Bachelor of Arts in World Languages and Literatures

The Department of World Languages and Literatures offers instruction in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. The Department has thirty faculty members actively engaged in research, instruction, and service.
The University of Memphis offers a bachelor's degree in World Languages, with single-language concentrations in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish; more limited programs are offered in Arabic, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, and Russian. The Master of Arts is offered in Romance Languages, with a concentration in either French or Spanish. Courses are available in literature, linguistics, civilization, and language for specific purposes.

The study of a world language is central to the international mission of the University, since it offers the student a deeper appreciation of a different culture. As the United States continues to increase its involvement in foreign trade, tourism, and international cooperative ventures, an awareness and an understanding of the culture and civilization of those countries become indispensable for the enlightened and literate individual.

All students, both freshmen and transfer, must apply online for admission as an undergraduate student.

• Freshman admission is competitive and based upon a comprehensive review of the student’s academic record. The primary factors include the high school/secondary grade point average and demonstrated English proficiency.
• Transfer admission is competitive and based upon the cumulative grade point average of all previously attended colleges/universities (international and domestic) and must be at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for consideration. Demonstrated English proficiency is also required of all international applicants.

Applicants should upload a copy of their unofficial international transcript or marks sheet (high school/secondary or college/university) using our secure document upload system.

All international transfer applicants must have their international documents evaluated by a US credentialing agency that holds membership with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

English proficiency may be satisfied two ways:

A minimum score or greater on any of the following English language tests:

• TOEFL - 61 on the internet-based test or 500 on the paper/pencil test
• IELTS - 6
• PTE - 50
• DUOLINGO - 95