European Studies

Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures
https://cultures.rice.edu
207 Rayzor Hall
713-348-4868

Jacqueline Couti
Department Chair, Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures
jacqueline.couti@rice.edu

European Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major offered by the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures (MCLC) Department. The major includes courses and faculty from the departments of Art History, English, History, Philosophy, and Religion.

The focus of the major in European Studies is a critical understanding of European cultures and societies in a global context that combines the study of literature, philosophy, history, the visual arts, and media. 

European Studies does not currently offer an academic program at the graduate level.

Chair, Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures

Jacqueline Couti

Program Advisor

Philip R. Wood

Professors

Graham Bader
Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Peter C. Caldwell
Jacqueline Couti
Christian J. Emden
Betty Joseph
Michael R. Maas
Joseph Manca
Helena Michie
Scott McGill
Deborah Nelson-Campbell
Alexander T. Regier
Lora Wildenthal
Harvey E. Yunis

Associate Professors

G. Daniel Cohen
Leo Costello
Sarah Ellenzweig
Esther Fernández
Julie Fette
Deborah A. Harter
Hilary S. Mackie
Astrid Oesmann
Lida Oukaderova
Aysha Pollnitz
Philip R. Wood

Assistant Professor

Sophie Crawford-Brown

Senior Lecturer

Ted Somerville

Professor in the Practice

Andrea Bajani

For Rice University degree-granting programs:
To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Course Catalog
To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule

European Studies (EURO)

EURO 101 - INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE I

Short Title: INTRO TO EURO LIT & CULTURE I

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Antiquity to Renaissance. An introduction to major literary texts and other cultural artifacts of Europe dating from antiquity to the Renaissance. The course will contextualize texts and artifacts historically and culturally, and teach students to analyze them critically, both in relation to their original context and to present-day Europe.

EURO 102 - INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE II

Short Title: INTRO TO EURO LIT & CULTURE II

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Antiquity to Renaissance. An introduction to major literary texts and other cultural artifacts of Europe dating from Renaissance to the present day. The course will contextualize the aforementioned texts and artifacts historically and culturally and will teach students to analyze them critically, both in relation to their original context and to present-day Europe.

EURO 238 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Seminar, Lecture/Laboratory, Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

EURO 320 - TELL-ALL: SAYING “I” IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE

Short Title: TELL-ALL CONTEMPORARY LIT

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Why do contemporary writers want to “tell all” in their novels, memoirs, exposés? This hybrid literary studies/creative writing course explores “I” genres in contemporary literature, asking why authors risk their lives, their reputations, and their families in the name of literature, truth and freedom of speech.

EURO 401 - CONSTRUCTING EUROPE: CONTESTED IDENTITIES

Short Title: CONSTRUCTING EUROPE

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This capstone course offers a critical investigation of European cultural narratives and social imaginaries. Central topics include reason (science, humanism, secularism); freedom (individualism, capitalism, democracy, nation-states, revolution); universalism (Greek, Roman, and Christian origins, religious toleration, imperialism, globalization, the EU, resurgent nationalism).

EURO 477 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory, Internship/Practicum, Lecture, Seminar, Independent Study, Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

EURO 499 - EUROPEAN STUDIES HONORS THESIS

Short Title: EUROPEAN STUDIES HONOR THESIS

Department: Modrn & Classicl Lit & Culture

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): EURO 101 and EURO 102

Description: Two-semester honors thesis in European Studies. Independent research projects by outstanding European Studies majors lead to honors theses. Undertaken in close cooperation with a departmental faculty member. This is 3-credit course which will be repeated in sequential semesters for a total of 6 credits. Permission of instructor only. Department Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

Description and Code Legend

Note: Internally, the university uses the following descriptions, codes, and abbreviations for this academic program. The following is a quick reference: 

Course Catalog/Schedule

  • Course offerings/subject code for European Studies: EURO

Department Description and Code

  • Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures: MCLC

Undergraduate Degree Description and Code

  • Bachelor of Arts degree: BA 

Undergraduate Major Description and Code

  • Major in European Studies: EURO

CIP Code and Description1

  • EURO Major/Program: CIP Code/Title: 05.0106 - European Studies/Civilization