Spring Culture Course

Supporting course options pre-approved for the IB Minor Culture Course requirement.

Below are the list of course options pre-approved for the Culture Course requirement in the IB Minor in Spring 2026.

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 Strickler Office of International Programs to request a review for a course not on this list.

Email: 

Approved Culture Courses, 300/400 Level, Requirement “b”, Spring 2026 
Course # Title  Pre-Requisites
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 in Africa 3 credits from: AFR 110, PLSC 003, PLSC 020, or PLSC 022
ANTH 424 Andean Ethnology and Archaeology 3 credits of ANTH
ANTH 457 Jewish Communities: Identity, Survival, and Transformation in Unexpected Places none listed
APLNG 493 Teaching English as a Second Language none listed
ARAB 402 Advanced Language & Culture II ARAB 401 or approval of program
ARTH 326 Art Since 1940 none listed
ARTH 412 The Gothic Cathedral 3 credits of ARTH
ASIA 481 Modern Japan Since 1800 HIST 172, HIST 174 or HIST 175
ASIA 487 Zen Buddhism none listed
BBH 407 Global Health Equity BBH 101 or 3 credits in SOC
CAMS 450Y Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome 3 credits in CAMS
CED 425 International Community and Economic Development CED 152 and CED 230
CED 440 Labor in the Global Economy 6 credits of CED
CHNS 402 Level Three Chinese B  CHNS 401 OR EQUIVALENT
CHNS 404 Level Four Chinese B CHNS 403W
CHNS 453 Chinese Film CHNS 401
CMLIT 406 Women and World Literature 3 credits in literature or in women's studies
CMLIT 415 World Graphic Novels 3 credits in literature
CMLIT 422 African Drama none
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
CMLIT 455 Ethics, Justice, and Rights in World Literature 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

Students must be in the following majors (and meet semester classifications) COMM_PMAJ (004-010) ADPR_BA (004-010) JOURN_BA (004-010) TELCM_BA (004-010) or MEDIA_BA (004-010)
Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: 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 333 International Economics ECON 102 or ECON 104 or ECON 14
ECON 413 Economic Growth and the Challenges of World Poverty  ECON 304 and ECON 471
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 470 International Trade and Finance ECON 102 or ECON 104
ENGL 490 Women Writers and Their Worlds ENGL 15 or ENGL 15A or ENGL 15S or ENGL 15E or ESL 15 or ENGL 30H or ENGL 30T or ENGL 137H or CAS 137H
FR 332 French and Francophone Culture II 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 430 Contemporary France FR 331; or FR 332; or FR 332H
GEOG 420Y Comparative Urbanism GEOG 120, GEOG 160
GEOG 428Y Political Geography (GEOG 220 or GEOG 20 or GEOG 2N) and (C or higher in ENGL 15 or ENGL 30H or ENGL 137H or CAS 137H or ESL 15)
GEOSC 402Y Natural Disasters fourth-semester standing
GER 344 Intermediate German Culture GER 301 or GER 302W
GER 408 Advanced German Business Communication GER 301, GER 302
GER 440 Seminar in German Culture GER 401Y
HIST 400 Global History of Food and Famine 
(*optional embedded travel to Uzbekistan over Spring Break)		 3 credits in HIST
HIST 405Y The Roman Empire HIST 001, HIST 101 or 3 credits in classical studies
HIST 407 Early Medieval Society HIST 107
HIST 413 Medieval Celtic Studies 3 credits in medieval studies, or in language, literature or European hisotry of the medieval period
HIST 426 Holocaust JST 010, JST 121 or by consent of program
HIST 434 History of the Soviet Union 
(*optional embedded travel to Uzbekistan over Spring Break)		 HIST 141 or HIST 142
HIST 438 Great Britain 1867-Present HIST 001 or HIST 002
HIST 473 The Contemporary Middle East 
(*optional embedded travel to Uzbekistan over Spring Break)		 none
HIST 481 Modern Japan HIST 172, HIST 174 or HIST 175
HIST 492 Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe HIST 002
IST 442 Information Technology in an International Context IST 110
IT 330W Greatest Books of Italian Literature IT 3 or IT 20 or permission of instructor
IT 460 Twentieth-Century Italian Literature any 300-level IT course
IT 480 Italian Women Writers Through the Centuries (*taught in English) Minimum fifth-semester standing or permission of instructor
IT 490 Dante in Translation (*taught in English) Minimum fifth-semester standing or permission of instructor
JAPNS 402 Advanced Japanese II JAPNS 401
JAPNS 452 Contemporary Japan: Cultures, Lifestyles, Trends JAPNS 401
JST 426 Holocaust JST 010, JST 121 or by consent of program
JST 473 The Contemporary Middle East none
KINES 341 The Historical, Cultural, and Social Dynamics of Sport Students must be in the following KINES_BS, HHD_PMAJ, ATHTR_BS majors or KINES_UMNR or SPRST_UMNR minors 
Students must have a grade of C or better in KINES 100
KOR 402 Level 3 Korean B KOR 401
KOR 404 Level 4 Korean B KOR 403
LHR 400 Comparative Employment Relations Systems LHR 100 or 3 other credits of LHR or 5th semester standing
LHR 403 International Human Resource Studies LHR 100 or 3 other credits of LHR or 5th semester standing
NURS 464 Dying and Death PSYCH 100 or SOC 1
NUTR 425 Global Nutrition Problems: Health, Science and Ethics NUTR 251
OLEAD 410 Leadership in a Global Context OLEAD 100 or 6th semester standing
PHIL 472 Islamic Philosophy 9 credits in RLST and/or PHIL, or 6 credits of PHIL at the 200-level
PLSC 412 International Political Economy ECON 102, ECON 104 or IB 303
PLSC 414 Dictators and Their Demise none
PLSC 418 International Relations Theory PLSC 014
PLSC 440 Globalization and Its Implications AFAM 100N or AFR 110 or PLSC 3 or PLSC 14 or PLSC 200N or PLSC 220
PLSC 443 Ethnic Conflict in Africa AFR 110N; PLSC 1; PLSC 3; PLSC 7N; PLSC 14, PLSC 17N; PLSC 20
PLSC 453 Political Processes in Underdeveloped Systems PLSC 003, PLSC 020 or PLSC 022
PLSC 454 Government and Politics of Africa AFR 110, PLSC 3, PLSC 20 or PLSC 22
RLST 472 Islamic Philosophy 9 credits in RLST and/or PHIL, or 6 credits of PHIL at the 200-level
RLST 483 Zen Buddhism none
RPTM 300Y Tourism and Leisure Behavior Students must be in the RPTM_BS major or RPTM_UMNR minor
SPAN 354W Topics in Cultural Contact and Exchange SPAN 253W
SPAN 356 Topics in the Cultures of the Americas SPAN 200 and SPAN 253W
SPAN 420 Spanish for Business and International Trade SPAN 100A or SPAN 200 and SPAN 215 or SPAN 253W
SPAN 474 Many Mexicos SPAN 100A or SPAN 200 and SPAN 253W
WMNST 301N Sexualities, Gender and Power: Feminist Thought & Politics WMNST 105; or WMNST 100; or WMNST 106
WMNST 490 Women Writers and Their Worlds ENGL 15 or ENGL 15A or ENGL 15S or ENGL 15E or ESL 15 or ENGL 30H or ENGL 30T or ENGL 137H or CAS 137H

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

Email: 

Navigation