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BA in Modern Languages

 Why UMSL?

  1. Learn from faculty members dedicated

        to teaching excellence.

  1. Be part of a department focused on

         your success.

  1. Join a community of global citizens in an

         international setting.

  1. See the world – in your classroom and

         while working or studying abroad.

Career Outlook
Career options for graduates with a major or minor in modern languages include the following fields: teaching, social work, nursing, engineering, business, communications, government, journalism, travel industry, translation, and research.  Our graduates have been especially successful when they combine advanced study in a modern language with another major.  They are then able to add proficiency in a foreign language and culture to their knowledge and skills in another specialty. Experience with world cultures makes our graduates more adaptable and better prepared to meet the challenges of a global and increasingly diverse job market.  

Undergraduate Studies
Degrees and Areas of Concentration
Languages and Cultures in the Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Languages offers course work in French, German, Japanese and Spanish, leading to the BA degree in Modern Language, and a concentration in each of these languages for students seeking the BS degree in education. In addition, the program offers courses in English as a Second Language, Arabic, Chinese, Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, and Latin.
Minors may also be earned in the department.  For details, see specific requirements for the minor, which appear later in this flyer.  
Faculty Members
The Department is proud of the quality of its faculty members, language instruction, and the performance of its graduates. To achieve and maintain this quality, the Department has faculty whose members have either native or near-native proficiency and have advanced degrees in the languages they teach.

Degree Requirements
All courses for the major must be passed with a grade of C- or better. No course required for the major may be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (s/u) basis with the exception of those taken abroad as part of a university program that has received departmental approval.
Bachelor of Arts in Modern Language
All students seeking a BA in Modern Language must successfully complete FL 1100 Languages and World View, as well as a minimum of 33 hours for a concentration in French and German, 37 hours for Japanese, or 36 hours in Spanish (excluding Language 1001 and 1002). The maximum number of hours that may be taken in the major is 45. In addition, students seeking the BA in Modern Language who desire  a teaching certificate must take FL 4589 (same as SEC ED 4589), Curriculum and Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages, FL 4590 (same as SEC ED 4590), Foreign Language Teaching Seminar, and fulfill the professional secondary education requirements of the College of Education.

Bachelor of Science in Education
Those students seeking the BS degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in a modern language are required to complete 30 hours of work (excluding credit for Language 1001 and 1002),  of which 9 hours must be on the 4000 level. Students working toward a degree in elementary education with related work in a modern language should consult the College of Education concerning their program.
Post-Baccalaureate Certification Students
Students who have a bachelor’s degree and are seeking certification in a language must have completed 30 hours in that language and will be required to take the Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview exam to determine proficiency.  Students who do not demonstrate sufficient proficiency will be required to take additional coursework in the language.
Transfer Students
Transfer students majoring in a modern language must complete at UMSL a minimum of 12 graded hours in language courses at the 3000 level or above with a grade point average of 2.0 or better.
Native Speakers 
Native speakers must complete at least two courses at the 3000 level and four courses at the 4000 level to satisfy the requirements for a major in their native language.
Specific Requirements for the Concentration in French:
Each major with a French concentration must complete the following courses:
FRENCH 2101 French Language and Culture III, or the equivalent
FRENCH 2170 Intermediate French Language and Culture 
FRENCH 2180 Readings in French
Five of the following six:
FRENCH 3200 French Grammar in Review
FRENCH 3205 French in Commerce and Media                                                   
FRENCH 3211 Contemporary French Civilization                                                       
FRENCH 3271 Intermediate French Conversation                                                        
FRENCH 3280 French Literature and Culture to 1800
FRENCH 3281 French Literature and Culture after 1800
and three courses at the 4000 level.

Specific Requirements for the Concentration in Spanish:
Each major with a concentration in Spanish must complete the following courses:
SPANISH 2101 Intermediate Spanish Language and Culture or the equivalent
SPANISH 2172 Spanish Composition +2172A Grammar for Spanish Composition
One of the following two:
SPANISH 2199 Special Topics: Language Immersion: Spanish  + 2199A Grammar for Special Topics: Language Immersion or
SPANISH 2180  Readings in Spanish +2180A Grammar for Readings in Spanish
SPANISH 3210 Hispanic Culture and Civilization: Spain, or SPANISH 3211 Hispanic Culture and Civilization: Spanish America  + 3210/3211A Grammar for Hispanic Culture and Civilization
SPANISH 3280  Introduction to Hispanic Literature: Spain
SPANISH 3281  Introduction to Hispanic Literature: Spanish America
Plus two additional courses at the 3000-level (see course descriptions for more details)
and three courses at the 4000-level, one of which must be SPANISH 4399 Seminar on Hispanic Literature.

Specific Requirements for the Concentration in German:
Each major with a concentration in German must complete the following courses:
GERMAN 2101 Intermediate German Language and Culture: German III                                                       
GERMAN 2170 Intermediate Practice in Speaking and Writing German
GERMAN 2180 Intermediate Readings in German
GERMAN 3201 Introduction to German Literature
GERMAN 3202 Introduction to German Film
GERMAN 3208 The German-Speaking Countries in the Modern World
Plus one additional course at the 3000 level
And three courses at the 4000 level.

Specific Requirements for the Concentration in Japanese :
Each major with a concentration in Japanese must complete the following courses:
JAPAN 2101 (5) Intermediate Japanese I
JAPAN 2102 (5) Intermediate Japanese II
JAPAN 3201 Intermediate Japanese III
JAPAN 3202 Intermediate Japanese IV
JAPAN 3280 Readings in Japanese
JAPAN 4301 Advanced Japanese I
JAPAN 4302 Advanced Japanese II
JAPAN 4390 Advanced Readings in Japanese
Plus three courses for a total of 9 hours in Japanese Studies.

 

Learning Outcomes for Majors
Students completing the BA in Modern Language should be able to demonstrate competence in 4 major skills and knowledge areas in the language of concentration: Linguistic, Critical Thinking, Cultural/Global Awareness, and Self- Reflection. This competence should include the ability to:

  1. describe and narrate in the past, present and future both orally and in writing
  2. read authentic documents such as newspapers and literary texts for concrete information
  3.  understand conversations and radio and television programming on concrete topics in the target language
  4. summarize, analyze, and synthesize information derived from a variety of sources and media
  5. demonstrate knowledge of the history, geography, politics, and arts of the target culture
  6. make connections with, and draw contrasts between the target culture and their own
  7. understand the value and necessity of life-long learning and of translingual and transcultural competence

Minor in French, German, Japanese or Spanish
A minor in French, German, Japanese or Spanish requires the completion of four courses in the language beyond the basic foundation sequence (Language 1001, 1002, and 2101) along with any associated “A” courses for Spanish minors. Transfer students must complete at least two courses for the minor at UMSL. All courses must be passed with a grade of C- or better.

Specific Requirement for the Minor in French:  
FRENCH 2170 Intermediate French Language and Culture 
FRENCH 2180 Readings in French
Plus two French courses on the 3000-level or above.

Specific Requirement for the Minor in German:
GERMAN 2170 Intermediate Practice in Speaking and Writing German 
GERMAN 2180 Intermediate Readings in German
Plus two German courses at the 3000 level or above.

 

Specific Requirement for the Minor in Japanese
JPN 2102(5) Intermediate Japanese II
JPN 3201 Intermediate Japanese III
JPN 3201 Intermediate Japanese IV
Plus one course in Japanese Studies.

Specific Requirement for the Minor in Spanish
Two of the following three
SPANISH 2199 Special Topics: Language Immersion: Spanish + 2199A Grammar for Special Topics: Language Immersion
SPANISH 2172, Composition  + 2172A Grammar for Spanish Composition
SPANISH 2180, Readings in Spanish   + 2180A Grammar for Readings in Spanish
Plus two Spanish courses at the 3000 level or above.

Minor in Modern Languages
A minor in Modern Languages requires the completion of 4 courses beyond the introductory sequence (1001, 1002 and 2101), two courses in each of two different languages.  For students who are seeking a BA in Modern Languages, the two languages must be different from the language in which they are majoring.

Minor in Classical Studies
The minor in Classical Studies is an interdisciplinary course of study intended to encourage undergraduates in various disciplines to come to a fuller awareness of the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and of the classical tradition that underlies much of modern Western civilization.  Specific requirements for the minor are detailed at http://www.umsl.edu/bulletin/as/interdisc.html

Students pursuing a graduate degree in secondary education may select an emphasis area in French, German, or Spanish. The required eighteen hours may be selected from 4000 and 5000 level courses in these languages

 

Certificate in Modern Language and Study Abroad
Students seeking the certificate must complete language courses at UMSL and abroad. The Center for International Studies and Languages and Cultures cooperate in offering the Certificate
1) Modern language study at UMSL
Students must select one of the following languages and complete the required courses at UMSL. Total: 6 credit hours (8 hours for Spanish).
A. French
FRENCH 2170 Intermediate French Language and Culture
FRENCH 2180 Readings in French
B. German
GERMAN 2170 Intermediate Practice in Speaking and Writing German
GERMAN 2180 Intermediate Readings in German
C. Spanish
SPANISH 2172 Spanish Composition + 2172A Grammar for Spanish Composition
SPANISH 2180  Readings in Spanish  + 2180A
D. Japanese
JAPAN 2102 Intermediate Japanese II
JAPAN 3201 Intermediate Japanese III

 

2) Foreign language study abroad
Students must complete a minimum of two additional three credit hour courses taught in the target language, at a foreign university that is affiliated with the UMSL Study Abroad Program, with the goal of increasing linguistic competence. All courses must be approved by Language faculty members.
Scholarships
Alumni Scholarship
Qualified junior and senior language majors may apply for the Modern Language Alumni Scholarship, which is renewable each semester on a competitive basis. For information, contact the department.

Baldini Family Scholarship
Qualified full-time UMSL students pursuing a foreign language and literature degree with teacher certification may apply for this scholarship, which is awarded on a competitive basis and must be used within one semester of the award. For information, contact the department.

Community College Scholarship
Qualified community college students may apply for the Modern Languages Community College Scholarship to be applied for educational fees toward the enrollment in third-semester or higher courses in French, German, Japanese, or Spanish. This scholarship must be used within one semester of the award. For information, contact the department.

Marcus Allen Memorial Scholarship
Qualified students of French may apply for the Marcus Allen Memorial Scholarship which is awarded on a competitive basis and must be used within one semester of the award.  For information please contact the department.

German Scholarships
Students of German may apply for the German Scholarship. Funds may be used toward educational fees for German courses during the following semesters or toward study abroad in a German-speaking country.  For information contact the German section coordinator

Departmental Honors
Candidates for departmental honors in Modern Language must meet the following requirements:
1) Achieve a GPA of 3.5 in the major for all hours attempted beyond the first two semesters. (Language Courses 1001 and 1002)
2) Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
3) Successfully complete an honors thesis or project.

National Honor Society
Students who excel in the study of languages are nominated to be members of the national collegiate honor society in foreign languages, Alpha Mu Gamma. The local chapter has officers and meets socially.

Additional information:
For more information, please contact the Languages program Administrative Associate, Jim Karslake, at 314-516-6242 or jkarslake@umsl.edu.  He will refer you to a faculty adviser in your language area of interest.