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Bennion
Center

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Capstones
Program

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Hinckley
Institute

15

Average
Class Size

Courses

Getting Started

  • Take the beginner-level 1010 class in your chosen language
  • If you have prior experience, take a WLC placement test before classes start
  • Spanish or French students can take summer intensive classes to speed up their degree

Making Progress

  • Run a degree audit every semester to track your progress
  • Complete WLC 2010 or 2020 for an introduction to upper-division language courses
  • Meet with an advisor to plan ahead for the WLC Practicum Signature Experience
  • Keep an eye out for elective classes in English
  • Balance your major schedule with your Gen Eds and other areas of study

Finishing Up

Community

Getting Started

Making Progress

  • Become the leader of your language club
  • Take the WLC Peer Advisor class to help your fellow language students
  • Join the Bennion Center Scholars Program or complete a Saturday Service Project related to your language
  • Take courses with a small student cohort and build positive peer relationships by becoming a LEAP Scholar

Finishing Up

  • Take WLC 3940 to connect with your language community
  • Present your volunteer or internship experience at a campus conference
  • Tell the WLC department about your plans after graduation

Knowledge & Skills

Getting Started

  • After declaring your language major, explore other departments to supplement your language education and focus your long-term goals
  • Explore tutoring options at the Learning Success Center

Making Progress

  • Complete a local, national, or global language internship through the Hinckley Institute to discover language career opportunities and widen your network
  • Utilize the Writing Center to improve your written communication skills for jobs
  • Participate in Undergraduate Research with a professor and receive funding through UROP or the Capstone Program

Finishing Up

Transformation

Getting Started

Making Progress

Language students are uniquely positioned to study abroad:
  • WLC department professors lead groups of only U of U students to Spain, China, Japan, Germany, Egypt, and Italy
  • These Faculty-Led Programs cover one year of language classes (6-8 credits) over 1-2 months in the summer
  • In addition to classes, you can embark on excursions to important cultural heritage sites
  • Scholarships available from the Learning Abroad Office

Finishing Up

  • Finish an ePortfolio of your college accomplishments to share with employers
  • Submit a speech to deliver at the commencement ceremony

Impact

Getting Started

Making Progress

  • Register for a service-focused Alternative Break through the Bennion Center
  • Become a Bennion Center Student Leader to promote volunteer opportunities in your languages
  • Explore Lassonde Entrepreneurship programs to start a business venture and use your language skills to expand it
  • Tutor beginner students in your languages

Finishing Up

Careers

Getting Started

  • Activate and customize your Handshake account to explore jobs, internships, and career events
  • Take a Career Course (HUM 3960, CSBS 2700, UGS 1950) to explore career options
  • Create your LinkedIn profile

Making Progress

  • Make an appointment with a Career Coach to help you explore potential careers that align with your strengths, values, interests, and personality
  • Attend our Career Fairs and Expos (check out employers beforehand in Handshake!)
  • Secure a part-time job or internship in an industry of interest through Handshake
  • Activate your AlumniFire account to connect with alums and learn about their career paths

Finishing Up

Start Your Career Journey


Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)

Visit cpdc

 

About the Major

The Department of World Languages and Cultures provides an in-depth look at multiple languages and cultures. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of the diverse world you inhabit, then one of these 11 majors is a great fit for you! There are 8 majors that focus on language - Chinese, French, French Teaching, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Spanish Teaching - and 3 majors that focus on culture - Classics, Comparative Literacy and Cultural Studies, and Religious Studies. Within any of these majors, you'll further your understanding of other cultures, which in turn refines your critical thinking, writing, and communication skills across any language. You will have the opportunity to engage with literature, film, history, music, various aspects of popular media, and other arts to develop a comparative perspective on your own culture, language, values, history, and traditions. This inter-cultural understanding will help prepare you to engage intelligently and sympathetically with multiple peoples and nations across the world, opening the door to plenty of opportunities across diverse professions. The Department of World Languages and Cultures is committed to preparing you to contribute globally in all areas of social, cultural, business, and political interaction. You will become a more productive and empathetic citizen of Utah, the USA, and the world.

Learning Outcomes

  • Develop cultural competency in a culture(s) of your choice.
  • Gain broad knowledge and comprehension of the literature, history, geography, art, architecture, philosophy, religions, etc. of the region(s) in which a target language is spoken.
  • Learn to apply critical analysis to cultural artifacts, particularly texts, in a chosen culture(s) and across cultures.
  • Communicate knowledge effectively both in a chosen language(s) and one's own native language.

Plan & Prepare

At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.

Discover More.


ATMOS

Atmospheric Sciences

THEA.T

Theatre Teaching BFA

BUS

Operations and Supply Chain
Last Updated: 7/19/24