New BA in Languages, Literatures and Cultures Opens Track for Non-European Language Majors

The College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences’ Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures has launched a new bachelor of arts degree program in Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LL&C) effective Sept. 1, 2022. The unified BA provides a possible concentration in six languages: Chinese, French and Francophone Studies, German, Italian, Japanese and Russian, and replaces the four distinct BAs currently offered in French and Francophone Studies, German, Italian and Russian.

“The new BA allows us to meet one of our main strategic goals of strengthening our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by supporting student demand for non-European languages, opening the opportunity to major in Chinese and Japanese,” said Rachel Walsh, chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

According to Walsh, the move aligns with recent national trends in higher education to reorganize and unify language programs.

“It allows for more curricular cohesion, a strengthened sense of collective identity as a department among faculty, students and alumni and also addresses critical relevant topics by creating two common courses unique to DU that will be taught in English,” Walsh said. “This new BA also really speaks to the University’s focus on career readiness competencies.”

The department is hosting an event Sept. 28, 2022, at 3 p.m. at its main office, Sturm Hall 391, to celebrate the new BA and the benefits it brings. Students will be able to sign paperwork needed to declare the new BA with a concentration in one of the six language options. Registration is optional, but interested students can register here.

“We had been working for years to get a major in Chinese and Japanese and we’re really excited,” Walsh said. “This first year we plan to target our advising toward getting those seniors currently minoring in Chinese and Japanese who’ve been waiting a long time for this into the two required common classes necessary to earn their degrees in the spring. They will be the first batch of students eligible to graduate with a degree in the new major.”

Students currently majoring in French, German, Italian or Russian also have an option to switch to the new major or stay in their current track, while all first-time and incoming students are required to declare the new major and their preference for a concentration.