Arielle Saiber (Italian, Modern Languages & Literatures) and David Yaden (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine) have been awarded a Discovery Award (2026-2028) for their project “Altered States of Consciousness Across Language, Science, […]
Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures encompasses the study of French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Yiddish-speaking worlds. More than 100 courses are offered every year, from introductory language classes to advanced graduate seminars in literature and theory.
Explore our Programs
French
Explore early modern, modern, and contemporary French literature, as well as in topics in cultural studies, film, and the teaching of the French language.
- Major
- Minor
- PhD
German
A leading force in literary criticism with recognized strength in the intersection of literature and philosophy from the Enlightenment to the present.
- Major
- Minor
- BA/MA
- PhD
Hebrew & Yiddish
Offers language instruction in Hebrew and Yiddish along with a wide range of offerings on the literature and culture of the Jewish diaspora (the Americas, Europe, Israel).
- Minor
- PhD
Italian
Study Italian language from the elementary level through advanced composition and grammar, as well as literature, film, and cultural studies.
- Major
- Minor
- PhD
Romance Languages
The department offers a major in two different configurations: a dual-language option, and a three-language option.
- Major
Spanish & Portuguese
Experience the importance and influence of the Iberian, Latin American, and Luso-Afro-Brazilian histories, cultures, and languages worldwide.
- Major
- Minor
- PhD
News & Announcements
An intersession of Language and Culture in Guadeloupe
An undergraduate trip to Guadeloupe teaches students language skills, culture, and history of the area.
Max Kade Professor Caroline Torra-Mattenklott delivers lecture on Döblin and Futurist Painting
“‘Mut zur kinetischen Phantasie’: Studies of Body and Motion in Alfred Döblin’s Wadzeks Kampf mit der Dampfturbine“. In early twentieth-century literature—in the works of Marcel Proust or Franz Kafka, among others—the […]