Majors & Minors

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Modern Language Studies

The BA with a major in modern language studies requires 27 semester hours in a combination of modern language courses and area studies courses. Each student performs a program of study in consultation with a faculty adviser in the Department of Modern Language Studies. Students may concentrate in Chinese, French, German or Italian.

Degree Requirements

To earn a major in modern language studies, students must complete a total of 27 hours in courses taught predominantly in the modern language studies department. One interdisciplinary course from another department can count. A maximum of 9 credit hours can be transferred from study abroad programs or other universities.

Students must complete

(a) 20053 and 20063 in their language of choice (6 hours)

(b) the gateway class MOLA 20003: Cosmopolitanism: Thinking from a Global Perspective and the capstone class MOLA 40193: Senior Seminar with variable topics (6 hours)

(c) 5 other 3-hour classes at the 30000 level (we strongly recommend MOLA 30153: Theory and Practice of Translation) or above with at least one at the 40000 level. Among these latter 15 hours, at least 9 hours must be in the relevant foreign language. One interdisciplinary class taught beyond the department can be counted (see the list below and in other cases, please consult with and seek the approval of the major adviser and chair (15 hours).

COMM 30253: Intercultural Communication
ECON 30453: Economics of the European Union
GEOG 30533: Geography of Western Europe
HIST 10213: The World Expanded: Europe 1348-1789
HIST 10223: Modernization and its Discontents: Europe 1789 to the Present
HIST 20213: The World Expanded: Europe 1348-1789 (Honors)
HIST 20223: Honors modernization and its Discontents: Europe 1789 to the Present
HIST 30203: The Renaissance
HIST 30253: Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe
HIST 30303: The Age of Great Transformation: Europe 1815-1870
HIST 30363: Modern Germany: 1815 to the Present
HIST 30323: Peace or Pause? Europe 1919-1945
HIST 30333: A Whole New World: Europe since 1845
HIST 30970: Topical Studies in History
MOLA 30023: Introduction to Linguistics
PHIL 40223: HIstory of Modern Philosophy
PHIL 40233: HIstory of Continental Philosophy in the 19th and 20th Centuries
PHIL 30373: Existential Philosophy
POSC 33XX3: Any course in International Politics
POSC 35XX3: Any course in Comparative Politics
RELI 30333: Christian Tradition: Reformation to Modernity
RELI 40700: Religion in Geographical Context
ARHI 10043: Introduction to Art History
ARHI 20103: 17th and 18th Century European Art
ARHI 20603: Art History on Site
ARHI 30193: Northern Renaissance Painting: Van Eyck - Bruegel
ARHI 30333: Modern Art I: Art in the Age of Revolution
ANTH 20643: Language and Culture
MUSI 10053: Survey of Western Art Music
MUSI 10063: Survey of World Music
MUSI 20613: History of Western Music I
MUSI 30613: History of Western Music II
MUSI 30623: History of Western Music III
MUSI 50413: Opera Literature
MUSI 50473: Art Song Literature
THEA 31103: Theatre History I
THEA 31113: Theatre History II

Others with approval

COMM 30253: Intercultural Communication
ECON 30453: Economics of the European Union
GEOG 10003: World Regional Geography
GEOG 30533: Geography of Western Europe
HIST 10213: The World Expanded: Europe 1348-1789
HIST 10223: Modernization and its Discontents: Europe 1789 to the Present
HIST 10813: Introduction to the Modern Middle East
HIST 20213: The World Expanded: Europe 1348-1789 (Honors)
HIST 20223: Honors modernization and its Discontents: Europe 1789 to the Present
HIST 30203: The Renaissance
HIST 30253: Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe
HIST 30303: The Age of Great Transformation: Europe 1815-1870
HIST 30323: Peace or Pause? Europe 1919-1945
HIST 30333: A Whole New World: Europe since 1845
HIST 30343: The French Revolution: from Subjects to Citizens
HIST 30373: European Thought and Culture, 1800 to the Present
HIST 30623: History of Science
HIST 30970: Topical Studies in History
HNRS 20213: Language, Communication and Cultural Identity
MOLA 30023: Introduction to Linguistics
PHIL 40223: HIstory of Modern Philosophy
PHIL 40233: HIstory of Continental Philosophy in the 19th and 20th Centuries
PHIL 30373: Existential Philosophy
POSC 33XX3: Any course in International Politics
POSC 35XX3: Any course in Comparative Politics
RELI 30333: Christian Tradition: Reformation to Modernity
RELI 40700: Religion in Geographical Context
ARHI 10043: Introduction to Art History
ARHI 20103: 17th and 18th Century European Art
ARHI 20603: Art History on Site
ARHI 30333: Modern Art I: Art in the Age of Revolution
ARHI 30343: Modern Art II: Modernism in an Age of Change
ARHI 30353: Picasso: Artist of the Century
ANTH 20643: Language and Culture
MUSI 10053: Survey of Western Art Music
MUSI 10063: Survey of World Music
MUSI 20613: History of Western Music I
MUSI 30613: History of Western Music II
MUSI 30623: History of Western Music III
MUSI 50413: Opera Literature
MUSI 50473: Art Song Literature
THEA 31103: Theatre History I
THEA 31113: Theatre History II

Others with approval

Explore Languages

Minor in Chinese

The minor in Chinese requires a minimum of 18 credit hours, including at least four language courses and one Chinese-related content course. At least two 30000-level courses are required, one of which must be a language course.

A maximum of 6 credit hours transferred from study abroad programs may count toward the minor.

A maximum of 3 credit hours offered outside of the Chinese program may count toward the minor.

Minor in French

The French minor requires a minimum of 18 semester hours, exclusive of courses on the 10000 level, and including at least one 40000-level course.

Minor in German

The German minor requires a minimum of 18 semester hours, exclusive of courses on the 10000 level. GRMN 30053-30063 are prerequisites to all higher-numbered courses. All courses in the language sequence except GRMN 10153 require as prerequisite either satisfactory completion of the previous semester or the appropriate score on the CLEP Test, AP exam, G-CAPE placement test, or permission. Only one German course taught in English (for example, GRMN 20973 Honors: The Afterlife of the Classical Greek Tradition) may be counted toward the minor.

Minor in Italian

A minimum of 18 semester hours in Italian, exclusive of courses on the 10000 level. No more than one Italian course taught in English may be counted toward the minor. A maximum of nine credit hours transferred from study abroad programs may be counted toward the minor.