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*.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Romance Language | ||
| Language courses | 12 | |
| Literature survey sequence for French, Italian, or Spanish: 1 | 12 | |
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 courses | 8 | |
| Second Romance Language | ||
| Language courses | 8 | |
| Courses in literature, film, linguistics, or translation | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
| 1 | For the Spanish survey, choose only one of the two concentrations: Literature and Culture or Language and Society. |
| 2 | Students who have already taken Culture et langage: identités francophones (FR 303) cannot receive credit for French Survey: Francophone Literature (FR 312). |
Language courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | ||
| Intensive Italian Grammar Review | ||
| 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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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:
- 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
- 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.