2025-2026

Comparative Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts

Department of Comparative Cultural Studies

College of Arts and Letters

The Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Cultural Studies prepares the student for professional work in cultural institutions such as museums, galleries, libraries, and cultural and environmental centers, as well as in diplomacy and foreign services, non-governmental and governmental institutions, tourism, education, journalism, and business. It provides valuable preparation for graduate work or professional study in Art History, Asian Studies, Cultural Studies, Religious Studies, Jurisprudence, and Arts Management. It adds significant values as a second major to other fields of study including Business, Languages, Environmental Sciences/Studies, Marketing, Communication, and Parks and Recreation Management.

  • Available Emphasis Areas:
  • Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Program - Emphasis
  • Comparative Cultural Studies Coursework
  • Italian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Program - Emphasis

  • 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 general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's general 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:

  • 49 - 58 units of major requirements which includes 24 - 33 units of emphasis or coursework requirements.

  • 16 units of language requirements.

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • For this major the General Studies prefixes include CCS, ARH, HUM, MST, and REL

  • 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
Foreign Language Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Required
Study Abroad Recommended
University Honors Program Optional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A Recommended
Progression Plan Link Not Available
Emphasis or Coursework Required

An emphasis or coursework is required for this degree.

Purpose Statement

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Comparative Cultural Studies (CCS) is a 49 - 58 unit degree designed to give students a deep comparative knowledge of global cultures and the critical skills with which to become cultural mediators, interpreters, and educators. The CCS BA prepares the student for professional work in cultural institutions, diplomacy and foreign services, non-governmental and governmental institutions, tourism, education, journalism, and business. The degree also provides students preparation for further professional credentializing in graduate programs, including cultural studies, museum studies, religious studies, art history, and education. With students increasingly recognizing the challenges and opportunities of working in a global, multicultural market, the CCS degree also offers a valuable second major complementing other degree programs across the university curriculum. Finally, the degree enables the student to develop the skills necessary to be a life-long learner and global citizen.

Student Learning Outcomes

Comparative Cultural Studies Coursework Emphasis

  • Critical thinking
    • Assess the validity of arguments, evidence and conclusions in scholarly proposals regarding global cultural expressions.
  • Critical Reading
    • Identify global perspectives, values, and claims made in original works and the scholarship regarding those works, and analyzing current issues using these approaches.
  • Effective Writing
    • Demonstrate the ability to articulate a thesis, provide comprehensive analysis of evidence, and suggest well-grounded conclusions in a variety of professionally executed documents.
  • Interdisciplinarity
    • Familiarize themselves with and apply interdisciplinary methods fundamental to global scholarly work in Art History, the Humanities, and Religious Studies.
  • Comparative Cultural Awareness
    • Be aware of, and respect , differing cultural viewpoints. 
    • Communicate, both orally and in written form, about how such global perspectives influence the creation and reception of works of art, literature, and religious expression. T
    • Work successfully with individuals with differing cultural and religious backgrounds in diverse settings.


Comparative Cultural Studies: Emphasis in Asian Studies - Interdisciplinary Global Program (IGP)

  • Gain a practical experience concerning the professional culture of their chosen discipline within their country of focus based on an intensive 12-unit study-abroad IGP internship in China, or Japan, depending on their language of specialty.
  • Critical Thinking
    • Assess the validity of arguments, evidence, and conclusions in scholarly publications regarding global knowledge of Asian Studies based on historical, cultural, linguistic, social scientific, and artistic analyses.
  • Critical Reading
    • Identify and evaluate Asian perspectives, values, and claims made in original works and the scholarship regarding those works.
  • Effective Writing
    • Demonstrate the ability to articulate a thesis, provide comprehensive analysis of evidence, and suggest well-grounded conclusions in a variety of professionally executed documents.
  • Civil Discourse
    • Conduct themselves among their peers in terms of offering and being receptive to constructive criticism in regard to a global understanding of cultural differences and social conditions.
    • Have the ability to negotiate cultural differences in social and professional contexts.
  • Interdisciplinarity
    • Familiarize themselves with interdisciplinary methods fundamental to global scholarly work in Asian Studies, including coursework in the following disciplines
      • Art History
      • Comparative Literature
      • Geography
      • History
      • Humanities
      • Languages
      • Philosophy
      • Political Science
      • Religious Studies.
  • Global Asian Studies Awareness
    • Be aware of, and respect, differing cultural viewpoints.
    • Understand how expressions of human values and aspirations pertaining to various cultures are created and received, will evaluate conflicting claims, and will be able to apply this understanding to interpersonal and professional settings in their various postgraduate careers.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

    • Additional Application
    • For further information and advising support concerning GPA, course and plan completion, and other questions, please go to IGP website.
Major Requirements

  • This major requires 49 - 58 units distributed as follows:

    • Comparative Cultural Studies Common Courses: 9 units
    • Emphasis or Coursework Requirement- Select one: 24 - 33 units
      • Comparative Cultural Studies Coursework Option: 33 units
        • Introduction to Comparative Cultural Studies: 9 units
        • Cultural Foundations: 9 units
        • Specialized Studies: 12 units
        • Applications: 3 units
      • Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Programs Emphasis Option: 24 units
        • Chinese Studies Specialization
        • Japanese Studies Specialization
      • Italian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Programs Emphasis Option: 24 units
    • Foreign Language Requirement: 16 units
     

    Take the following 49 - 58 units:

  • Comparative Cultural Studies Common Courses (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)
  • Emphasis or Coursework Requirement- Select one (24 - 33 units)
    • Comparative Cultural Studies Coursework Option (33 units)
    • Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Programs Emphasis Option (24 units)

    • You may only complete the Interdisciplinary Global Programs (IGP) Emphasis if you are concurrently enrolled in an eligible degree offered through the College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS), the College of Engineering, Informatics and Applied Sciences (CEIAS), or the W. A. Franke College of Business. For a listing of eligible degrees, please contact an advisor in CEFNS, CEIAS, or the W. A. Franke College of Business.

    • In this emphasis, you will select a specialization that corresponds to your language of study: Chinese, or Japanese (CHI, or JPN). You must select this same language (CHI, or JPN) to satisfy the 16-unit foreign language requirement.

    • Italian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Programs Emphasis Option (24 units)
      In this emphasis, you must select the Italian language (ITA) to satisfy the 16-unit foreign language requirement. Select 24 units in one of the following specializations, based on your language of study (ITA).

Minor Requirements

  • A minor is not required for the CCS BA degree. However, we strongly encourage you to consult with an advisor about a minor and/or elective coursework that is appropriate for your career aspirations and educational needs. We recommend minors in Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, English, Ethnic Studies, French, History, Humanities, German, Latin American Studies, Museum Studies, Philosophy, Comparative Study of Religions, Theatre, Studio Art, or Women's and Gender Studies.

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 through credit by exam. (16 units)

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 General Studies Requirements.

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

Additional Information

  • 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 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 (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan)
    • 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, regional, 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

    CCS students may apply to be teaching assistants in the department's FYLI courses. For more information, please contact the appropriate Program Coordinator in Art History, Comparative Study of Religions, Asian Studies and Public Humanities (see CCS website for contact information).

  • Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.