European Union Studies
About the Certificate in European Union Studies (CEUS)
The Certificate in European Union Studies (CEUS) allows University of Colorado Boulder undergraduate students in a range of social science and humanities programs to gain skills and understanding around the European Union (EU). The CEUS documents a student’s expertise in European Union Studies, opening opportunities for further study, internships and careers in public, private, or nonprofit sectors.
CEUS is housed in the International Affairs Program (IAFS) in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the certificate curriculum is intentionally interdisciplinary. Students admitted into the program will complete coursework with EU content going beyond what they can obtain by completing any single major. They will also participate in co-curricular activities to augment their understanding of the development, focus, functioning and future of the EU. Upon completion of this program, students will have a demonstrated understanding of the European Union; its politics, history, institutions, economics, policies, member states, relations with the US, role in the world, and much more.
How to Apply:
Application Eligibility: CU Boulder undergraduate students from related social science and humanities majors – including International Affairs, Political Science, History, Geography, Sociology, Women and Gender Studies, Economics, and European languages – are eligible to apply, provided they have completed at least 30 hours of coursework with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have completed at least six hours of coursework from the program requirements (above), also with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Fill out this application form and then email iafs@colorado.edu with your unofficial transcript (if you are a transfer student, include your previous institution's unofficial transcript). CU Boulder unofficial transcripts are available through the Registrar's Office.
Students earn the Certificate in European Union Studies upon verification by IAFS that they have completed all requirements and a series of curricular and co-curricular requirements.
A total of 19 hours of coursework is required to complete the Certificate in European Union Studies. These are distributed among
- lower division core requirements (7 credit hours)
- upper division core requirements (3 credit hours)
- upper division electives (9 credit hours)
All credit hours must be completed with grades of C- or better and an overall GPA of 3.00. None of the required hours may be taken pass/fail.
All students in the CEUS program begin with a common framework for the analysis of international institutions and relations as a background for the upper division coursework in EU studies. All students must complete the following lower division requirements:
- PSCI 2012: Introduction to Comparative Politics, 3 credits
- IAFS 1000: Introduction to International Affairs, 4 credits
PSCI 4302: European Union Politics
Students must complete at least 9 hours of relevant upper-division course work, including at least 6 credit hours from outside their major department, selected from the list below. Courses not listed here, but with a focus on EU issues may be applied to this elective requirement with permission from the program. This includes courses taken on authorized study abroad program in EU countries, which are encouraged.
Eligible Upper Division Elective Courses
- ECON 4514: Economic History of Europe
- FNCE 4060: London Summer in International Management (course attached to CU Study Abroad Program in London)
- GEOG 4892: Geography of Western Europe
- GRMN 3150: Issues in German Politics and Literature
- GRMN/WMST 4301: Gender, Race, and Immigration in Germany and Europe
- HIST 4212: The Age of Religious Wars: Reformation Europe,1500-1648
- HIST 4053: Britain and the Empire, 1688-1964
- HIST 4233: History of France since 1815
- HIST 4423: German History 1848-1989: Weimar Republic, Nazism, State Socialism
- HIST 4424: Modern European Thought and Culture, 1870-Present
- HIST 4442: Europe since 1945
- IAFS 3500/HIST 4190: French Connections: Contemporary France and America in Historical Context (course attached to the CU Study Abroad Program in Bordeaux)
- ITAL 4250/HIST 4313: History of Modern Italy
- PSCI 3143: Current Affairs in International Relations
- PSCI 3172: Democracy and Its Citizens in the US and EU
- PSCI 3183: International Law
- PSCI 4002: Western European Politics
- PSCI 4062: East European Politics
- PSCI 4173: International Organizations
- PSCI 4213: Europe in the International System
- SPAN 3200: Spanish Culture
- SPAN 3240: Catalan Culture 1: Nation and Art
- SPAN 3250: Catalan Culture 2: Contemporary Trends and Barcelona
- SPAN 3230: Discovering Barcelona: Culture and Heritage
- SPAN 3270: Barcelona: Understanding Local and Immigrant Cultures
In addition to their course work, CEUS students will attend at least four EU-related lectures and events and they will submit a brief write-up of the main themes or discussion points with their CEUS Completion form. Write-ups should be 1-2 paragraphs that cover the main themes or discussion points, giving an overview of the event and its significance to student's studies in CEUS. Please include event title, date, and organization information on the write-up. Video recordings of lectures or events are accepted within two years of certificate application, please include the link to the recording when submitting the write-up. These events can be on or off campus, or as part of a study abroad program. See the following links for relevant events.
If you are unsure if an event is EU-related, contact the host organization of the event to obtain further details. For any additional questions, reach out to IAFS@colorado.edu.
The World Trade Center Denver facilitates international trade by educating, serving and connecting businesses in the Rocky Mountain region to our global network of 330 World Trade Center in 100 countries. They post on their Facebook events page when they have events and guest speakers that are student-friendly. You can also view their events on their website calendar.
UNABC - Boulder County Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America
This Boulder organization works to inform the community about the work of the UN. There is an annual UN Day, quarterly dinner lectures, monthly talks with Q&A, and monthly discussion groups where you can listen, learn, and put forth your own points of view.
The European Union Newsroom
The main EU institutions each have a press room with facilities for journalism, where briefings and conferences are organized regularly. Browse forthcoming events on their website.
CU Center for Western Civilization, Thought & Policy
The Center promotes critical reflection on the distinctive traditions and political perspectives that characterize Western Civilization.
EU Now (Podcast)
Via podcast, they explore a wide range of EU topics such as counterterrorism and security, the economy, trade, public health, gender equality, history, culture and more. Tune in for interviews with commissioners, thought leaders, historians, activists, ambassadors, economists, Delegation staff and regular citizens. Each episode, they explore the topic at hand and how it impacts the EU-US relationship.
CU Germanic & Slavic Languages & Literatures (GSLL)
GSLL's programs in German, Russian, and Nordic Studies explore language, literature, and cultural studies of the regions where their language is spoken. GSLL offers events and student organizations that may focus on the EU and/or related to EU current events and its history.
CU International Festival
The CU International Festival is the largest student organized event at CU Boulder and is free and open to the public. Check their website and Facebook page to see what events are scheduled for the festival and look for events related to the EU and EU-relations (topics are different every year).
Conference on World Affairs
The Conference on World Affairs is a year-round unit of the University of Colorado Boulder, offering events without admission fees to the Boulder community, students, and the public, culminating with the annual CWA event in April. The CWA is a premier forum for discussion of world affairs, attracting a diverse group of experts and engaging panelists from around the world. You can attend CWA events in-person or virtually, listen to the CWA archives, or watch previous sessions on the CWA YouTube channel.
General CU Events Page
A comprehensive list of all the events going on at CU.
If you would like to check your progress on the completion of the CEUS requirments, please complete this PowerForm: CEUS Progress form. *PowerForms must be completed in one sitting. Please email katherine.rousseau@colorado.edu upon completing the PowerForm.
Certificate Completion:
When you have completed all CEUS requirements, please complete this PowerForm: CEUS Certificate Completion form. The PowerForm requires an unofficial transcript and a write-up of the four required co-curricular events with completion of the form. *The PowerForm must be completed in one sitting. CU Boulder unofficial transcripts are available here.
Students earn the CEUS once all requirements are verified. We will notify the Registrar’s office that you have completed the CEUS. Please review the Registrar's Graduation & Diploma Calendar for the dates when certificates will be added to student transcripts and when printed copies of the certificate will be mailed.