FASTFACTS

  • Spanish and French are among the top bilingual skills that U.S. employers seek in online job postings.
  • PC’s modern foreign languages department has offered recent study-abroad trips to Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina and Spain.
  • Since its inception in 2009, PC’s Psi Eta chapter of Sigma Delta Pi has inducted 50 students and two faculty members.
  • More Spanish speakers live in the United States than in any Hispanic country except Mexico.

WHAT YOU’LL STUDY

As a modern foreign languages major, you grow proficient in French and Spanish, strengthening your communication abilities in both speech and writing. You also develop critical thinking and interpersonal skills that employers are looking for. 

The modern foreign languages program requires 37 hours of coursework. It’s actually one of PC’s most flexible majors, allowing you to choose courses that interest you and match your career goals. You’re required to take 18 hours of French courses at or above the 2000 level. This includes choices like Culture and Communication, Introduction to French Cinema, and 19th Century French Literature. You’ll also take 18 hours of Spanish courses at or above the 2000 level. Spanish for the Professions, Latin American Civilization, and Early Modern Literature of Spain are a few of the many choices. In addition to those 36 hours in French and Spanish, you’ll complete a Signature Work in one of those languages. For this semester-long project, you’ll demonstrate your knowledge of that language and culture, and apply it to a related problem or issue. If eligible, you can also earn marks of distinction on your transcript and diploma by conducting an honors project.

Since communication is vital to all vocations, foreign language training will complement any other major. Double majoring in modern foreign languages and another subject, as some PC graduates have done, makes you more marketable.

MORE INFORMATION

  • CO = Co-requisite
  • CO = Co-requisite
  • POI = Permissions of Instructor
  • PR = Pre-requisite
  • RE = Recommended
  • XL = Cross-listed

CAREER OUTCOMES

Foreign language majors are needed in many different sectors, including healthcare, education, and law enforcement. Spanish and French are the top bilingual skills, along with Chinese, that U.S. employers seek in online job listings. So says a New American Economy report from 2017 on the value of foreign language skills in the workplace. 

According to PayScale, those with a bachelor’s in modern languages earned an average salary of $52,000 in October 2020. Data from Georgetown University shows that a graduate degree in foreign language studies raises the median income to $67,000.

Graduates from PC’s modern foreign languages department have secured jobs in fields like international banking, law, business, journalism, and teaching. Alumni now work in healthcare, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They use their knowledge and skills in missionary work throughout the Hispanic world. And they serve in government and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI.

No matter your major, PC’s liberal arts education prepares you with problem-solving, communication and other soft skills employers look for.

CAREER PROFESSIONS

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FACULTY

Dr. Mark Cox

Professor of Spanish

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Dr. Patrick Kiley

Professor of French

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Dr. Sharon Knight

Professor of Spanish

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Dr. Clinia Saffi

Professor of Spanish

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