Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate Program

Major

The Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages is awarded upon the successful completion of a minimum of 123 semester hours, including the following areas: (The hours needed for graduation will depend upon the entry level of study into the major language; a minimum of eight, 3-credit hour courses in the chosen concentration at the 3000-level, or higher, is required.)

  1. General Education Requirements
  2. Bachelor of Arts Common Requirements
  3. Note that degree requirements vary among the concentrations. It is the student's responsibility to meet the requirements of the chosen concentration, as listed below.
  4. Completion of the fourth semester course of a second foreign language (12 semester credit hours) is recommended. In addition to the concentrations (Asian Studies, Classics, French, German, and Spanish), the department offers courses in Italian and Russian.
  5. Study abroad is highly recommended. Foreign Language majors interested in following this recommended course of study should notify the advisor as soon as possible, so that a plan of study can be developed  to make sure graduation requirements are met.

Available concentration areas in Foreign Languages are:

Asian Studies Classics French German Spanish

The MSU Major Change form can be found here. Please consult with advisors from both previous and future major programs when completing this form. 

To read about the Foreign Langauge major in the MSU Catalog, click here. 

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

A Five-Year Double Degree Program: B.A. in Foreign Languages & B.B.A. in Business Administration

The International Business Program provides students with an academic background and work experience to help ensure success in the marketplace. Students receive a double degree at graduation reflecting the dual concentration in Business: B.B.A (with an international focus and a specific discipline such as Marketing or Finance); and in the Arts: B.A. (language and cultural proficiency). This is additional to the first two years of study developing abilities in writing, math, sciences, and computer literacy.

The hallmarks of this program include a work internship and an outside the country academic experience of a full summer or one semester duration (generally taken the last of the 4th year or beginning of the 5th year). The internship is ideally reflective of the student’s specific business discipline and the study abroad is reflective of the student’s language proficiency area. The student who selects to combine the work and abroad experience must petition the IB Director for approval. Minimum acceptable levels are:

  1. WORK: 10 continuous weeks of international tasks and responsibilities;
  2. ABROAD: 6 continuous weeks in one location for cultural immersion.

The total number of semester credit hours (SCH) will be 154 for most students. The program has five main components:

  1. a core of basic skills, including courses in writing, mathematics, sciences, and communication (30 SCH);
  2. a core of humanities and social science courses selected to fit the special needs of international business major, emphasizing both the history and culture of other societies and the ways these societies relate to our own (27 SCH);
  3. intensive training to develop proficiency in one foreign language (French, German, Spanish, and, coming soon, Asian Studies with Chinese or Japanese track) and its associated cultures and literatures (35 SCH);
  4. a thorough grounding in business techniques and practices, including 33 SCH of general business courses, up to 12 SCH of international business courses, and 15 SCH in one of six functional/discipline emphasis in business (accounting, finance, information systems1, economics, management, marketing1, or risk management, insurance and financial planning1).
  5. a one-semester internship program with an international business (4 SCH).

Students interested in following this recommended course of study should notify the Department Head of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures and the Director of International Business Academic Programs. Students must have the Director’s written approval to join the International Business Program. Students must meet all graduation requirements for the College of Business and the College of Arts & Sciences. These requirements include a 2.5 GPA in Upper Division Business courses and 31 resident credit hours of Upper Division Arts & Sciences courses. International Business students must also have an overall and previous semester GPA of 2.67 to be eligible for internship and study abroad. Students are reminded that an International Business degree is a double major, and they must see an adviser in Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures in addition to any advising they have from the College of Business.

 

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Our 2+2 agreement will help transfer students know which classes are the most appropriate to take during the two years spent at a community college if their goal is to finish in our program in a total of 4 years.

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