Department of Modern Languages
The Department of Modern Languages offers major programs leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in French or Spanish. The B.A. in French or Spanish is designed to increase proficiency in the language while introducing the student to the culture, history, and literature of the respective countries of study. The B.A. in French or Spanish with Business Emphasis builds upon the study of culture, history, and literature by including coursework in accounting, business administration, and marketing in an international context. The Department offers minors in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish, as well as courses leading to the Minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (housed in the Department of English). Coursework is also available in Arabic, Korean, and Russian through Intensive Summer Institutes and a self-instructional model that complies with NASILP (the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs. In addition, the Department offers a certificate in Latin American Studies as part of a collaborative program of fourteen universities in the University System of Georgia and also offers, in conjunction with the School of Education, courses leading to endorsement in the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESOL).
The Department of Modern Languages and the Department of Military Science offer students in the Corps of Cadets who are attached to a reserve unit the unique opportunity to combine course work at the university with study at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, California, in order to fulfill the Bachelor's degree requirements while training as military linguists.* These students will receive their AA degree upon completion of language course work at the DLI. On returning to North Georgia, students will maintain and enhance the language skills acquired at the DLI via distance learning and will complete a major of their choice for the Bachelor's degree, including any remaining core curriculum requirements needed.
The Department sponsors summer study abroad programs in Quebec, Canada; Toulouse, France; Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Santander and Nerja, Spain. There is also a one or two semester program for students of Spanish in Granada, Spain, at the GRIIS Institute. The University maintains an exchange agreement with Tsinghua University in Bejing, China, allowing students to take courses for a minor. Additionally, students may take advantage of other study abroad opportunities through the University System of Georgia. For more detailed information, please see Study Abroad section. Finally, the Department offers coursework in Arabic, Korean, and Russian through its affiliation with NASILP (National Association of Self - Instructional Language Programs). For more information, please see the Department Head.
A state-of-the-art language laboratory makes available to students and faculty the latest innovations in digital technology, thereby supporting language acquisition for the university community.
The faculty of the Department of Modern Languages assist students in planning their academic program of study and in choosing courses which fulfill degree requirements for the selected major. Students are responsible for knowing their degree requirements, for meeting with their advisor on a regular basis, and for completing the baccalaureate plan of study during their junior year.
* Admission to North Georgia and to the Corps of Cadets does not guarantee acceptance to DLI language study. The DLI controls its own admission policy and sets its own quota each admission period. Part of the admission requirements to the DLI involves making an appropriate score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).
Graduation Requirements
A graduation requirement in each degree program is senior assessment, which will be administered during the last semester before graduation. In addition, the following are parts of each degree program:
U.S. and Georgia Constitution and History requirement
Military Science requirements (for Military Students) |
12 hours |
Teacher Education requirements, if appropriate
Regents' Skills Test or exemption (must be taken during the first semester)
No grade below C will be accepted in a major area course required for a degree in French or Spanish. Major area courses include 1000- through 4000-level courses in the specific discipline in which the student is majoring.
Teacher Certification
Programs of study are subject to requirements listed in the Department of Teacher Education section of this catalog.