The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers an undergraduate major for a Bachelor of Arts in World Languages and Cultures that allows students to choose one of four options: French, French/Spanish, Italian/Spanish, or Spanish. Each option requires specific foundation courses that prepare students for advanced study, students then select specialized courses that complement this core and allow for exploration of individual interests.<br><br>The main purpose of the World Languages major is to provide students with the ability to function more effectively in the multicultural world we live in. The courses offer students the opportunity to acquire an ability to use a second language and to become aware of the cultures in which they flourish.<br><br>The options focus on the major intellectual concerns, culture and communication. Serving as the paradigmatic model for thinking in the human sciences, language occupies a high rung in the conceptualization of numerous disciplines. Language courses offer an understanding of language as a system and a model of communication in its cultural context, in addition to providing skills in a number of languages. The learning of languages facilitates the cultural connections with the various linguistic groups of a region. The specific areas of study include instruction in language, literature, linguistics, civilization and culture.