Romance Languages (BA)

Students who major in Romance languages intensively study two Romance languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish). Advanced knowledge of two languages opens up a world of travel, study, and job opportunities.

Our students explore not only the languages but also the literature and cultures of the modern and historical Romance world. Courses in the program focus on prose, poetry, theater, and film, as well as history and language. Romance languages students are encouraged to travel and study abroad.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Language proficiency: RL majors should reach at least a level of Intermediate-High (speaking) and Advanced (writing) in the primary target language and for the second language at least a level of Intermediate-Mid in all skills according to ACTFL proficiency standards.
  • Analytical skills related to the field/target languages (research and writing): Romance Languages majors should be able to: a) use basic tools/methods of analysis in either literary studies or linguistics, b) use technical vocabulary for literary analysis and criticism or linguistic analysis, c) demonstrate mastery of technical aspects of professional writing (manage bibliographic resources, document ideas using appropriate stylesheet, include in-line citations in writing, etc.)
  • Content objectives (literature/culture): Demonstrate familiarity with examples of the cultural/artistic production in the target languages from different historical periods. Identify authors, texts, themes, and literary/artistic/intellectual movements in the periods studied. Relate cultural artifacts (literature, film, fine arts) to the historical, cultural, and social contexts in which they were produced.
  • Discipline (humanities or social science): identify basic disciplinary questions that define literary analysis/cultural studies or sociolinguistics; apply or relate disciplinary questions to current debates in the arts, politics, social conflicts, etc.

Romance Languages Major Requirements

Romance languages majors must complete a minimum of 12 credits in literature, film, translation, and/or linguistics courses on the Eugene campus. At least 8 credits of these 12 must be in courses numbered 407 or higher.

Courses used to fulfill the major requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C- or better. Coursework transferred in from Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams are acceptable with a mark of P*.

First Romance Language
Language courses12
Literature survey sequence for French, Italian, or Spanish: 112
Three of the following in French:
French Survey: Francophone Literature 2
French Survey: Medieval and Renaissance
Monarchy, Liberty, Revolution
French Survey: 19th and 20th Centuries
Three of the following in Italian:
Italian Survey: Medieval and Renaissance
Italian Survey: Baroque and Enlightenment
Italian Survey: 19th and 20th Centuries
Spanish Literature and Culture Concentration (three of the following):
Hispanic Cultures through Literature I
Hispanic Cultures through Literature II
Hispanic Cultures through Literature III
Hispanic Cultures through Literature IV
Introduction to Poetry
Introduction to Theater
Introduction to Narrative
Spanish Language and Society Concentration:
Intensive Spanish Grammar Review
Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
Spanish Pronunciation and Phonetics
Additional literature, film, linguistics, or translation courses8
Second Romance Language
Language courses8
Courses in literature, film, linguistics, or translation8
Total Credits48

Language courses

French
La France contemporaine
Culture et langage: Le monde francophone contemporain
Oral Skills (Taken twice)
Advanced Writing in French
Italian
Cultura e lingua: l'Italia contemporanea
Cultura e lingua: societa, economia, politica
Cultura e lingua: arte, musica, i mass media
Oral Skills (Taken twice)
ITAL 320
Spanish
Cultura y Lengua: Identidades Hispanas
Cultura y lengua: expresiones artisticas
Cultura y lengua: cambios sociales
Cultura y lengua: comunidades bilingues

Literature, Film, Linguistics, or Translation courses

French
French Poetry
French Theater
French Narrative
French Film
Seminar: [Topic]
French-English Translation
Baroque Theater: [Topic]
18th-Century Literature: [Topic]
19th-Century Literature: [Topic]
20th-Century Literature: [Topic]
Italian
Seminar: [Topic]
Humanism and the Renaissance
20th-Century Literature: [Topic]
Spanish
United States Latino Literature and Culture
Introduction to Poetry
Introduction to Theater
Introduction to Narrative
Seminar: [Topic]
Spanish Linguistics: [Topic]
History of the Spanish Language
Literary Translation
Spanish in the United States
National Identities and Border Cultures in the Americas
Introduction to Spanish Golden Age
19th-Century Spanish American Literature: [Topic]
20th-Century Latin American Literature: [Topic]

Departmental Honors

Approval for graduation with honors is granted to any student who meets one of the following requirements:

  1. Maintains at least a 4.00 grade point average (GPA) in all upper-division department course work and at least a 3.50 GPA overall, or
  2. Maintains at least a 3.75 GPA in all upper-division department course work and at least a 3.50 GPA overall, and submits an honors thesis written under the guidance of a Romance languages faculty thesis advisor. The thesis adviser determines whether the thesis is acceptable and may require the student to register for up to 6 pass/no pass (P/N) credits in Thesis (FR, ITAL, SPAN 403)

If a student wishes to apply for honors by submitting an honors thesis, the application for graduation with honors must be submitted by the end of the term that immediately precedes the term of graduation. If a student is planning on graduating in the spring term, they must apply for graduation through their departmental advisor during the winter term.

Transfer credits and overseas-study work used to fulfill major graduation requirements are typically included in determining the major GPA.