Planning Your Program
Richmond offers four majors and six minors through the Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures. The department also supports the international business concentration offered through the Robins School of Business.
When it comes to choosing a course of study, students often wonder whether one language is more practical than another. The simple answer is that there is no impractical language. All languages connect students with significant historic, cultural and economic realities from the past and present. Learning a second language, no matter what the language, also greatly enhances your ability to learn a third or even fourth language. So, if in graduate school, you discover a passion for Uzbek, Ukrainian or Urdu, you’ll be well equipped to learn it with greater speed and ease.
With regard to learning a second language, native speakers of English tend of progress more quickly in Romance languages like French, Italian or Portuguese than in other European languages, or Asian and Middle Eastern languages, but so much depends on the individual. Any language you study will open your mind to new ways of thinking about the world, so just follow your passion and the rest will follow.
Students who have studied a language in high school should plan to complete a placement test at the Multimedia Language Laboratory prior to registering for classes. Generally, students who have had three or more years of a language in high school should begin their language studies at the intermediate level at least. Even students who received a low placement score on either the SAT II, Advanced Placement (AP) exam or Richmond’s placement test tend to find that the intermediate course is where they belong. Students remember the basics fairly quickly and enjoy the more challenging environment. To completely exempt out of the University’s language requirement generally requires a level of proficiency equivalent to receiving a score of 5 on an AP exam.
Even students who have met the University’s language proficiency requirements prior to enrolling, often find that they would like to continue with their language studies or choose an entirely new language to master. Students who continue to work in their previous language generally begin taking courses at the 300 level. The department recommends students take conversation and composition courses before moving on to literature courses, but there can be exceptions. If you have questions about appropriate course placement, contact the department chair.
Students who take a language course for credit during the summer or as part of a study abroad program need to be sure the course is offered by an accredited college, university or community college and that it is part of a standard, university-level elementary-intermediate language sequence that includes listening, speaking and writing. Intensive courses may be a two-semester format but non-intensive courses should generally run for four semesters. Contact the department chair to pre-approve the transfer credit.
Check out current courses offered in the Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures.
