Students who choose one of the six tracks of the foreign languages and literature major have options in Classic Civilization, French, German, Greek, Italian, and Latin.
200 B.B. Comer Hall
Admission into the Major
See course descriptions for information concerning appropriate placement in French, German, and Latin. Students are expected to formally declare a major no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). Students can declare a major by completing the Change of Major/Minor Application online under the Student tab of myBama.
Special Opportunities
The foreign languages and literature concentrations offer numerous opportunities for students to learn about the modern and ancient world. Students may participate in various club activities, become initiated into national honor societies, and take advantage of a variety of study-abroad programs. Students with foreign language proficiency have more opportunities open to them than students without that proficiency. Classics students have the opportunity to take part in the Classics Honors Program. See an advisor for more information.
Students earning the bachelor of arts (BA) degree with a major in foreign languages and literature must complete all University, College and major requirements. These include the general education requirement, all major and track requirements, all requirements for an approved minor and other sufficient credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable semester hours.
Grade Point Average
A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. Please see the Grades and Grade Points section of this catalog for an explanation on grade point average calculations.
Upper-level Residency
For all tracks, a minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be earned on this campus.
Required Minor
This major requires the completion of a minor.
Additional Major Requirements
If students test out of any of the courses required for the major, this does not reduce the total number of credit hours required for the major. Students must meet with an adviser in the major department for academic planning and to be cleared for registration each semester.
Prerequisites
In addition to the stated prerequisites, all 400-level German courses have as a prerequisite 20 hours of coursework in German, or permission of the instructor.
Course Placement
The course level at which students begin their study is determined by several factors, including the following: the number of high school units completed, language placement examination scores, AP score, and/or faculty evaluation/consultation. For more information, consult the College placement website, the departmental website, or an advisor.
https://mlc.ua.edu/undergraduate/language-placement/
Credit Options
With the exception of heritage language or bilingual individuals, students placed in intermediate level courses or higher and who earn a C- or higher may be granted additional credit upon written petition. Students are encouraged to take the placement test or speak with a faculty member in order to place into the highest course level possible, as incoming students may receive up to 10 hours of additional credit (102 or 103, 201, 202).
French
Except for heritage language or bilingual individuals, students placed in FR 201 French Language & Cultures III or higher and who earn a grade of C- or higher in the course may be granted additional credit upon written petition:
| Placement | Credit received with grade of "Pass" (C- or better) |
|---|---|
| FR 201 | FR 102 (4 hours) |
| FR 202 | FR 102 and FR 201 (7 hours) |
| FR 300 level | FR 102, FR 201, FR 202 (10 hours) |
German
Except for heritage language or bilingual individuals, students placed in GN 201 Intermediate German I or higher and who earn a grade of C- or higher in the course may earn additional credit upon written petition:
| Placement | Credit received with grade of "Pass" (C- or better) |
|---|---|
| GN 201 | GN 103 (4 hours) |
| GN 202 | GN 103 and GN 201 (7 hours) |
| GN 300 or 400 level | GN 103, GN 201, GN 202 (10 hours) |
Italian
Except for heritage language or bilingual individuals, students placed in IT 201 Intermediate Italian I or higher and who earn a grade of C- or higher in the course may be granted additional credit upon written petition:
| Placement | Credit received with grade of "Pass" (C- or better) |
|---|---|
| IT 201 | IT 102 (4 hours) |
| IT 202 | IT 102 and IT 201 (7 hours) |
| IT 300 level | IT 102, IT 201, IT 202 (10 hours) |
Latin
The course level at which students begin their study of Latin is determined by several factors. These factors include the following: the number of high-school units completed, language placement examination scores or faculty evaluation. Students placed in LA 201 Intermed Latin Read I or higher and who earn a grade of B or higher in the course may be granted additional credit upon written petition.
| Placement | Credit received with grade of "Pass" (C- or better) |
|---|---|
| LA 201 | LA 102 (3 hours) |
| LA 202 | LA 102 and LA 201 (6 hours) |
| LA 300 or 400 level | LA 102, LA 201, LA 202 (9 hours) |
Tracks
The major in foreign languages and literature requires the successful completion of specifically required semester hours in one of the following six tracks:
Classic Civilization Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Select one of the following language sequences: 1 | 12 | |
| Elementary Latin I and Elementary Latin II | ||
| Intermed Latin Read I and Intermed Latin Read II | ||
| OR | ||
| Beginning Greek I and Beginning Greek II | ||
| Intermediate Greek I and Intermediate Greek II | ||
| Select from the following: | 21 | |
| Greek Roman Mythology | ||
| Alexander the Great,Then & Now | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Roman Religion | ||
| History Of Greece | ||
| Greece & Rome in Lit. & Film | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| History Of Rome | ||
| Ancient Art | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Women: Antiquity to Modernity | ||
Select Greek or Latin language electives (100 level or above) | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Students must complete a foreign language sequence from 101-202 in either Latin or Greek. |
French Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Required courses: | 18 | |
| French Language & Cultures I | ||
| French Language & Cultures II | ||
| French Language & Cultures III | ||
| French Language & Cultures IV | ||
FR 321 or | Creative Writing in French | |
| Persuasive&Analytical Writing | ||
| Cultures and Conversations | ||
| Select two of the following literature courses: | 6 | |
| FR Lit: Origins to Revolution | ||
| Modern & Contemporary FR Lit | ||
| Survey of Global French Lit. | ||
| Page & Stage | ||
| Writing Immigration | ||
| Select one of the following culture courses: | 3 | |
| French in the News | ||
| French Material Culture & Civ | ||
| (His)stories and Fashion | ||
| Mktg & Advertising in France | ||
| Democracy and France | ||
| French Cinema | ||
| Select one of the following linguistics courses: | 3 | |
| Intro Romance Linguistic | ||
| Grammar in Society | ||
| Pronunciation & Phonetics | ||
| History of the French Language | ||
| French Linguistics | ||
| Select one of the following Electives, or a 300-400 FR course from the Cultures or Linguistics categories | 3 | |
| Service Learning in French | ||
| French for Engineering | ||
| French for Business Dev | ||
| French for Int'l Relations | ||
| Undergrad Sem in French | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
German Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 8 | |
| Elementary German I and Elementary German II | ||
| Accelerated Elementary German 1 | ||
| GN 201 | Intermediate German I | 3 |
| GN 202 | Intermediate German II | 3 |
| GN 361 or | Interm Convers Comp I | 3 |
| GN 362 | Interm Convers Comp II | |
| GN 371 | Gn Cult Civil Thru 1832 | 3 |
| GN 372 | Germn Cult Civ 1832-Present | 3 |
| GN 403 or | Undergraduate Seminar | 3 |
| GN 404 | Undergraduate Seminar | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 26 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select three hours of GN electives 2 | 3 | |
| German Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Germanic Mythology | ||
| Holocaust In Film & Lit | ||
| German Literature Translatn I | ||
| German Lit In Translatn II | ||
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
Or other German literature course with departmental approval | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Students taking GN 103 Accelerated Elementary German are required to take additional GN coursework to satisfy the 32 hour requirement for the German major. |
| 2 | A total of four hours in GN 205 Living German House I and GN 206 Living German House II may be applied to the 32 required hours in the major. |
Greek Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GR 101 | Beginning Greek I | 3 |
| GR 102 | Beginning Greek II | 3 |
| GR 201 | Intermediate Greek I | 3 |
| GR 202 | Intermediate Greek II | 3 |
| GR 301 | Advanced Greek I | 3 |
| GR 302 | Advanced Greek II | 3 |
| GR 490 | Adv Greek Literature | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 21 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| CL 323 or | Alexander the Great,Then & Now | 3 |
| CL 385 | History Of Greece | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 3 | |
| Select 9 hours from among the following | 9 | |
| Ancient Art | ||
| Greek Roman Mythology | ||
| Alexander the Great,Then & Now | ||
| Roman Religion | ||
| History Of Rome | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Greece & Rome in Lit. & Film | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
Latin language electives on the 100 level or above | ||
Greek language electives on the 400 level or above | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Or proficiency or placement. |
Italian Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| IT 101 | Introductory Italian I (or) | 4 |
| Honors Introductory Italian I | ||
| IT 102 | Introductory Italian II | 4 |
| IT 201 | Intermediate Italian I | 3 |
| IT 202 | Intermediate Italian II | 3 |
| IT 353 | Italian Conversation | 3 |
| IT 356 | Advanced Italian | 3 |
| IT 364 | IT Lit: Medieval to Modern | 3 |
| IT 380 | Special Topics | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 26 | |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Mod Italian Hist Through Film | ||
| Ingredients of the Italian Ren | ||
| Introduction to Italian Cinema | ||
| Violence in Rome | ||
| The Italian Mafia | ||
| Intro Romance Linguistic | ||
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 6 | |
| Other IT electives permissible, and Italian related coursework may apply with advisor approval. | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Latin Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| LA 101 | Elementary Latin I | 3 |
| LA 102 | Elementary Latin II | 3 |
| LA 201 | Intermed Latin Read I | 3 |
| LA 202 | Intermed Latin Read II | 3 |
| LA 301 | Survey Lit Roman Republ | 3 |
| LA 302 | Survey Lit Of Empire | 3 |
| CL 386 | History Of Rome | 3 |
| LA 490 | Readings In Latin Literature | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 24 | |
| Select 9 hours from the following: | 9 | |
| Ancient Art | ||
| Greek Roman Mythology | ||
| Alexander the Great,Then & Now | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Roman Religion | ||
| Greece & Rome in Lit. & Film | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| History Of Greece | ||
| Honors Research in Classics I | ||
| Honors Research in Classics 2 | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Women: Antiquity to Modernity | ||
| Greek language electives on the 100 level and above | ||
| Latin language electives on the 400 level or above | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Or proficiency or placement. |
The interesting thing about the study of any field of foreign languages or classics is that, far from limiting a student's career choices, it actually expands them. Instead of being tied to one particular technical skill, learners have a broad and unique understanding of the human condition and have developed an appreciation for the precision and power of language. Most careers are open to students because employers and recruiters realize and appreciate the rigor and difficulty of the degree itself.
Types of Jobs Accepted
Many of our graduates in foreign languages and classics go on to professional schools or advanced degrees in their own areas at well known universities around the country and abroad. Since 1995, classics has had a 100% acceptance rate for those who have applied for medical school. We have sent students to prestigious law schools. Some students have completed advanced study in Library Science or English/TESOL, while others have entered various areas in the private and public sectors.
Jobs of Experienced Alumni
Foreign languages and literature graduates have jobs in a variety of areas in the private and public sectors, including all levels of education and educational administration, in print and other areas of media, law, diplomacy, auto industry, high tech fields and in many other areas. Competitive employers acknowledge the advantages of hiring those who can understand and communicate with a greater number of people.
Classics graduates have gone to seminary and then on into the ministry. Several have gone on to MBA programs and graduated at the top of their class and now work in major businesses. Others have continued in classics and received a PhD and now teach in colleges here and in England. One student works for the Navy in Chicago, following a passion of hers, mapping and geography. The possibilities are endless!
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center