Tennessee Technological University

Foreign Languages Department

The Department of Foreign Languages at Tennessee Tech University offers an undergraduate major in Foreign Languages with concentrations in French, German, and Spanish. For a list of each curriculum, Click Here.

Option 1 consists of 30 semester hours in one language beginning with 2010. A minor in a second language is recommended, though not required. Other popular minors include business (French, German, Spanish)or secondary education (with licensure) (French, German, Spanish).  In fact, students completing the B.A. program of studies in Foreign Languages along with the courses required for teacher licensure also may receive a second degree in Secondary Education by adding electives to the licensure program. Students with superior previous language training may begin their major courses at the upper-division level after having successfully completed a CLEP test in that language and receiving credit for the first four courses in that language.

Option 2 (French, German, Spanish) is available to students who concurrently major in engineering, science, or nursing. With additional coursework, students from these disciplines can earn a B.A. degree in a foreign language in addition to their B.S. degree. This modified curriculum prepares students for the increasingly international dimensions of their professions. Naturally a comprehensive, two-degree program requires at least two additional semesters, but the benefits can make the extra work very worthwhile. Details may be obtained by contacting the Department of Foreign Languages.

The Department also cooperates in the B.S. in World Cultures and Business degree program, which is jointly administered by the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business Administration. The B.S. in World Cultures and Business is an "applied" study of human interaction and commerce designed to prepare students for the arena of international relations and trade. It has a strong foreign-language component along with courses in world civilizations, international finance, economics, management, and marketing, and a capstone practicum -- either an internship or a study-abroad program. Some students pursue a five-year, two-degree track with a B.S. in World Cultures and Business and a B.A. degree in Foreign Languages-French, German, or Spanish. See the World Cultures and Business Overview Page for more details.
Undergraduate and graduate minors in foreign languages are also available to students who major in other disciplines. Also available are double majors with the B.A. programs in English or History and two-degree programs with all other majors on campus.

Study Abroad Opportunities

Study Abroad opportunities have increased substantially in the past several years, thanks to the university's scholarship program to help cover the cost of travel to another country on a sponsored program. All foreign-language majors are urged to include a study-abroad experience as part of their major program.

Tennessee Tech is a "sister" institution with several universities in other countries, and is a member of the International Student Exchange Program, the Magellan Program, and several other programs for study abroad.