University of Delaware

What you'll study

This interdisciplinary bachelor's programme develops proficiency in one or more Romance languages (commonly Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese) while introducing students to literary traditions and the scientific study of language. The curriculum typically includes:

• Language sequence: intensive courses in listening, speaking, reading and writing through intermediate and advanced levels, often including specialised topics such as business, media, or heritage language instruction.
• Literature and culture: surveys and thematic seminars on literature, film, and cultural history from the Romance-language world, taught in the target language where appropriate.
• Core linguistics: foundational modules in phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics and historical linguistics that develop analytical tools for describing language structure and variation.
• Applied areas: courses in second language acquisition, language pedagogy, translation and interpreting, and corpus-based methods, allowing students to apply theory to teaching, translation or language technology contexts.
• Electives and minors: options to combine the major with other fields such as international relations, education, computer science or business, and to pursue advanced electives in a second Romance language.
• Capstone and research: a senior seminar, honours project or capstone experience that involves independent research, a translation project, or a practicum such as a teaching or community internship.
• Study abroad: semester or year-long exchanges and short-term programmes in countries where the target languages are spoken to accelerate fluency and cultural competence.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a recognised secondary-school qualification and meet the University of Delaware's general admissions standards. Recommended preparation includes prior study in a Romance language (for example, two or more years of high-school Spanish, French or Italian) and strong performance in language and English-language subjects.

Typical departmental expectations for incoming students include evidence of academic readiness — such as transcripts and a competitive overall GPA — and, where relevant, placement testing in the chosen language to determine starting level. International applicants whose first language is not English will need to demonstrate English proficiency through accepted tests or qualifications in line with the university's policy.

Applicants interested in teacher certification or in advanced linguistics pathways should check programme advising for any additional requirements or recommended preparatory courses.

Career prospects

Graduates leave the programme with strong communicative skills, cross-cultural literacy and analytical abilities in language description, which prepare them for a range of careers:

• Education: teaching at secondary or postsecondary level, language programme coordination, TESOL and language instruction (with appropriate certification where required).
• Translation, localisation and interpreting: work in publishing, legal and medical settings, NGOs and international organisations.
• International business, government and diplomacy: roles in trade, consular services, foreign affairs and global NGOs that value multilingual candidates.
• Media, communications and publishing: copyediting, content development, multicultural marketing and journalism aimed at multilingual audiences.
• Language technology and research: roles in corpus linguistics, computational linguistics and localisation testing, particularly when combined with computer-science skills.
• Graduate study: preparation for MA or PhD programmes in linguistics, comparative literature, area studies, translation studies or education.

Why study at University of Delaware

The University of Delaware offers a supportive departmental environment with small seminars and access to faculty who work across Romance languages, literatures and linguistics. Students benefit from structured language sequences, language labs and multimedia resources, plus opportunities for undergraduate research and honours study.

UD has an established study-abroad infrastructure and partnerships that make it straightforward to gain immersive language experience. The programme emphasises flexibility, allowing students to combine language study with minors or double majors in complementary fields and to pursue internships that connect classroom learning with real-world practice.

Through regular colloquia, film series and cultural events, students build professional networks and practical skills that help transition into careers or further study in linguistics, education, international affairs and related fields.