Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate Major

B.A. in Foreign Languages
Undergraduate Coordinator: Amie Russell, Instructor II
Office: 1500 Lee Hall

Foreign language majors prepare for careers in government (State Department, foreign service, diplomatic corps, FBI, CIA, USIA, the military, immigration, etc.), international business, the human services fields, teaching at all levels (secondary school, junior college, university), and other language-related jobs.

Programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), the joint Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Foreign Languages are offered. For the B.A., the department offers five major concentrations: Asian Studies, Classics, French, German, and Spanish

Education students desiring Foreign Language teaching certification must see appropriate guidelines from the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education for the language requirements.

The Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages is awarded upon the successful completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours, including the following areas:

1. General Education Requirements
2. Bachelor of Arts Common Requirements
3. Note that degree requirements vary among the concentrations. It is the student's responsibility to meet the requirements of the chosen concentration, as listed below.
4. Study abroad is highly recommended. Foreign Language majors interested in following this recommended course of study should notify the advisor as soon as possible, so that a plan of study can be developed  to make sure graduation requirements are met.
5. The hours needed for graduation will depend upon the entry level of study into the major language; a minimum of eight, 3-credit hour courses in the chosen concentration at the 3000-level, or higher, is required.

*Note: Asian Studies is structured to allow the student to choose an East Asian language that may be either Chinese or Japanese in addition to literature and culture courses.

The MSU Major Change form can be found here. Please consult with advisors from both previous and future major programs when completing this form. 

To read about the Foreign Langauge major in the MSU Catalog, click here. 

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

A Five-Year Double Degree Program: B.A. in Foreign Languages & B.B.A. in Business Administration

The International Business Program provides students with an academic background and work experience to help ensure success in the marketplace. Students receive a double degree at graduation reflecting the dual concentration in Business: B.B.A (with an international focus and a specific discipline such as Marketing or Finance); and in the Arts: B.A. (language and cultural proficiency). This is additional to the first two years of study developing abilities in writing, math, sciences, and computer literacy.

The hallmarks of this program include a work internship and an outside the country academic experience of a full summer or one semester duration (generally taken the last of the 4th year or beginning of the 5th year). The internship is ideally reflective of the student’s specific business discipline and the study abroad is reflective of the student’s language proficiency area. The student who selects to combine the work and abroad experience must petition the IB Director for approval. Minimum acceptable levels are:

1. WORK: 10 continuous weeks of international tasks and responsibilities;
2. ABROAD: 6 continuous weeks in one location for cultural immersion.

The total number of semester credit hours (SCH) will be 154 for most students. The program has five main components:

1. a core of basic skills, including courses in writing, mathematics, sciences, and communication (30 SCH);
2. a core of humanities and social science courses selected to fit the special needs of international business major, emphasizing both the history and culture of other societies and the ways these societies relate to our own (27 SCH);
3. intensive training to develop proficiency in one foreign language (French, German, Spanish, and, coming soon, Asian Studies with Chinese or Japanese track) and its associated cultures and literatures (35 SCH);
4. a thorough grounding in business techniques and practices, including 33 SCH of general business courses, up to 12 SCH of international business courses, and 15 SCH in one of six functional/discipline emphasis in business (accounting, finance, information systems1, economics, management, marketing1, or risk management, insurance and financial planning1).
5. a one-semester internship program with an international business (4 SCH).

Students interested in following this recommended course of study should notify the Department Head of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures and the Director of International Business Academic Programs. Students must have the Director’s written approval to join the International Business Program. Students must meet all graduation requirements for the College of Business and the College of Arts & Sciences. These requirements include a 2.5 GPA in Upper Division Business courses and 31 resident credit hours of Upper Division Arts & Sciences courses. International Business students must also have an overall and previous semester GPA of 2.67 to be eligible for internship and study abroad. Students are reminded that an International Business degree is a double major, and they must see an adviser in Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures in addition to any advising they have from the College of Business.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Our 2+2 agreement will help transfer students know which classes are the most appropriate to take during the two years spent at a community college if their goal is to finish in our program in a total of 4 years.