B.A. in Modern Foreign Languages

We prepare students to engage with an increasingly globalized world through the intensive study of languages, literature, and cultures.

Proficiency in a foreign language is more than just an asset in today’s job market; it is an essential part of comprehending contemporary society. Our students learn how to communicate effectively in another language, while understanding and appreciating the culture in which it is spoken. Through clubs, language tables, and faculty mentorship, our graduates are poised to ride the tidal wave of globalization and enter a multitude of career areas.

Students can earn both a major in Modern Foreign Languages and a minor in a specific language. Currently, the department provides:

• Four years of instruction in Arabic, French, German, Italian and Spanish
• Three years of instruction in Chinese and Russian
• Two years of instruction in Japanese, Korean and Latin

The minimum requirement for a major in languages is 33 upper-division credit hours in a specific language.

We know that success requires equal parts intellect and action. At JMU, that’s what Being the Change is all about.

When students graduating from James Madison University proudly walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, they’re more than just educated. They’re members of a fellowship of doers. They know how to make things happen. They’ve honed their ability to think critically. They’ve learned the importance of a strong work ethic and they’ve become committed to and skilled at collaborating with others. Diplomas in hand, they leave campus determined to live lives of meaning and pursue careers of purpose.

Only two hours from Washington D.C., JMU is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading lights in higher education. That’s because students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty who are at JMU because they want to pursue knowledge and teach talented students.

JMU students, faculty and alumni are using equal parts intellect and action to succeed in every sort of pursuit: they’re boosting innovation and discovery, leading in business, advancing culture, improving health care, reforming education, renewing civil society, competing in athletics — they’re Being the Change in every imaginable way.