Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures

We invite you to enter our world. Sample or dive deep into our languages, literature and cultural offerings. Enter and appreciate the diversity of world views and expressions available. Experience our commitment to our students to foster greater interpersonal and global understanding through language acquisition and exposure to world literatures and cultures.

Department Mission Statement

In the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, we are proud to be a microcosm of the world. Our faculty come from 16 different countries. They teach and publish in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Furthermore, they conduct research and teach world languages, Applied Linguistics and world literatures, cultures, and film studies.

Our strong commitment to diversity and our firm stance against racism, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, ableism, ageism, or any attempt to intimidate, bully, and silence others make our department a stimulating learning environment where students of multiple backgrounds and horizons work toward a variety of degrees. 

In the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, students can complete the Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in East Asian Studies, French and Francophone Studies, German, or Spanish and Hispanic Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in K-12 Education in French or Spanish.  Other students complete minors in one of seven languages, or in TESL/Applied Linguistics. After leaving our department, many graduates teach English as a Second Language abroad. Some of our graduates pursue graduate school in their chosen language, Area Studies, or Linguistics, or remain with us to complete an MA in Romance Languages in K-12 or College French or Spanish Teaching.  

By studying the cultures and literatures that are inseparable from our languages, our students sharpen their critical thinking and analytical and writing skills, while acquiring expertise in other regions of the globe. Students also learn about the cultural and linguistic diversity of the United States. Our graduates’ global competency makes them highly marketable in such fields as business, government, public service, international development, hospitality and tourism, education, and law.