Undergraduate Program Focus

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) offers undergraduate students a broad range of opportunities to develop language proficiency while exploring the cultures, histories, societies, and literatures of the Romance-speaking world. Through coursework across multiple disciplines, students strengthen their analytical, communicative, and intercultural skills while engaging with diverse perspectives across languages and cultures. Undergraduate study in RLL also provides opportunities to pursue majors and minors, participate in study abroad programs, and further explore the languages, cultures, and societies of the Romance-speaking world.

For many students, undergraduate study in RLL begins in the Elementary Language Program (ELP), which provides a strong foundation in language proficiency, intercultural understanding, and communication. Students completing or placing beyond the ELP sequence continue their studies through advanced language courses and a bridge course designed to prepare them for upper-level coursework contributing to RLL majors and minors. More information about the ELP is available on the Elementary Language Program page.

Upper-level coursework in RLL spans a broad range of disciplines, including literature, linguistics, cinema, history, cultural studies, and related fields. In addition to coursework in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, RLL also offers Catalan language courses within the upper-level Spanish curriculum.