European Studies Certificate

Open to all AU students regardless of major, the School of International Service's 18-credit European Studies Certificate allows you to build focused expertise in European culture, history, politics, economics, and society, while developing language proficiency and gaining real hands-on experience through study abroad or an internship with a European focus. Whether you're headed toward a career in foreign policy, international business, or global affairs, the European Studies Certificate gives you a credential that demonstrates your regional expertise to employers and graduate programs.

European Studies Certificate at a Glance

Admissions Requirements: Current AU undergraduate student
Entrance Semester: Fall or spring of first or second year
Certificate Requirements: View full certificate requirements
Application Deadline: At least four semesters before graduating
How to Apply: Admission to the program is based on academic advisor and certificate program director approval. Talk to your advisor to begin enrollment.

Students meet and talk with former U.S. ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith, SIS/MA ’95, at an Ambassadors Up Close event.

What You'll Do

You'll build your knowledge of Europe from multiple angles, taking courses that span disciplines and departments to develop a well-rounded understanding of the region's culture, history, politics, economics, and society. You'll develop or deepen your proficiency in a European language, gain firsthand experience through a study abroad program or European-focused internship, and cap your certificate with a supervised research project on a topic of your choosing. The result is a credential that demonstrates not just classroom knowledge, but genuine, hands-on engagement with Europe and its complexities.

Certificate Requirements

The European Studies Certificate is highly flexible, and courses offered both inside and outside of SIS may count toward your certificate requirements. You must complete 18 credit hours of approved coursework, with grades of B or better and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above. At least 9 of those credits must be at the 300-level or above, and your coursework should span more than one discipline or field. A European language requirement, a study abroad program or European-focused internship, and a 3-credit capstone research project completed under faculty supervision round out the certificate.

While there are no specific course requirements, you should check with your academic advisor before registering for any classes to make sure they'll count toward your certificate.
View Full Certificate Requirements

Who Can Apply

The European Studies Certificate is open to all AU undergraduate students, regardless of school or major. If you have a passion for Europe and want to complement your degree with focused regional expertise—and a credential that demonstrates it—this certificate is for you.

Spanish ambassador to the U.S. Ángeles Moreno Bau and Portuguese ambassador to the U.S. Francisco Duarte Lopes spoke to SIS about their countries’ 40-year anniversary as members of the European Union.

How to Apply

There's no formal application process for the European Studies Certificate—just let your academic advisor know you're interested as early as possible so you can plan your coursework accordingly. Before registering for any course you'd like to count toward the certificate, check with your advisor to confirm it qualifies.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova speaks to an audience in SIS about her nation’s resistance against Russia’s invasion.

Get in Touch

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