Department of Foreign Languages
The Department of Foreign Languages provides majors in Foreign Languages (concentrations in French and/or German) and Spanish (concentrations in Spanish-Language and Culture or Spanish for Commerce). Also available are minors in French, German, and Spanish. Six credit hours in the same foreign language are required in the general education component of all Bachelor of Arts degree programs. It is strongly recommended that coursework through the intermediate level be taken by all students who plan to continue their studies at the graduate level.
For the general education component, students who have successfully completed two or more years of high school French, German, or Spanish may enroll in intermediate courses with instructor approval after making a sufficient score on the computerized and oral proficiency placement exams. Those who place into the intermediate level may fulfill the language requirement with six hours. Students choosing the intermediate level who desire/require credit for the introductory courses may take the CLEP examination or an official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Students with three or more years of a foreign language in high school or who have native competency may satisfy the requirement by making a sufficient score on the CLEP examination or an Intermediate Low rating in the ACTFL OPI to gain credit and to qualify for placement in 300 and 400 level courses.
Students with a major concentration in Foreign Languages and/or Spanish are required to pass the exit exam for graduation.
Critical Languages Program
The knowledge of foreign languages and cultures is considered critical to our national, economic and military interests. In association with the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs, the Department of Foreign Languages offers self-instructional/tutorial language study in the less commonly taught languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and other languages. The courses primarily emphasize the development of audio- lingual skills. Participants prepare independently and meet with a tutor twice each week in the late afternoon or evening. Only highly motivated students who can work independently are encouraged to enroll. The introductory courses are for three hours credit each semester. Prerequisite: previous study of a foreign language or by permission of the department chair.
Intercultural Experience (IE)
With department approval, students participating in a study abroad or other relevant international experience may earn from one to three hours of general elective credit through independent study projects developed and evaluated by university faculty and designed to accord with the individual student’s areas of special interest and preparation. IE credit may fulfill major requirements provided that the experience abroad relates directly to the language of the specified major. IE 499 may be repeated for up to a maximum of 6 credits.