Program Overview

Modern Foreign Languages B.A.

About this Program

Gain significant knowledge of the literatures and cultures of multiple countries. Learn important skills in literary and cultural analysis and gain multicultural awareness. Seize opportunities to volunteer and intern professionally on campus, off campus or internationally. Embrace an international education through one of the more than 100 programs in 60 countries via Syracuse Abroad. Leave Syracuse well equipped for employment in a multitude of fields both nationally and internationally.

Program Information

• Degree Type: Major
• Outcome: B.A.
• Modality: In-person
• College or School: College of Arts and Sciences

Curriculum

Core coursework in the modern foreign languages program covers linguistics, history and literature. Students are strongly encouraged to spend a semester or a year abroad.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Express yourself verbally in the two chosen languages on a number of subjects, engaging in conversations on complex ideas.
• Be able to comprehend the main ideas and supporting details of complex narrative and descriptive texts.
• Write narrative and descriptive texts using different tenses to express your point of view.
• Describe and compare the literatures and cultures associated with your two chosen languages.

Sample Courses

• Intermediate Spanish
• Introduction to Translating Chinese
• Italy Today: Language, Media and Culture in Contemporary Italy
• Structure of Standard Arabic
• Russian Literary Film Adaptations
• German Literature Since World War II

Extracurricular Opportunities

Study Abroad Opportunity

Syracuse Abroad and World Partner Programs

Modern foreign languages majors most often go abroad to language-intensive programs, available in Florence, Italy; Madrid, Spain; Santiago, Chile; and Strasbourg, France; and at the following World Partners: Kansai Gaidai University (Osaka, Japan), Korea University (Seoul), Sciences-Po (Paris), Colgate Freiburg University (Germany), Bard-Smolny Program (St. Petersburg), School of Russian and Asian Studies (St. Petersburg or Moscow), CET Brazilian Studies and Portuguese Language (Sao Paulo), AMIDEAST Area and Arabic Language Studies (Amman, Jordan, or Rabat, Morocco).

Student Organization

La Société Francophone

La Société Francophone, Syracuse’s official French club, offers opportunities outside the classroom for students to learn more about French culture through a series of organized social events and themed meetings. Members participate in cooking classes, game nights, film screenings and more.

Student Organization

German Cultural Society

Members of the German Cultural Society enjoy diving deeper into the world of German language and culture outside of the classroom. All students are welcome to join regardless of their German language skills. Members take part in a variety of German cooking classes, television and film screenings, group discussions and more.

Related Programs

• French and Francophone Studies B.A.
• German Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.
• Italian Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.
• Linguistic Studies B.A.
• Russian Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.
• Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.