Beginning this year, Covenant College students can major in international studies and in German studies. These new majors follow the recent additions of a theatre major, a political studies minor and concentration, and the master of arts in teaching program.
 
The international studies program is multi-disciplinary, with strong foreign language and research methods components. “The challenge for this, like any multi-disciplinary program, is to balance the intrinsic breadth with sufficient depth,” says Assistant Professor Cale Horne, advisor for the international studies program. “We do this by focusing on the core disciplines of history, economics and politics, as opposed to the ‘broad umbrella’ approaches taken by some international studies programs.” Professor Horne notes that the program is a strong fit for students who want to pursue careers in government, law, international organizations, the military and academia, among others.
 
The German studies program is not strictly a foreign language major, but includes courses in continental philosophy, European history and political science. Professor Tom Neiles, advisor for the German studies program, notes that cross-cultural competence and multilingual skills are highly valued in potential employees. “German is the most widely-spoken first language in Europe, with over 120 million speakers,” says Neiles. “German is required for scholars to be able to conduct research in such fields as missions, economics, philosophy, history, theology, engineering, medicine and literature. The strong German economy and the huge German–American trade partnership provide compelling reasons for instituting this major.”
 
“The academic program at Covenant College continues to develop in line with the strategic plan initiative of making connections beyond the campus,” says Dr. Jeff Hall, vice president for academic affairs. “These two programs will strengthen our offerings as we more directly engage a global perspective.”