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The School of Social Sciences and International Studies offers a major in Modern Languages with concentrations in French and Spanish.
Studying a modern language gives you a unique set of skills in communication, problem-solving, and critical and creative thinking. A degree in Modern Languages will help you understand world cultures and engage with diverse people and communities both in the US and across the globe.
You will also learn about the history, politics, culture, media, and literature of your chosen country and study their economic and educational systems.
Government and nongovernmental agencies have a critical need for college graduates with foreign language skills. Proficiency in a modern language will make you stand out to employers across industries, including education, medicine, law, government, business and commerce, and nonprofit sectors.
If the idea of studying abroad excites you, no other degree field offers as many opportunities for you to immerse yourself in a different culture while improving your language skills.
We are proud to offer a rich and varied program, with countless opportunities for involvement beyond the classroom.
Learning any foreign language helps us think creatively by exposing us to new ways of conceiving the world and by sensitizing us to the nuances of culture and communication. These skills are highly desirable in today’s globally dynamic marketplace.
The French concentration is particularly useful for students wishing to enter globally-oriented careers in the arts and the performing arts, the hospitality and travel industry, business, education, creative writing, international development, government, law, communications, linguistics, medical professions, motion pictures, philosophy, psychology, translation, and interpretation.
The Spanish concentration is particularly useful for students wishing to enter globally-oriented careers in business, education, international development, government, law and law enforcement, communications, medical professions, translation, interpretation, the travel industry, health professions, and social work.
Students can learn French and Spanish tailored to their chosen careers, including health care and business.
View the Spanish program profile for sample occupations, average salary, and employment projections
View the French program profile for sample occupations, average salary, and employment projections
Studying abroad is encouraged, and many students fulfill the requirements for the Modern Languages major in two-week to one-year-long individual exchanges, professor-led courses abroad, and at university-approved consortium sites.
French faculty lead short-term Ambassador study abroad programs to Paris, Normandy, Bordeaux, and Quebec. Popular summer-, semester-, and year-long destinations offered through USAC, ISA, the Ohio Consortium, and direct exchange programs include cities in France (Angers, Lyon, Pau, Strasbourg), Canada, and Luxembourg. Founded in 2003, the Summer Ambassador Program to France is one of the university’s longest-running programs. Program leaders keep fees low by planning the trip without travel agencies.
Spanish faculty lead short-term Ambassador study abroad programs to Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Popular summer-semester, and year-long destinations offered through USAC and ISA include Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, and Uruguay.
Consult the Modern Languages website's study abroad page, the University Center for International Education (UCIE) Study Abroad website, or faculty members for study abroad opportunities.
Teaching Assistantships are designed to help you explore teaching. Sign up for a French or Spanish Applied Elementary Instruction course by first contacting a professor who will be teaching a FR/SPN 1010 or a FR/SPN 1020 course. Typically, you will earn 3 credits for: attending all classes; tutoring students outside of class; keeping a journal of observations; turning in several reflection essays on pedagogical readings assigned by your instructor; and developing original mini-lessons on vocabulary, grammar, and culture under the supervision of your instructor.
Internships are opportunities to use your target language in professional settings while gaining academic credit. Some of the internships are unpaid, some are paid, and others are paid on commission—and scholarships may be available. We have partnerships with area schools, social services, afterschool programs for Latino children, and area businesses. Internships are typically open to seniors and coordinated by Professors Maria Astudillo (maria.astudillo@wright.edu) and Ksenia Bonch Reeves (xenia.bonch@wright.edu).
Those students who qualify for departmental Modern Languages Honors may prepare an in-depth project focusing on an area of expertise, including creative writing, translations, film projects, projects involving service to the Dayton area French- and Spanish-speaking communities, and service to local schools, museums, or charitable organizations.
Many extracurricular opportunities can lead to career placement, including work as tutors, supplemental instruction leaders, first-year programs peer instructors, and French or Spanish club officers.
French/Spanish tutors must have taken at least 15 credits at Wright State, including an upper-level course in French or Spanish. They must have a 3.0 GPA and a grade of A or B in the course they will be tutoring. Tutors earn $10.01/hour and benefit from professional development opportunities available from Tutoring Services. Contact your French or Spanish advisor for approval.
 For the past six months, Megan McKarns has lived in El Salvador, working with families and performing mission work. |
 Tasha Fox has taken study abroad trips to Belgium, Tanzania, China, France and Israel. |
View the Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages program information and requirements in the Academic Catalog.
View the B.A. in Modern Languages checksheet (PDF)
Starting your degree in Modern Languages at the right level ensures your academic success and enables you to take full advantage of the opportunities offered in our program.
Placement testing does not award credit. You can also learn more about transferring credit or earning credit by examination.
The School of Social Sciences and International Studies believes that students having learned French/Spanish in high school, through living abroad, or by any other means have the right to earn prior learning credit. Those students who place into French/Spanish classes between the 1010 and 2020 levels and attain a grade of C or better, may earn “Pass” credits for sequenced courses below that level. Students who have placed into a 3000- or 4000-level course may earn “Pass” credits for 1010 through 2020. Students desiring prior learning assessment should request and complete their PLA form at the School of Social Sciences and International Studies.
Native and near-native speakers of French or Spanish enrolled in an upper-level class may additionally take the French or Spanish language proficiency test in two areas, Conversation and/or Composition, and receive Prior Learning Assessment “Pass” credits for FR 3110/SPN 3110 and/or FR 3210/SPN 3210.
See the Modern Languages website for details, including fees.
We accept credit from accredited colleges and universities, as well as credit by examination, including CLEP, AP, International Baccalaureate (IB), the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy, ACTFL Proficiency tests (AAPL, OPI, WPT), and others. Please contact your College of Liberal Arts advisor for more information.
If transferring credit, a minimum of 4 upper-level FR or SPN courses (12 credits) must be taken at Wright State University.
Only courses with a grade of P (Pass/No Credit courses) or a grade of C or better (ABCDF courses) may be applied to the major.
Students who wish to teach French or Spanish in Ohio public schools can earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages. A sequence of education courses and school placements complement the bachelor’s degree, allowing students to earn licensure at the undergraduate level. Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state, and we have not determined if this program meets educational requirements outside of Ohio. If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state for information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure or certification requirements.
Faculty support students at all stages of preparation for licensure. Majors are encouraged early on to contact faculty for a mock Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and a Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) required for teaching candidates prior to the completion of their undergraduate degree.
Candidates must meet with a College of Health, Education, and Human Services Licensure Advisor early in the bachelor’s degree program to learn about the application procedure for school placements, deadlines, admission details, scheduling coursework, and other important information.
Requirements for admission to the undergraduate Licensure program include FR 2020 or FR 2500 or SPN 2020 or SPN 2500 or the equivalent, a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.6 or higher, C or better grades in all undergraduate content and education pre-requisite courses, and standardized testing.
Once candidates complete the program and pass Ohio-required licensure exams, (and the OPI and WPT exams), candidates are eligible apply for an Ohio Resident Educator Multi-Age (PK-12) license in French.
Merit-based scholarships are available.
For additional information, visit the Undergraduate Multi-Age Education French Licensure website.
Review the college admission requirements and complete the admission application. Identify that you will be majoring in Modern Languages.
If you are a current student and wish to change majors, go to the WINGS Express major/minor change request form and change your major. If you are an undecided/exploratory student, talk to your advisor about majoring in Modern Languages.
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