Welcome to the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

The study of languages, literatures, and cultures has long been a cornerstone of the liberal arts tradition. Today, in the global environment of the 21st century, cultural literacy and understanding are even more critical. Our multicultural faculty members are a diverse group of specialists in their fields. Embracing innovative methods for teaching and research, they help prepare their students for the responsibilities of global citizenship.

To that end, we offer courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, and Spanish and participate in study-abroad programs. In addition, our students benefit from close interactions with faculty and small class sizes.

Features of Our Department

• Majors in French, German area studies, Italian studies, and Spanish
• Minors in French, German, Italian, and Spanish
• Teacher education options in French, German, and Spanish
• Interdisciplinary opportunities through the German area studies and Italian studies majors
• Related interdisciplinary programs in classical studies, Latin American studies, and international business
• Short-term study-abroad language and culture courses during the summer
• Semester study abroad through our affiliates and other programs in several countries 
• Introductory courses in linguistics