Undergraduate Catalog

Multicultural Perspectives Requirement

Candidates for a baccalaureate degree at Western Illinois University are required to complete the Multicultural Perspectives requirement established for their major program of study. Students will successfully complete at least one of the three options listed below, as determined by their academic department. Students should refer to the specific Multicultural Perspectives requirement for their degree program in the Academic Departments, Programs, and Courses section of this catalog.

  1. Demonstrate foreign language proficiency by meeting one of the following:
    • Complete three years of high school language study in a single language with an average grade of C or better.
    • For students whose native language is English, pass an appropriate test offered by the WIU Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
    • Complete, with a grade of C or better, a University-level course which meets the goals and objectives of the foreign language requirement.
    • For international students whose native language is not English and who have been admitted to WIU, satisfy WIU’s admission requirements for English language proficiency.
  2. Earn credit for a course that is designated as “Multicultural” (please see list below).
  3. Successfully complete a WIU Study Abroad program of sufficient length and breadth.

Courses Designated as Multicultural

Accounting

1 ACCT 343—Intermediate Accounting III

African American Studies

2 AAS 100—Introduction to African American Studies
2 AAS 145—Famous People of African Descent
2 AAS 281—Literature of the Black World
2 AAS 282—African American Theatre
2 AAS 283—African American Folklore
2 AAS/HIST 314—African American History
2 AAS/ENG 345—Survey of African American Literature
2 AAS/HIST 349—Africa since 1800
1 AAS/GEOG 466—Geography of Africa

Anthropology

3 ANTH 110—Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
2 ANTH/REL 225—Myth and Ritual
2 ANTH 249—Native North American Cultures
1 ANTH 305—Applied Anthropological Methods
1 ANTH/REL 324—Religion, Magic, and Shamanism
1 ANTH/PSY 353—Cultural Psychology
2 ANTH/WS 395—Gender, Race, and the Environment
1 ANTH 415—Environmental Anthropology
1 ANTH/BOT 463—Ethnobotany

Art History

2 ARTH 284—History of Non-Western Art
1 ARTH 393—Gender and Embodiment in the Visual Arts
1 ARTH 496—History of Contemporary Art

Botany

1 BOT/ANTH 463—Ethnobotany

Broadcasting and Journalism

1 BC&J 351—Comparative Broadcasting Systems
2 BC&J 352—Mass Media and Minorities
1 BC&J 353—International Communication and the Foreign Press
1 BC&J 456—International Public Relations

Business and Technology

2 BAT 300—Global Study

Chemistry

1 CHEM 342—Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry

Communication

1 COMM 381—Intercultural Communication

Computer Science

1 CS 320—Ethical, Social and Legal Issues in the Digital World

Construction Management

1 CSTM 440—Green and Sustainable Construction

Economics

2 ECON 350—Economics of Poverty and Discrimination
3 ECON 351—Global Economic Poverty Issues
1 ECON 470—International Trade
1 ECON 479—Microfinance in Action

Educational Studies

2 EDS 202—Multicultural and Social Foundations of Education
1 EDS 428—English Language Learners and Bilingualism: Theory, Policy, and Practice

English

2 ENG/WS 301—Women and Literature
2 ENG/AAS 345—Survey of African American Literature
2 ENG 348—Ethnic Literatures of the United States
1 ENG 350—Postcolonial Literature
1 ENG 357—Nation and Literature
3 ENG 358—Studies in Non-Western Literature
1 ENG 392—National Cinemas
1 ENG/REL 492—Religion, Literature, and Film

Finance

1 FIN 497—International Financial Management

Foreign Language

4 FL 101—Introductory Seminar in World Languages and Cultures
2 FL 350—Introduction to Contemporary Critical Theory

General Honors

2 G H 207—Sophomore Multicultural Tutorial

Geography

4 GEOG 100—Introduction to Human Geography
3 GEOG 110—World Regional Geography
1 GEOG/AAS 466—World Regions

German

3 GER/HIST 337—The Holocaust

Health Education

2 HE 325—Multicultural Health Issues

History

3 HIST 115—World History to 1500
3 HIST 116—World History since 1500
4 HIST 211—Technology and Science in World History
3 HIST 241—History of Latin America
3 HIST 245—History of Asia
2 HIST 302—American Indian History, Pre-Contact to the Present
1 HIST 304—United States Military History
1 HIST 307—U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1898
1 HIST 312—Technology, Culture, and Society
2 HIST/AAS 314—African American History
2 HIST/WS 317—Women in American History
3 HIST/WS 318—Women and Gender in European History
3 HIST/GER 337—The Holocaust
2 HIST/WS 342—Women and Gender in Asian History
1 HIST 346—Japan
1 HIST 347—Modern East Asia
2 HIST/AAS 349—Africa since 1800
1 HIST 380—World War I
1 HIST 421—Seminar in Global Environmental History

Human Resource Management

1 HRM 444—International Human Resource Management

Information Systems

3 IS 325—Global Social Networks

International Agriculture

3 INAG 310—International Agriculture in Developing Countries
1 INAG 361—International Agriculture Travel Study in the Western Hemisphere
1 INAG 362—International Agriculture Travel Study in the Eastern Hemisphere

Liberal Arts and Sciences

2 LAS 195—Introduction to Liberal Arts and Sciences
2 LAS 210—Engaging Multiculturalism

Management

1 MGT 485—International Management

Marketing

1 MKTG 317—International Business
1 MKTG 417—International Marketing

Music

2 MUS 194—Jazz Survey
2 MUS 195—American Popular Music
2 MUS 196—Music in the Rock Era
2 MUS 198—K-Pop, J-Pop, and C-Pop
1 MUS 390—European Art Music I
1 MUS 391—European Art Music II
3 MUS 394—Music in World Cultures

Nursing

1 NURS 316—Transcultural Nursing

Nutrition

3 NUTR 300—Food and Culture

Philosophy

2 PHIL/WS 220—Feminism and Ethics

Physics

4 PHYS 150—Energy and the Environment

Political Science

4 POLS 228—Fundamentals of International Relations
4 POLS 267—Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
1 POLS 322—European Politics
3 POLS 329—Latin American Politics
1 POLS 331—United States Foreign Policy
1 POLS 334—Politics of the Global Economy
2 POLS/WS 335—Women and Politics
1 POLS 338—The United Nations and International Organization
1 POLS 353—Terrorism and Political Conflict
1 POLS 400—Comparative Public Policy
1 POLS 440—National Security and Arms Control
1 POLS 446—Conflict Resolution and International Peacekeeping
1 POLS 465—Genocide in Our Time

Psychology

1 PSY/ANTH 353—Cultural Psychology
2 PSY/WS 357—Women and Work

Queer Studies

2 QS 100—Introduction to Queer Studies

Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration

2 RPTA 293—Inclusive Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities
1 RPTA 462—International Tourism

Religious Studies

3 REL 110—Introduction to Eastern Religions
3 REL 111—Introduction to Western Religions
2 REL/ANTH 225—Myth and Ritual
2 REL/WS 303—Women in Religion
1 REL/ANTH 324—Religion, Magic, and Shamanism
1 REL 350—Hinduism
1 REL 355—Buddhism
3 REL 365—Islam
1 REL 456—Religion and War
1 REL/ENG 492—Religion, Literature, and Film

Social Studies Education

1 SSED 354—Methods for Teaching Social Studies PreK–2nd Grade
1 SSED 495—Teaching with a Global Perspective

Social Work

1 SW 380—Social Justice and Diversity

Sociology

3 SOC/WS 285—Women: A Global Perspective
2 SOC 300—Minority Peoples
2 SOC/WS 360—Gender and Society
1 SOC 440—Global Sociology

Spanish

2 SPAN 320—Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Supply Chain Management

1 SCM 411—Global Supply Chain Management

Theatre

2 THEA 201—Multiculturalism in Theatre
1 THEA 390—World Theatre History I

Women’s Studies

2 WS 190—Introduction to Women’s Studies
2 WS/PHIL 220—Feminism and Ethics
3 WS/SOC 285—Women: A Global Perspective
2 WS/ENG 301—Women and Literature
2 WS/REL 303—Women in Religion
2 WS/HIST 317—Women in American History
3 WS/HIST 318—Women and Gender in European History
2 WS/POLS 335—Women and Politics
2 WS/HIST 342—Women and Gender in Asian History
2 WS/PSY 357—Women and Work
2 WS/SOC 360—Gender and Society
2 WS 370—Women in Popular Culture
2 WS/ANTH 395—Gender, Race, and the Environment

1 This course also qualifies as a Discipline-Specific Global Issues (DSGI) course to satisfy the Foreign Language/Global Issues (FLGI) requirement for students whose degree requirements specify it.
2 This course also satisfies the Multicultural Studies category for students whose degree requirements specify it.
3 This course also satisfies both the FLGI requirement (either GEGI or DSGI) and the Multicultural Studies category for students whose degree requirements specify them.
4 This course also qualifies as a General Education Global Issues (GEGI) course to satisfy the Foreign Language/Global Issues (FLGI) requirement for students whose degree requirements specify it.