Cultural Core

When applying to the program, students must select a "cultural core" region, which must be a region of the world of competitive importance to the US. Regions currently include: Eastern Europe, Western Europe, South America, Asia, and Southeast Asia. EGL students must complete 12 HU/SS credits dedicated to the chosen cultural core region. These courses may span a range of topics, including history, economics, and political science. Courses pertaining to the region can cover any historical point in time.

The cultural core should consist primarily of:

• courses taken in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts
• transfer credit from study abroad in the chosen cultural core region

The cultural core may include either:

• 100-level foreign language courses taken in a university classroom setting (6 credits maximum)
• advanced placement and transfer credits, not including transfer credit from study abroad in the chosen cultural core region (6 credit maximum)
• one "general international course", such as International Economics, that has a broader scope than one specific region

Study or Work Abroad Waiver

At most, 3 credits of the cultural core may be waivered for either:

• approved study abroad, in the chosen cultural core region, resulting in credits being transferred back to UM
• approved work abroad, in the chosen cultural core region, for an appreciable length of time

Pre-Approved Courses

The following list (by geographical region) includes courses which have been pre-evaluated for cultural core and language study. This list represents only a small portion of the courses available. Courses not found on this list may be submitted for approval to Stacie Edington (sjed@umich.edu).

• East Asia
• Eastern Europe
• Middle East
• Latin America
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Western Europe
• General International Courses (at most 1 course from this category may be applied to the cultural core)

Language Core

Students must complete two semesters of the same 2nd year language (e.g., not one semester of 2nd year French and one semester of 2nd year German). The language must be related to the chosen cultural core region and cannot be the student's native language. This requirement may be satisfied with a "placing out" examination offered by the appropriate department.

UM Language Departments

• Chinese Language Program
• French Studies
• German Studies
• Italian Studies
• Japanese Language Program
• Spanish Studies

Please visit the Language Resource Center for information and links to other UM language departments.