All courses are required. With the exception of language courses, all classes are conducted in English. To find out more about the program, see the fall 2000 program director's Web site . History of East Central Europe Taught by the program director, this course will describe the evolution of East Central Europe with an emphasis on the Czech lands, including the 1989 Revolution. A field research component enables students to explore areas of individual interest in greater detail.
Students select individual research topics in consultation with the program director.
Past topics have included aspects of 20th century Czech life, studies of art and architecture, community histories, and cultural, political and economic studies of the Czech lands and of Central Europe. The course includes extensive field trips highlighting areas of cultural contact and historical significance. Conversation classes meet regularly to increase vocabulary and improve pronunciation. In addition to contemporary political issues, study topics include the changing role of women, the complicated transition to a capitalist economy, and ethnic tensions in Czech society. In the past, students have gone on field trips to places of local interest.