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World Languages, Literatures and Cultures


Your Future In World Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Want to enhance your opportunities for employment in the U.S. and abroad? Interested in expanding your personal horizons? Want to better position yourself for success? Then pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in a world language at the University of North Texas might be for you.

Studying a world language allows you to familiarize yourself with another culture and develop a global perspective. It can also strengthen your analytic and interpretive skills, leading to higher scores in math and English courses and on entrance exams.

Majoring in a world language can prepare you for a variety of career fields, including:

  • Banking
  • Education
  • Health services
  • Intelligence and law enforcement
  • Journalism
  • Marketing
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Social services
  • The travel industry

Our graduates have been employed by international companies, airlines, law firms, school districts and universities.

What we offer

Earning your bachelor's degree involves more than just learning to understand, speak, read and write in another language. Through required course work and electives, you'll gain insights into other cultures and explore literatures and linguistics.

The Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers majors in French, German and Spanish as well as professional certification in French and Spanish. The professional certification is useful for careers in travel and tourism, law enforcement, the medical profession and business.

Minors in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish are also available.

Our faculty members include native speakers, participants in national organizations and award-winning professors.

We work closely with the Study Abroad office to provide multiple opportunities for international work and study. These opportunities allow you to immerse yourself in the language and experience the culture first hand. They include studying:

  • Chinese in Beijing
  • French in Caen
  • German in Freiburg
  • Italian in Rome
  • Japanese in Tokyo
  • Russian in St. Petersburg
  • Spanish in Puebla, Mexico; San José, Costa Rica; or Valencia, Spain

More information on these programs is available at our website.

We offer a variety of opportunities to practice the languages and learn more about the cultures, including conversation groups and film series. We also sponsor honor societies for French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

Scholarships are available to help you pursue your degree. These scholarships are awarded based on academic performance. Information about these scholarships is available by contacting the department.

What to expect

You'll become proficient in speaking, reading and writing the language you choose. You may spread your beginning and intermediate requirements over four semesters or accelerate your schedule.

Our World Language Learning Center provides 80 computer workstations, more than 30 software programs for self-study and assignments, multi-language audio and video media, satellite reception of international programs and presentation equipment.

The Career Center, Learning Center and professional academic advisors are among the many valuable resources available to you at UNT. The Career Center can provide advice about internships, future employment opportunities and getting hands-on experience in your major. The Learning Center offers workshops on speed reading, study skills and time management. Academic advisors will help you plan your class schedule each semester.

HOW TO ENROLL AT UNT

High school students

We encourage you to fulfill the graduation requirements for the distinguished level of achievement under the Texas Foundation, Recommended or Distinguished Achievement high school program or the equivalent.

In your junior year, take the SAT or ACT and have your scores sent to UNT.

In your senior year, apply for admission at ApplyTexas.org by March 1 and request that your high school transcript be sent to the UNT admissions office.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can count toward college credit at UNT.

Transfer students

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult our online transfer guides, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor or advisor to review your degree plan. Proper planning will allow you to receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Our Transfer Center will help you make a successful transition to college life at UNT by connecting you with a peer mentor and other campus resources. Each year, 3,800 students transfer to UNT.