Department of Languages

For more information about degree offerings by the faculty of languagues, visit the Department of Languages webpage.

Students who fulfill the requirements for a major in the Department of Languages acquire greater awareness of and appreciation for other cultures; develop proficiency in a target language and a basic understanding of its linguistic structure; gain a deeper understanding of textual analysis and literary genres, styles, and periods; engage with current scholarship; and prepare themselves to participate in a global society. Majoring in a language provides students with a strong pre-professional background for graduate studies in the arts and humanities as well as for careers in business, teaching, and government.

The first and second-year language courses offered by the Department of Languages are designed to help students throughout the University develop intermediate-level proficiency in a second language, as specified in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines. Students enrolled in these courses likewise gain insights into other cultures.

Placement in Language Courses

Prior to coming to campus to enroll, incoming students with previous classroom or life experience in Chinese, French, German, or Spanish who intend to continue studying the same language must take its placement exam. This policy also applies to native speakers of a Romance language who intend to take courses either in their native tongue or in another language taught by the department. The placement examination does not grant academic credit, nor can it be used to test out of the language proficiency requirement.

Delayed Proficiency Credit

By petitioning the Department of Languages, students who begin their language study in a course above the level of first semester and complete it with a grade of C or higher receive credit for the previous course as well, up to and including fourth semester. Such credit may not exceed four hours. Students with previous college, AP, or IB credit in a language are not eligible for delayed proficiency credit in that language, nor are native speakers who choose to study their native language. Delayed proficiency credit is awarded toward the completion of a College’s language proficiency requirement, but it is not granted if the language is being taken as an elective.

Beginning and Intermediate Language Courses

Students whose College requirements or personal goals include one or two years of language study may select from Chinese, French, German, ancient Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. The first course in each language sequence has no prerequisite and assumes no prior knowledge of the language. Each subsequent course in the beginning and intermediate sequences has as its prerequisite a grade of C or higher in the previous course or its equivalent, or departmental approval through placement. Students who elect to repeat a 1000- or 2000-level language course for a higher grade may do so only in the most advanced course they have taken in the sequence, and they may not take language courses out of sequence.

Study Abroad

As a significant component for the college experience, every language student is encouraged to participate in a study abroad program to acquire cultural literacy and fluency in a foreign language. For more details on TU’s programs abroad, contact the Center for Global Education (CGE) at 918-631-3229 or visit www.utulsa.edu/globaleducation.

Related Studies

Courses in comparative literature are taught in English and have no prerequisites. These draw from various traditions and time periods and provide strategies for relating literature to such areas as psychology, philosophy, politics, cinema, and the literatures of other cultures. The faculty of the Department of Languages also offers a variety of courses in areas such as linguistics, classics, film studies, and women’s and gender studies. Many of these are taught in English and are appropriate for students in a wide range of fields.

Language Majors

Major programs are offered in Chinese studies , French , German , Russian studies , and Spanish . The curriculum of a language major provides a wide range of experiences inside and outside the classroom. Many students combine their language major with a concentration in an additional field. Such a concentration may be a minor, a certificate program, or a second major. Prospective language teachers complete the major in Chinese studies, French, German, Russian studies, or Spanish, along with the licensure and certification requirements for grades K-12 as determined by the School of Urban Education .

Learning Objectives

Learning objectives at all levels of languages programs are met through students’ demonstration of the following:

• Language skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) that aid in communication and understanding among persons and groups of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds;
• Critical thinking and creative insights in the disciplined study of cultural media (such as literature and film) and linguistics;
• Fluency and coherence when presenting ideas in writing and in speech.

Student-designed Areas of Concentration

Students may design a Bachelor of Arts in classics or linguistics. For information on student-designed areas of concentration, see Student-Designed Area of Concentration .

Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies

The Chinese studies major  is an interdisciplinary program drawing from the disciplines of political science, history, literature and language, business, and economics to prepare students for a variety of professional careers and academic programs related to China.

Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies

The Russian studies major  is an interdisciplinary program in Russian language, literature and culture, history, and politics. The major provides students with the knowledge of historical and contemporary Russia, as well as with the ability to use the Russian language.

Bachelor of Science in International Business and Language

Career goals that include both language and business may be realized through the Bachelor of Science in International Business and Language (B.S.I.B.L.)  degree offered through the Collins College of Business. This single major combines specialized training in international business with the Chinese studies, French, German, Russian studies, or Spanish major curriculum.

Programs

• French, B.A.
• German, B.A.
• Spanish, B.A.

• Ancient Greek Minor
• Chinese Minor
• French Minor
• German Minor
• Latin Minor
• Linguistics Minor
• Russian Minor
• Spanish Minor

Courses

• RUSS 3023 Culture of the Soviet Union
• RUSS 3033 Approaches to Russian Literature
• RUSS 3043 20th-Century Russian Literature
• RUSS 3683 Advanced Grammar and Composition
• RUSS 3886 Intensive Russian Workshop
• RUSS 3992-3 Independent Study
• RUSS 4113 Special Topics in Russian
• RUSS 4886 Russian Workshop
• RUSS 4991-3 Independent Study

• SPAN 1004 Beginning Spanish I
• SPAN 1014 Beginning Spanish II
• SPAN 2003 Intermediate Spanish I
• SPAN 2013 Intermediate Spanish II
• SPAN 3003 Composition in Spanish
• SPAN 3013 The Culture of Spain
• SPAN 3023 Latin American Cultures
• SPAN 3033 Explication of Hispanic Literary Texts
• SPAN 3043 Conversation in Spanish
• SPAN 3073 Spanish Morphology and Syntax
• SPAN 3123 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
• SPAN 3233 Cinema of the Franco Era (1939-1975)
• SPAN 3313 Spanish Phonetics
• SPAN 3333 Spanish Film
• SPAN 3403 Spanish Translation
• SPAN 3463 Business Spanish
• SPAN 3473 Argentine Film
• SPAN 3603 Medical Spanish
• SPAN 3991-5 Independent Study
• SPAN 4003 Spanish Stylistics
• SPAN 4023 Bilingualism
• SPAN 4033 The Theatre in Spain
• SPAN 4043 Narrative Patterns and the Quijote
• SPAN 4053 Poetry of Spain
• SPAN 4073 Poetry of Latin America
• SPAN 4083 The Novel in Latin America
• SPAN 4093 Short Story of Latin America
• SPAN 4103 Modern Spanish Narrative
• SPAN 4113 Special Topics in Spanish
• SPAN 4303 The Development of Modern Spanish
• SPAN 4313 History of the Spanish Language
• SPAN 4403 U.S. Latinos on Film
• SPAN 4413 Marginal “Rioplatense” Film
• SPAN 4533 Internship Seminar
• SPAN 4863 Internship in Study Abroad
• SPAN 4873 Spanish Undergraduate Research
• SPAN 4973 Seminar in Spanish Literature
• SPAN 4983 Seminar in Latin American Literature
• SPAN 4991-4 Independent Study