Intercultural Studies (ICST)

Students are introduced to the study of intercultural communication in domestic and global contexts. Students learn about the various dimensions of culture and identity. They examine how differing cultures, languages, and social patterns influence the way individuals relate among themselves as members of groups and with members of other ethnic and cultural groups. The development of interpersonal skills for communicating effectively across cultures is emphasized.

Students revisit the colonial and postcolonial era doing archaeological work on cultural representations related to gender, ethnicity, and class through literary explorations of travel narratives, colonial and postcolonial literature, and migrant literature. Students critically analyze various intercultural and transcultural encounters, experiences, and-or phenomena through engagement with literary texts, autobiographies and memoirs, documentary, and feature film.

Students are provided with a community-service learning component where they put in practice the knowledge and the know-how they have gained in the Intercultural Studies program. Students have different options to choose from: study-abroad programs, Community Service Learning (abroad or local), and specific projects (international volunteering, etc.) Students must submit a project proposal and a research topic. They must also demonstrate the relevance of their project to the broader context of intercultural studies and produce an academic plan highlighting the means to achieve their objectives.