Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics

High school preparation

Three years or more of language study in high school are strongly recommended for all students entering one of the degree programs in the Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics Department.

Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics Faculty

The Department of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics seeks to help students:

• Understand and appreciate the rich diversity of world languages and cultures, both ancient and modern.
• Achieve communicative proficiency, both productive and receptive, in languages other than English.
• Cultivate an appreciation for world literature(s) in order to deepen the study of languages and cultures.
• Understand the structure of language through the study of linguistics.

The languages offered at SPU include Chinese, French, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Spanish. We also offer an “Academic English for Success” class to support international students with their English skills, when needed.

Programs and courses

• Classics (major and minor)
• Computational Linguistics (minor)
• French and Francophone Studies (major and minor)
• Greek (1000-level courses)
• Hebrew (1000-level courses)
• Linguistics and Cultural Studies (major and minor)
• Mandarin Chinese (1000- and 2000-level courses)
• Spanish Studies (major, minors, and tracks)

Placement test

If you’ve studied a foreign language and are an incoming student, you are required to take the online placement exam. This exam is for placement purposes only and cannot be used to satisfy the proficiency requirement.