Requirements are:
- Five Asian area studies courses: one course in the student's major and four courses in at least two departments other than the major (for a total of 15 credits). If the major department does not have options for an Asian focus (e.g., chemistry, English), the student must take an additional Asia-related course in a third department.
- Language proficiency: Two years (four terms) of Asian language study at the college level or equivalent proficiency.
LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES: RELATED CONCENTRATION AND CERTIFICATE
Undergraduate Advisor:
Shirley Kregar
Assistant Director
Center for Latin American Studies
4E04 Forbes Quadrangle
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 648-7396
Fax: (412) 648-2199
kregar+@pitt.edu
http://www.pitt.edu/~clas
- Related Concentration
Students may begin their work on Latin America through the related concentration in Latin American studies. Requirements are:
- Five Latin American area studies courses: one course in the student's major and four courses in at least two departments other than the major (for a total of 15 credits).
- Language proficiency: two years (four terms) of college-level Spanish or Portuguese, or the equivalent. Equivalent proficiency in the language may be proven through examination.
Students who complete these requirements receive a notation on their transcript that they have earned a related concentration in Latin American studies.
- Certificate
The certificate program consists of on-campus area courses and language proficiency, plus a study abroad program. Requirements are:
- Seminar/field trip: satisfactory completion of the interdisciplinary seminar and field trip (nine credits) or an equivalent program of academic study abroad.
- Four Latin American area studies courses: one in the student's major and three in at least two departments other than the major (12 credits).
- Language proficiency: three years (six terms) of college-level Spanish or Portuguese, or the equivalent. Equivalent proficiency may be proven through examination.
RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES CERTIFICATE
Undergraduate Advisor:
Juliet Jacobson
Assistant Director
Center for Russian and East European Studies
4G17 Forbes Quadrangle
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 648-2290
Fax: (412) 648-2199
juliet+@pitt.edu
http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/crees
The Russian and East European Studies Certificate combines foreign language training and multidisciplinary area studies courses. Requirements are:
- Five Russian and East European area studies courses: one course in the student's major and four courses in at least two departments other than the major (15 credits).
- Language proficiency: two years of college-level study in Russian or a language of the former Soviet Union or East/Central Europe.
- Maintenance of a B average in courses taken toward the completion of the certificate.
Students who major in departments not offering REES courses, e.g. the natural or physical sciences, are required to take five courses (15 credits) in three departments.
WEST EUROPEAN STUDIES CERTIFICATE
Undergraduate Advisor:
Amy Eckhardt
Assistant Director
Center for West European Studies
4E20 Forbes Quadrangle
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 624-3503
Fax: (412) 648-2199
eckhardt+@pitt.edu
http://www.pitt.edu/~wesnews
The West European Studies Certificate is designed to allow students to complement a major in any discipline (including the sciences) with an interdisciplinary set of courses related to Western Europe and the European Union, and proficiency in a relevant language. Requirements are:
- Five West European area studies courses: One course in the student's major and four courses (12 credits) in at least two departments outside the student's major department. Of these courses, one must be on l9th-century and one on 20th-century Western Europe, and two must be at the 1000 level or above.
- Attendance at one Center for West European Studies or European Union Center event per term.
- Language proficiency: Two courses beyond the second-year level in French, German, Italian, Spanish or another West European language other than English.
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| UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 1999 • 2002 | [ Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page ] |