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 requirements, the following 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, Upper-level Residency, and other general A&S requirements can be found at https://catalog.ua.edu/undergraduate/arts-sciences/#requirementstext. A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be earned on this campus. Courses taken in UA summer programs may be used to satisfy the residency requirement.
Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University, College, major, and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the major department for academic planning and to be approved for registration each semester. College advisors are also available for additional assistance with minor, College, and University requirements. For more details, check the departmental website at https://mlc.ua.edu/undergraduate/.
Required Minor
This major requires the completion of a minor.
Course Placement
The course level at which students begin their study of a foreign language is determined by the language placement score or by having earned credit for prerequisite course(s). Credit by examination awards can be found in the catalog (https://catalog.ua.edu/undergraduate/about/academic-regulations/policies/credit-by-examination/). Students who do not have foreign language course credit should take the UA placement test. The UA placement test is available online at myBama.ua.edu by clicking on the search box and typing "Foreign Language Assessment."
The detailed placement guidelines can be found on the departmental website (https://mlc.ua.edu/undergraduate/language-placement/), or by talking to an advisor (https://mlc.ua.edu/advising/).
Credit Option
Departmental placement credit petition: If placed in FR 201, GN 201, IT 201, LA 201, or above, students are potentially eligible to receive placement credit upon written petition. The placement credit form is available at https://mlc.ua.edu/advising/, it must be submitted to the appropriate faculty member listed in it. Heritage language or bilingual students cannot receive back credit for FR/GN/IT 100-200 courses.
Core requirements
The major in Foreign Languages and Literature requires all students to successfully complete a core set of intermediate language, culture, and literature courses, as defined below. These requirements will be completed within the student's selected track.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Major Core Requirements | ||
| Two intermediate language courses | 6 | |
| Two culture courses | 6 | |
| Two literature courses | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Tracks
Students must complete all courses, both core and concentration requirements, within their chosen track. There are six tracks to choose from: Classic Civilization, French, German, Greek, Italian, or Latin. Their requirements are detailed below.
Classic Civilization Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Language core (continue the sequence completed in Required Courses): 1 | 6 | |
| Intermediate Greek I and Intermediate Greek II | ||
or | ||
| Intermed Latin Read I and Intermed Latin Read II | ||
| Culture core (select 6 hours): | 6 | |
| Greek Roman Mythology | ||
3h in any CL 300 or 400 level courses not already taken | ||
| Literature core (select 6 hours): | 6 | |
| Alexander the Great,Then & Now | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Julius Caesar | ||
| Roman Religion | ||
| Greece & Rome in Lit. & Film | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| History of Ancient Greece | ||
| History of Ancient Rome | ||
Or any CL 200 or 400 level courses not already taken | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| Select one of the following language sequences: | 6 | |
| Beginning Greek I and Beginning Greek II | ||
or | ||
| Elementary Latin I and Elementary Latin II | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 9 hours from the following options: | 9 | |
Any CL 200 or 300 level courses not already taken | ||
| Aristotle: How Stuff Works | ||
| Honors Research in Classics I | ||
| Honors Research in Classics 2 | ||
| Ancient Art | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Women: Antiquity to Modernity | ||
Greek or Latin language electives (100 level or above) not already taken | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Students must complete a full foreign language sequence from 101-202 in either Latin or Greek. |
French Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Language core: | 6 | |
| French Language & Cultures III and French Language & Cultures IV | ||
| Culture core: | 6 | |
| Cultures and Conversations | ||
FR 330 or | French in the News | |
FR 331 or | French Material Culture & Civ | |
FR 333 or | (His)stories and Fashion | |
FR 424 or | Mktg & Advertising in France | |
FR 431 or | Democracy and France | |
| French Cinema | ||
| Literature core: | 6 | |
FR 341 or | FR Lit: Origins to Revolution | |
FR 351 or | Modern & Contemporary FR Lit | |
FR 352 or | Survey of Global French Lit. | |
| Amour&Transgression in FR Lit | ||
FR 441 or | Page & Stage | |
FR 470 or | Undergrad Sem in French | |
| Writing Immigration | ||
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Language and writing courses: | 9 | |
| French Language & Cultures I and French Language & Cultures II | ||
FR 321 or | Creative Writing in French | |
| Persuasive&Analytical Writing | ||
| Select one of the following linguistics courses: | 3 | |
| Discourse Analysis - French | ||
| Grammar in Society | ||
| Pronunciation & Phonetics | ||
| History of the French Language | ||
| French Linguistics | ||
| Select one of the following Electives: | 3 | |
| Service Learning in French | ||
| French for Engineering | ||
| French for Business Dev | ||
| French for Int'l Relations | ||
| Francophone Africa Economies | ||
| Francophone African Religion | ||
| Special Topics | ||
Or any FR 300 or 400 level course from the Culture or Linguistics categories not already taken | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
German Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Language core: | 6 | |
| Intermediate German I and Intermediate German II | ||
| Culture core: | 6 | |
| German Cult & Civ until 1832 | ||
| German Cult & Civ since 1832 | ||
| Literature core: | 6 | |
GN 250 or | Germanic Mythology | |
GN 252 or | Fairy Tales - Grimm to Disney | |
GN 260 or | Holocaust In Film & Lit | |
GN 264 or | German Literature Translatn I | |
GN 265 or | German Lit In Translatn II | |
GN 403 or | Undergraduate Seminar | |
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
GN 403 or | Undergraduate Seminar | |
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
Or another GN literature course with departmental approval | ||
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Language courses: 1 | 11 | |
| Elementary German I and Elementary German II | ||
| Accelerated Elementary German | ||
GN 361 or | Intermed Convers & Compos I | |
| Intermed Convers & Compos II | ||
| Select 3 hours of GN electives 2 | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Students taking GN 103 Accelerated Elementary German or beginning at a higher level are required to satisfy the 32 hour minimum for the GN major concentration with electives as need be. |
| 2 | A total of four hours in GN 205 Living German House I and GN 206 Living German House II may apply to the 32 hour minimum for the GN major concentration. |
Greek Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Language core: | 6 | |
| Intermediate Greek I and Intermediate Greek II | ||
| Culture core: | 6 | |
| History of Ancient Greece | ||
| Adv Greek Literature | ||
| Literature core: | 6 | |
| Advanced Greek I and Advanced Greek II | ||
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Language courses: | 6 | |
| Beginning Greek I and Beginning Greek II | ||
| Select 9 hours from the following courses: | 9 | |
| Greek Roman Mythology | ||
| Alexander the Great,Then & Now | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Roman Religion | ||
| Greece & Rome in Lit. & Film | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| History of Ancient Rome | ||
| Honors Research in Classics I | ||
| Honors Research in Classics 2 | ||
| Ancient Art | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Women: Antiquity to Modernity | ||
Or any GR 400 level course not already taken | ||
Or any LA 100 level or above course not already taken | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Italian Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Language core: | 6 | |
| Intermediate Italian I and Intermediate Italian II | ||
| Culture core: | 6 | |
| Advanced Italian | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Literature core: | 6 | |
| Medieval & Renaissance IT Lit | ||
| IT Lit in Trans: Mod & Contemp | ||
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Language: | 8 | |
IT 101 or | Introductory Italian I | |
| Honors Introductory Italian I | ||
| Introductory Italian II | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| It. Conv. - Study Abroad | ||
| Italian Conversation | ||
| Advanced Italian Abroad | ||
| Italian Translation | ||
| Italian Community Service | ||
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Italian Cinema | ||
| Violence in Rome | ||
| The Italian Mafia | ||
| Italian Culture Abroad | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Latin Track
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Language core: | 6 | |
| Intermed Latin Read I and Intermed Latin Read II | ||
| Culture core: | 6 | |
| History of Ancient Rome | ||
| Readings In Latin Literature | ||
| Literature core: | 6 | |
| Survey Lit Roman Republ | ||
| Survey Lit Of Empire | ||
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Language: | 6 | |
| Elementary Latin I and Elementary Latin II | ||
| Select 9 hours from the following courses: | 9 | |
| Greek Roman Mythology | ||
| Alexander the Great,Then & Now | ||
| Greek Civilization | ||
| Roman Religion | ||
| Greece & Rome in Lit. & Film | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| History of Ancient Greece | ||
| Honors Research in Classics I | ||
| Honors Research in Classics 2 | ||
| Ancient Art | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Women: Antiquity to Modernity | ||
| Or any GR 100 level or above course not already taken | ||
| Or any LA 400 level course not already taken | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
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