2013-2014

Comparative Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts

Department of Comparative Cultural Studies

College of Arts and Letters

This degree provides valuable preparation for graduate work or professional study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

  • Available Emphasis Areas:
  • Art History - Emphasis (ending Summer 2022)
  • Asian Studies Global Science and Engineering - Emphasis (beginning Fall 2014)
  • Asian Studies - Emphasis (ending Summer 2022)
  • Humanities - Emphasis (ending Summer 2015)
  • Comparative Study of Religions - Emphasis (ending Summer 2022)

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 58 units of major requirements which includes 33 units of emphasis requirements 
  • At least 16 units of language requirements
  • Be aware that you may not use courses with a CCS, ARH, HUM, or REL prefix to satisfy liberal studies requirements
  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA 2.0
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Emphasis, Minor, or Certificate Required Required
Foreign Language Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
Study Abroad Recommended
University Honors Program Optional
Progression Plan Link Not Available

Major Requirements

  • Take the following 58 units including 33 units of emphasis, and 16 units of language requirements. 

    At least 24 units must be taken at NAU including CCS 250, CCS 350W, CCS 490C, and at least two 300-level, and one 400-level ARH, REL, or HUM courses. 

    In order to complete one of our emphases, you must be a declared CCS major. It is also possible to declare two or more emphases as a CCS major (for example Art History and Comparative Study of Religions, or Humanities, Art History and Comparative Study of Religions). 

    Complete the following with a grade of "C" or better (9 units):

    • CCS 250 (3 units)
    • CCS 350W which meets NAU's junior writing requirement (3 units)
    • CCS 490C which meets NAU's senior capstone requirement (3 units)
    CCS courses that maybe used to fulfill upper division, diversity coursework, and major/emphasis requirements are as follows:

    Ethnic Diversity:
    Global Diversity:

    In addition, CCS provides students with several opportunities to acquire knowledge about the natural world and/or environmental sustainability. Courses that address these issues include:
    Emphasis Requirements
    Select one emphasis with a grade of "C" or better in each course

      • Additional upper-division ARH classes (up to 3 units of ARH 408 or ARH 497 can be applied to this requirement) (9 units)
      • Additional units from 100- and 200-level courses from two different prefixes (ACM, CINE, HUM and REL) (6 units)
    • Comparative Study of Religions Emphasis (33 units)
      • REL 150 (3 units)
      • Select one from: REL 421, REL 441, REL 451, REL 481, REL 491 (3 units)
      • Select additional REL electives from: 100-, 200-, or 300-level courses (9 units)
      • Select additional REL electives from: 300- or 400-level courses (12 units)
      • Select additional 100- and 200-level courses from two different prefixes (ACM, ARH, CINE, and HUM) (6 units)
      • Select additional units from (9 units):
Minor Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement

  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP exams. 

  • Because these courses are available at Northern Arizona University, we suggest that you fulfill this requirement with either Navajo or Spanish, depending on your career aspirations.

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • Study Abroad

    We strongly encourage you to participate in a Study Abroad program. Requirements include a 2.5 GPA and sophomore standing or higher. Programs with English-language instruction in CCS's emphases and minors (ARHMN, ASNMN, HUMMN, MUSMN, and RELMN) are available in:

    • China
    • The Czech Republic (Masaryk University)
    • Finland (University of Eastern Finland)
    • Greece (American University of Greece)
    • India (Northern Arizona University's Himalayan India program)
    • Italy (Siena School for the Liberal Arts)
    • Japan (Kansai Gaidai University)
    • Malta (University of Malta)
    • Northern Ireland (University of Ulster)
    • South Korea (Sogang University)
    • Thailand
    • United Kingdom (Nottingham Trent University, University of Hull, and University of Essex)
    For more information, see the department chair or your advisor. NAU's Center for International Education's website also contains useful information about these and other programs, financial aid, and scholarships.

    Internships

    We strongly encourage you to pursue a local, national or international internship (Fieldwork Experience) in your junior or senior year. A departmental contract is required for all internships - please speak with the department chair or your advisor for more information.

    Teaching Assistantships

    Junior and senior REL students may apply to be teaching assistants in REL 150: Religions of the World. For more information, please contact the REL Program Coordinator (see CCS website for contact information).