Description of the major

The Regional and Comparative Studies major is designed for those who wish a theory-and-method-directed education centered on one or two world regions. 

The major is organized around five methodological clusters:

1. Sociology/Anthropology
2. Politics, International Affairs, and History
3. Economics and Demography
4. Literature, Art, and Women's Studies
5. Transregional Methods and Theories

Regional courses are drawn from a broad range of disciplines. RCST majors are encouraged to concentrate some of their coursework on a particular complex of issues that is important for the study of their region or regions - this concentration may be disciplinary (e.g. the economics of transition), topical (e.g. the Arab-Israeli conflict) or thematic (e.g. culture and development). 

Majors are required to pass the proficiency examination or take at least four semesters of a modern language appropriate to the region(s) of their choice.