The Department, within the College of Arts and Sciences, offers a wide variety of programs emphasizing study of the European languages, literatures, and cultures, courses in pedagogical methodology, supervised teaching experience, and advanced training for careers related to international affairs. The Department is committed to providing the best possible graduate education: two of its members have been named Distinguished Professors, and four have received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. The proximity of numerous cultural institutions such as the Center for Italian Studies on campus, the Goethe House in New York, Alliance Française, the Kosciuszko Foundation, the New York Public Library, and the Harriman Institute of Columbia University, enhance the quality of graduate study in the Department. The programs have been designed with today's career opportunities in mind. Students are encouraged to shape a personal curriculum, drawing on other Departments engaged in issues pertinent to European cultural history and pedagogy such as Comparative Studies, History, Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, and Theater Arts. The Department supports exchange programs with European universities, in France, Germany, Russia, Poland, and Italy.