Comparative Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts

In addition to University Requirements:

• At least 49 units of major requirements which includes 24 - 33 units of emphasis or coursework requirements 
• At least 16 units of language requirements

• Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

• For this major the liberal studies prefixes include CCS, ARH, HUM, MST, and REL

• Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion	120
Major GPA	2.0
Highest Mathematics Required	MAT 114
Foreign Language	Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Required
Study Abroad	Recommended
University Honors Program	Optional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A	Recommended
Progression Plan Link	View Progression Plan
Emphasis or Coursework Required	An emphasis or coursework is required for this degree.

Purpose Statement

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Comparative Cultural Studies (CCS) is a 49 - 58 unit degree designed to give students a deep comparative knowledge of global cultures and the critical skills with which to become cultural mediators, interpreters, and educators. The CCS BA prepares the student for professional work in cultural institutions, diplomacy and foreign services, non-governmental and governmental institutions, tourism, education, journalism, and business. The degree also provides students preparation for further professional credentializing in graduate programs, including cultural studies, museum studies, religious studies, art history, and education. With students increasingly recognizing the challenges and opportunities of working in a global, multicultural market, the CCS degree also offers a valuable second major complementing other degree programs across the university curriculum. Finally, the degree enables the student to develop the skills necessary to be a life-long learner and global citizen.

Student Learning Outcomes

Comparative Cultural Studies Coursework Emphasis

• Critical thinking – graduates will have learned to assess the validity of arguments, evidence and conclusions in scholarly proposals regarding global cultural expressions.
• Critical Reading – graduates will be skilled at identifying global perspectives, values, and claims made in original works and the scholarship regarding those works, and analyzing current issues using these approaches.
• Effective Writing – graduates will have demonstrated the ability to articulate a thesis, provide a comprehensive analysis of evidence, and suggest well-grounded conclusions in a variety of professionally executed documents.
• Interdisciplinarity – graduates will have familiarized themselves with and applied interdisciplinary methods fundamental to global scholarly work in Art History, the Humanities, and Religious Studies.
• Comparative Cultural Awareness – graduates will leave the department with an awareness of, and respect for, differing cultural viewpoints. Graduates will be able to communicate, both orally and in written form, about how such global perspectives influence the creation and reception of works of art, literature, and religious expression. They will also be able to work successfully with individuals with differing cultural and religious backgrounds in diverse settings.

Comparative Cultural Studies: Emphasis in Asian Studies - Interdisciplinary Global Program (IGP)

• Critical thinking - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have learned to assess the validity of arguments, evidence, and conclusions in scholarly publications regarding global knowledge of Asian Studies based on historical, cultural, linguistic, social scientific, and artistic analyses.
• Critical Reading - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have acquired skills to identify and evaluate Asian perspectives, values, and claims made in original works and the scholarship regarding those works.
• Effective Writing - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have demonstrated the ability to articulate a thesis, provide comprehensive analysis of evidence, and suggest well-grounded conclusions in a variety of professionally executed documents.
• Civil Discourse - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will know how to conduct themselves among their peers in terms of offering and being receptive to constructive criticism regarding a global understanding of cultural differences and social conditions. IGP graduates will have the ability to negotiate cultural differences in social and professional contexts.
• Interdisciplinarity - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have familiarized themselves with interdisciplinary methods fundamental to global scholarly work in Asian Studies, including coursework in the following disciplines: Art History, Geography, History, Humanities, Languages, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religious Studies.
• Global Asian Studies Awareness - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will graduate with an awareness of, and respect for, differing cultural viewpoints. Graduates will understand how expressions of human values and aspirations about cultures are created and received, will evaluate conflicting claims, and will be able to apply this understanding to interpersonal and professional settings in their various postgraduate careers.

Comparative Cultural Studies: Emphasis in Italian Studies - Interdisciplinary Global Program (IGP)

• Critical thinking - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have learned to assess the validity of arguments, evidence, and conclusions in scholarly publications regarding global knowledge of Italian Studies based on historical, cultural, linguistic, social scientific, and artistic analyses.
• Critical Reading - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have acquired skills to identify and evaluate Italian perspectives, values, and claims made in original works and the scholarship regarding those works.
• Effective Writing - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have demonstrated the ability to articulate a thesis, provide comprehensive analysis of evidence, and suggest well-grounded conclusions in a variety of professionally executed documents.
• Civil Discourse - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will know how to conduct themselves among their peers in terms of offering and being receptive to constructive criticism in regard to a global understanding of cultural differences and social conditions. IGP graduates will have the ability to negotiate cultural differences in social and professional contexts.
• Interdisciplinarity - graduates of the IGP Emphasis will have familiarized themselves with interdisciplinary methods fundamental to global scholarly work in Italian Studies, including coursework in the following disciplines: Art History, Geography, History, Humanities, Languages, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religious Studies.
• Italian Studies graduates of the IGP Emphasis will graduate with an awareness of, and respect for, differing cultural viewpoints. Graduates will understand how expressions of human values and aspirations about cultures are created and received, will evaluate conflicting claims, and will be able to apply this understanding to interpersonal and professional settings in their various post-graduate careers.

In addition to the above student learning outcomes, graduates of the IGP Emphasis will gain a practical experience concerning the professional culture of their chosen discipline within their country of focus based on an intensive 12-unit study-abroad IGP internship in China, or Japan, depending on their language of specialty.