World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (B.A.)
Students majoring in the B.A. in World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures will gain proficiency in one or more world languages, which include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. As part of their course of study, students are encouraged to participate in a study abroad program, such as the Junior Year in Munich (Germany); the semester or year program in Japan through the JCMU (Japan Center for Michigan Universities); a semester or year in Tours (France); spring break study abroad in Paris (France); as well as in other study programs in Italy, Latin America, Lebanon, Poland, and Spain. Students will attain a broad knowledge of one of the cultural geographies explored in our courses—East Asia, the Ancient Mediterranean, the Francophone world, German-speaking Europe, Italy, the Near East, and the Spanish-speaking world. The World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures program will develop students' linguistic and critical-analytical skills involving various types of texts. Students will also explore humanistic and social scientific approaches to world cultures. Linguistic and broadly-based cultural studies provide excellent grounding for various career paths, including law, business, medicine or health sciences, non-profit sector careers, teaching at the high school or university level, library and information science, museum practice, among others.
Program Requirements
Candidates must complete 120 credits in course work including satisfaction of the University General Education Requirements and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Group Requirements, as well as the departmental major requirements cited below. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees.
Students should refer to the CMLLC program requirements page for admission, degree, and general education requirements.
Concentrations
- Asian Studies
- Chinese
- Classics, Greek, and Latin
- French and Francophone Studies
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
- Spanish
Asian Studies Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 36 credits in Asian Studies coursework. Of these, at least 6 credits must be at the 5000 level.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Select eight credits from the following courses in Language 1: | 8 | |
| Intermediate Chinese and Intermediate Chinese II | ||
| Intermediate Japanese I and Intermediate Japanese II | ||
| Select sixteen credits from the following courses in Language 2: | 16 | |
| Elementary Chinese I | ||
or JPN 1010 | Elementary Japanese I | |
| Elementary Chinese | ||
or JPN 1020 | Elementary Japanese II | |
| Intermediate Chinese | ||
or JPN 2010 | Intermediate Japanese I | |
| Intermediate Chinese II | ||
or JPN 2020 | Intermediate Japanese II | |
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Chinese I | ||
or JPN 3010 | Advanced Japanese I | |
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select three credits from the following courses: | 3 | |
| East Asia to the 1700s | ||
| History of Modern East Asia | ||
| Languages of Asia | ||
| Politics of East Asia | ||
| Select six credits from the following courses: | 6 | |
| History of Japanese Pop Culture | ||
| Readings in the History of Modern China | ||
| Pre-Modern Japan | ||
| Modern Japan | ||
| Gender in Modern East Asia | ||
| Chinese Character Writing | ||
| Gateway to Chinese Civilizations | ||
| Chinese Mythology and the Supernatural | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Literature | ||
| Space and Everyday Life in Chinese Literature and Film | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Linguistics | ||
| Grammar of Chinese | ||
| Teaching Chinese as a Second Language | ||
| Japanese Culture through Myth, Fairy Tales, and Media | ||
| Culture Studies in Japan (Homestay and Study Abroad Tour) | ||
| Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Students will complete a research project linked to a 5000-level course or higher. | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Chinese Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 35 credits in Chinese studies coursework. Of these, at least 6 must be at the 5000 level.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Select eight credits from the following: | 8 | |
| Intermediate Chinese | ||
| Intermediate Chinese II | ||
| Select nine credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Advanced Chinese I | ||
| Advanced Chinese II | ||
| Business Chinese | ||
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| East Asia to the 1700s | ||
| History of Modern East Asia | ||
| Languages of Asia | ||
| Politics of East Asia | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Special Topics in East Asian Studies | ||
| Chinese Phonetics | ||
| Chinese Character Writing | ||
| Gateway to Chinese Civilizations | ||
| Chinese Mythology and the Supernatural | ||
| Contemporary Chinese Pop Culture | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Literature | ||
| Space and Everyday Life in Chinese Literature and Film | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Linguistics | ||
| Grammar of Chinese | ||
| Teaching Chinese as a Second Language | ||
| Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select six credits from any courses in ASN, CHI, or JPN outside the language of study. | 6 | |
| Students will complete a research project linked to a 5000-level course or higher. | ||
| Total Credits | 35 | |
Classics, Greek, and Latin Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 32 credits in Classics, Greek, and Latin coursework. Of these, at least 6 credits must be at the 5000 level or higher.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Select eight credits from the following: | 8 | |
| Intermediate Ancient Greek I and Intermediate Ancient Greek II | ||
| Intermediate Latin and Intermediate Latin II | ||
| Intermediate Modern Greek I and Intermediate Modern Greek II | ||
Joint Language Study | ||
| Intermediate Ancient Greek I and Intermediate Latin | ||
| Intermediate Ancient Greek I and Intermediate Modern Greek I | ||
| Intermediate Latin and Intermediate Italian | ||
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Classical Civilization | ||
| Greek Mythology | ||
| Select twelve credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Athens and the Ancient Greek World | ||
| Byzantine Civilization | ||
| The Golden Age of Rome | ||
| Survey of Greek Literature | ||
| Survey of Latin Literature | ||
| Modern Greek Literature and Culture in English | ||
| Italy and Italians I | ||
| Italy and Italians II | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
Any course beyond 2020 in the primary language. Any course in a second language (from GKA, GKM, ITA, or LAT). In joint language studies, any course beyond 2010 in either language. | ||
| Introduction to Greek Tragedy | ||
| Ancient Comedy | ||
| Cleopatra | ||
| Medea in African American Literature | ||
| Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans | ||
| The World of Early Christianity | ||
| Byzantine Civilization | ||
| The Golden Age of Rome | ||
| Greek Identity from Antiquity to Modernity | ||
| Survey of Greek Literature | ||
| Survey of Latin Literature | ||
| Further Studies in Mythology | ||
| Special Studies | ||
| Italy and Italians I | ||
| Italy and Italians II | ||
| Italian Fairy Tales | ||
| Science, History, and Culture of Italian Cuisine | ||
| Dante in Translation: The Divine Comedy | ||
| Modern Greek Literature and Culture in English | ||
| Introduction to Global Stories | ||
| Introduction to Global Issues and Institutions | ||
| Globalization: Theories, Practices, Implications | ||
| Orientalism and Occidentalism, Past and Present | ||
| History of Ancient Greece | ||
| History of Ancient Rome | ||
| Ancient Greek Philosophy | ||
| Ancient Greek Medicine and Psychology | ||
| The Presocratics and Sophists | ||
| Plato | ||
| Aristotle | ||
| Great Political Thinkers I | ||
| Students will complete a research project for two 5000-level courses. | ||
| Total Credits | 32 | |
French and Francophone Studies Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 37 credits in French and Francophone Studies coursework. Of these, at least 6 credits must be at the 5000 level or higher.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Select twelve credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Intermediate French | ||
| French through Film I | ||
| French through Film II | ||
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select sixteen credits from the following: | 16 | |
| French Cafe | ||
| Professional French through Literary and Filmic Texts | ||
| Topics in Sociocultural Analysis | ||
| Advanced French Composition and Conversation through Cultural Analysis | ||
| Translation Studies | ||
| Select thrre credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to French Civilization I | ||
| Introduction to French Civilization II | ||
| Understanding the Fairy Tale | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Topics in French and Francophone Culture | ||
| Topics in French and Francophone Literature | ||
| Renaissance to Revolution | ||
| Modernity, Postmodernity, and Extreme Contemporain | ||
| Topics in Sociocultural Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 37 | |
German Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 35 credits in German studies coursework. Of these, at least 6 credits must be at the 5000 level or higher.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Select fourteen credits from the following: | 14 | |
| Intermediate German | ||
| Everyday Encounters in Language and Culture | ||
| Engaging Historical Moments | ||
| Exploring Modern Identities | ||
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| GER 2710 | Resistance, Rebellion, Revolution: Transitional Moments in German Culture and History | 3 |
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Understanding the Fairy Tale | ||
or GLS 2700 | Introduction to Global Stories | |
| Intercultural Competence for a Global World | ||
| Nazi Germany | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Products, Perspectives, and Practices of Culture | ||
| Advanced Communication in Oral and Written Discourse | ||
| German Translation Studies | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Holocaust Studies | ||
| Cultural Studies and Criticism | ||
| Modernism | ||
| Texts and Contexts Since 1945 | ||
| Topics in German Studies | ||
| Literature and Cultures of Minorities | ||
| Internship in German Studies | ||
| Foreign Language Instruction | ||
| Students will complete a research project linked to a 5000-level course or higher. | ||
| Total Credits | 35 | |
Italian Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 34 credits in Italian language and culture coursework. Of these, at least 6 credits must be at the 5000 level or higher.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| ITA 2010 | Intermediate Italian | 4 |
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select nine credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Italian through Film | ||
| Road to Italy | ||
| Caffe Italia | ||
| Italian Rebels | ||
| Select nine credits from the following: | 9 | |
| The Golden Age of Rome | ||
| Italy and Italians I | ||
| Italy and Italians II | ||
| Italian Fairy Tales | ||
| Science, History, and Culture of Italian Cuisine | ||
| Dante in Translation: The Divine Comedy | ||
| Select twelve credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Caffe Italia | ||
| Italian Rebels | ||
| The Birth of Italian Language and Literature | ||
| The Birth of Italy | ||
| Italian Theater Workshop | ||
| Topics in Italian Studies | ||
| Internship in Italian Studies | ||
| Languages of Italy | ||
| Dante's Comedy I: Inferno | ||
| Love, Politics and the Art of Elegance | ||
| Performing Italy | ||
| Imagining Italy, Creating Italians | ||
| Modern Italy in Transition | ||
| Contemporary Italian Culture | ||
| Total Credits | 34 | |
Japanese Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 35 credits in Japanese studies coursework. Of these, at least 6 must be at the 5000 level.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| JPN 2010 | Intermediate Japanese I | 4 |
| JPN 2020 | Intermediate Japanese II | 4 |
| JPN 3010 | Advanced Japanese I | 3 |
| JPN 3020 | Advanced Japanese II | 3 |
| JPN 2110 | Listening Japanese with Media and Animation | 3 |
| or JPN 3030 | Japanese Reading and Writing | |
| or JPN 4010 | Business Japanese I | |
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| East Asia to the 1700s | ||
| History of Modern East Asia | ||
| Languages of Asia | ||
| Politics of East Asia | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| History of Japanese Pop Culture | ||
| Pre-Modern Japan | ||
| Modern Japan | ||
| Japanese Culture through Myth, Fairy Tales, and Media | ||
| Culture Studies in Japan (Homestay and Study Abroad Tour) | ||
| Japanese Culture and Society I | ||
| Japanese Culture and Society II | ||
| Internship in Japanese Studies | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select six credits of any courses in ASN, CHI, or JPN outside the language of study. | 6 | |
| Students will complete a research project linked to a 5000-level course or higher. | ||
| Total Credits | 35 | |
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 34 credits in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures coursework. Of these, at least 6 credits must be at the 5000 level or higher.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| ARB 2010 | Intermediate Arabic I | 4 |
| ARB 2020 | Intermediate Arabic II | 4 |
| Select nine credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Business Arabic | ||
| Advanced Arabic I | ||
| Spoken Arabic | ||
| Conversation and Composition | ||
| Media Arabic | ||
| Arabic for Healthcare Professions | ||
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select eleven credits from the following: | 11 | |
| Medieval Arabic Texts | ||
| Teaching of Arabic as a Foreign/Second Language (TAFL) | ||
| Modern Arabic Literature in Arabic and English | ||
| Arabic Sociolinguistics | ||
| Structure of Arabic | ||
| Quranic Arabic | ||
| History of Arabic | ||
| Elementary Hebrew I | ||
| Elementary Hebrew II | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Islamic Civilization of the Near East | ||
| The Age of Islamic Empires: 600-1600 | ||
| The Modern Middle East | ||
| Trends and Themes in Films of the Middle East | ||
| Topics in Middle Eastern Studies | ||
| Islamic and Near Eastern Philosophy | ||
| Modern Israeli Culture: A Pluralistic Perspective | ||
| Arab Society in Transition | ||
| Muslim Personal Law | ||
| Quran: History and Interpretation | ||
| Islam and the Challenge of Modernity | ||
| History and Development of Islamic Political Thought | ||
| Total Credits | 34 | |
Spanish Concentration
Students will complete a minimum of 34 credits in Spanish studies coursework. Of these, at least 12 credits must be at the 5000 level or higher.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| SPA 2010 | Intermediate Spanish | 4 |
| SPA 2025 | Cultural Connections, Grammar and Composition I | 3 |
| SPA 3025 | Cultural Connections, Grammar and Composition II | 3 |
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Spanish for Business and the Legal Professions | ||
| Spanish for the Health Care Profession | ||
| Conversation | ||
| Advanced Composition | ||
| Spanish Phonetics | ||
| Advanced Grammar and Stylistics | ||
| Introduction to Professional and Literary Translation | ||
| Advanced Conversation | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Internship in Spanish | ||
| Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Literature, Culture, and History Requirement | ||
| Select nine credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Introduction to Cultural and Literary Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Early Modern Spanish Literature | ||
| Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Spanish Literature | ||
| Introduction to Colonial Latin American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Latin American Literature | ||
| Spanish Culture and Its Tradition | ||
| Spanish American Cultures and their Traditions | ||
| Topics in Hispanic Culture or Language | ||
| Spanish Medieval Literature: Origins to 1500 | ||
| Early Modern Spanish Studies | ||
| Spanish Literature of the Eighteenth Century | ||
| Spanish Romanticism | ||
| The Spanish Novel of the Twentieth Century | ||
| Spanish Poetry of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | ||
| Cervantes | ||
| The Comedia | ||
| Genres and Topics in Peninsular Spanish Literature | ||
| Colonial Latin American Studies | ||
| Latin American Novel to 1900 | ||
| Latin American Novel in the 20th and 21st Centuries | ||
| Spanish American Poetry | ||
| Genres and Topics in Spanish American Literature | ||
| Spanish Literature of the Silver Age: 1900-1936 | ||
| Unamuno's Existential Fiction | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select nine credits from the following: | 9 | |
An additional three credits in SPA at the 3000 level or higher | ||
An additional six credits in SPA at the 5000 level or higher | ||
| Students will complete exit interviews and a research project linked to a 5000-level course or higher. | ||
| Total Credits | 34 | |