Fall Culture Course

List of courses offered at University Park in fall semester that are approved to count towards the IB Minor Culture Course requirement.

Please make sure you check the proper prerequisites before registering for these courses. Some courses are controlled and may not be available to Smeal majors. Course Pre-Requisites are taken directly off LionPATH and subject to enforcement by the department. If you have any questions about enrolling in the course, please contact the department in charge.

There may be other courses that meet the IB Minor Culture Course requirement. Please contact the Smeal Office of International Programs to request a review for a course not on this list.

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Approved Culture Courses, 300/400 Level, Requirement “b”, Fall 2025
Course # Title  Pre-Requisites
AFAM 303 Race and Gender in the Americas: Latin American and Caribbean Cultures
AFAM 431 Black Liberation and American Foreign Policy 3 credits in African history; 3 credits in African political science; or 3 credits in American political science
AFAM 497-001 AFAM 497-001 Special Topics: Greece, Rome, and Africa
AFR 335 African Art
AFR 440 Globalization and its Impacts AFAM 100N or AFR 110 or PLSC 3 or PLSC 14 or PLSC 200N or PLSC 220
AFR 443 Ethnic Conflict in Africa AFR 110N; PLSC 1; PLSC 3; PLSC 7N; PLSC 14; PLSC 17N; PLSC 20
AFR 454 Government and Politics of Africa AFR 110, PLSC 3, PLSC 20 or PLSC 22
AFR 497-001  Special Topics: Greece, Rome, and Africa
AFR 497-002 Special Topics: The French Empire and Africa
ANTH 420 Archaeology of the Near East 3 credits in CAMS or 3 credits in ANTH or permission of instructor
ANTH 424 Andean Ethnology and Archaeology 3 credits of ANTH
APLNG 493 Teaching English as a Second Language
ARAB 401  Advanced Language & Cultures I ARAB 110 or approval of program
ARCH 316 Analysis of Human Settlements: Cities
ARCH 317 Modern Japanese Architecture
ARTH 306 Color across Cultures: A Global History of Pigments, Dyes, Metals and Other Colorants in Art
ARTH 335 African Art
ARTH 402 The Illuminated Manuscript 3 credits of ARTH
ARTH 429 Studies in Baroque Art 3 credits of ARTH
ARTH 440 Monuments of Asia  ARTH 100 or ARTH 120 or ARTH 315 or ARTH 320 or ARTH 330
ARTH 462 Studies in Latin American Art 3 credits of ARTH
ASIA 404Y Topics in Asian Literature 3 credits in literature or related field appropriate to this course
ASIA 430 Japan in the World JAPNS 120; JAPNS 121; ASIA 100; ASIA 101; ASIA 102; ASIA 105; ASIA 172; ASIA 175; ASIA 185; HIST 172; HIST 175; HIST 185; 5th Semester standing
ASIA 457 Hiroshima & the Holocaust in History & Memory Three credits in JST, HIST, or ASIA
ASIA 469 Government and Politics of South Asia PLSC 003, PLSC 014, PLSC 022 or ASIA 100
CAMS 405  Law & Economy in the Ancient Near East 3 credits in CAMS
CAMS 497-001 Special Topics: Greece, Rome, and Africa
CED 420W Gender and International Development ENGL 15 or equivalent
CHNS 402 Level Three Chinese B CHNS 401 OR EQUIVALENT
CHNS 419  The Chinese Rhetorical Tradition ENGL 15; ASIA 3; ASIA 100; ASIA 104; ASIA 175; ASIA 181; HIST 175; CHNS 120; CHNS 121; RLST 3; RLST 181; 5th Semester standing Concurrent Courses: ENGL 471
CHNS 454 Introduction to Classical Chinese CHINS 401 or equivalent
CMLIT 404Y Topics in Asian Literature 3 credits in literature or related fields appropriate to this course
CMLIT 406 Women and World Literature 3 credits in literature or in women's studies
CMLIT 435 Cultures of Globalization 3 credits in literature
CMLIT 438 Fantastic Worlds: International and Comparative Perspectives 3 credits in literature
CMLIT 446 Postcolonial Literature and Culture 3 credits in literature
COMM 410  International Mass Communications Students must be in the following majors COMM_PMAJ (003-010), ADPR_BA ( 004-010), JOURN_BA (004-010), MEDIA_BA (004-010) or TELCM_BA (004-010) or in the MEDIA_UMNR Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: COMM 100 or COMM 110 or COMM 118 or COMM 150 or COMM 180 or COMM 251 or COMM 260W or COMM 320 or COMM 370
COMM 419 World Media Systems COMM 100N or COMM 110 or COMM 118 or COMM 150N or COMM 180 or COMM 251 or COMM 260W or COMM 320 or COMM 370
ECON 433 Advanced International Trade Theory and Policy ECON 302 or ECON 333
ECON 434 International Finance and Open Economy Macroeconomics ECON 304 or ECON 333
ECON 437 Multinationals and the Globalization of Production ECON 302 or ECON 333
ECON 438 Winners and Losers from Globalization  ECON 306 and (ECON 302 or ECON 333)
ECON 470 International Trade and Finance  ECON 102 or ECON 104
ENGL 459 Writing Palestine-Israel ENGL 15 or equivalent Recommended Preparations: Some knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict would be helpful.
ENGL 471 Rhetorical Traditions ENGL 15 or equivalent
FR 331 French and Francophone Culture I FR 201, FR 202
FR 351 French and Francophone Literature I FR 201, FR 202
FR 352 French and Francophone Literature II FR 201, FR 202
FR 409 French for Professional Purposes FR 201, FR 202
GEOG 324 Place, Space and Culture GEOG 220 or GEOG 20 or GEOG 2N
GEOG 444 Resource Governance in Africa GEOG 30N or GEOG 210 or GEOG 220 or GEOG 230 or AFR 105 or AFR 110N
GER 308Y German Business Communication GER 301 or GER 302W
GER 310  Introduction to the Study of German Literature GER 301 or GER 302W
GER 420 Genre GER 401
GER 430 History of the German Language  GER 401Y
GER 440 Seminar in German Culture GER 401Y
HIST 405Y The Roman Empire HIST 001, HIST 101, or 3 credits in classical studies
HIST 411 Medieval Britain 6 credits in European history or medieval studies
HIST 414 Renaissance and Reformation HIST 001
HIST 424 Comparative History of Sports and Politics 3 credits in HIST
HIST 457 Hiroshima & the Holocaust in History and Memory 3 credits in JST, HIST or ASIA
HIST 471Y Classical Islamic Civilization, 600-1258
HIST 473 The Contemporary Middle East
HIST 492 Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe HIST 002
IT 325 Italy's Inspiration for Your Life IT 3 or IT 20 or permission of instructor
IT 422 Topics in the Italian Renaissance any Italian course at the 300-level
IT 475 Modern Italian Literature and Cinema (taught in English)
JAPNS 430

Japan in the World

JAPNS 120; JAPNS 121; ASIA 100; ASIA 101; ASIA 102; ASIA 105; ASIA 172; ASIA 175; ASIA 185; HIST 172; HIST 175; HIST 185; 5th Semester standing
JST 459 Writing Palestine-Israel ENGL 15 or equivalent Some knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict would be helpful
JST 473 The Contemporary Middle East
JST 474 Hiroshima & the Holocaust in History and Memory 3 credits in JST, HIST or ASIA
KINES 341  The Historical, Cultural, and Social Dynamics of Sport Students must be in the ATHTR_BS, KINES_BS, DUS_PMAJ or HHD_PMAJ majors or in the KINES_UMNR or SPRST_UMNR minors Students must have a grade of C or better in KINES 100
KINES 446 History of Sport in the Modern World KINES 100 or KINES 341 or COMM 170 or RPTM 120 or HIST 113 or ENGL 234 or AFAM 114 or ASIA 101N or CAMS 142 or 6 credits in HIST
KINES 449 Sport in African History KINES 100 or 3 credits of AFR or 3 credits of HIST
KOR 402 Level 3 Korean B  KOR 401
KOR 403Y

Level 4 Korean A 

KOR 402
LHR 400 Comparative Employment Relations Systems LHR 100 or 3 other credits of LHR or 5th Semester standing
PHIL 439 Seminar in Asian Philosophy 9 credits in PHIL; or PHIL 7 plus any 3 additional credits of PHIL; or 9 credits of ASIA
PLSC 412 International Political Economy ECON 102, ECON 104 or IB 303
PLSC 437 War in World Politics PLSC 14
PLSC 443 Ethnic Conflict in Africa AFR 110N; PLSC 1; PLSC 3; PLSC 7N; PLSC 14; PLSC 17N; PLSC 20
PLSC 454 Government and Politics of Africa AFR 110, PLSC 3, PLSC 20 or PLSC 22
PLSC 469 Government and Politics of South Asia PLSC 3, PLSC 14, PLSC 22 or ASIA 100
PLSC 478 China and the World PLSC 3 or PLSC 14 or ASIA 100
RLST 471Y Classical Islamic Civilization, 600-1258
RUS 405 Seminar in Russian Literature  RUS 401
SOC 410 The Global Impact of Education 5th semester standing
SOC 422 World Population Diversity 3 credits in SOC
SPAN 353 Topics in the Culture of Spain  SPAN 253W
SPAN 355 Topics in the Cultures of Latin America  SPAN 200 and SPAN 253W
SPAN 420 Spanish for Business and International Trade SPAN 100A or SPAN 200 and SPAN 215 or SPAN 253
SPAN 476 Masterpieces of Spanish American Literature SPAN 100A or SPAN 200 and SPAN 253W
SPAN 491 Masterpieces of Spanish Drama and Poetry SPAN 100A or SPAN 200 and SPAN 253W
WMNST 301N Sexualities, Gender and Power: Feminist Thought & Politics WMNST 105; or WMST 100; or WMNST 106
WMNST 303 Race and Gender in the Americas: Latin American and Caribbean Cultures
WMNST 420W Gender and International Development  ENGL 15 or equivalent
WMNST 440W Women in Global Cities WMNST 100 or WMNST 200