Department History
Explore the history of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures and discover how its enduring commitment to the study of language, literature, and culture has fostered a rich tradition of teaching, scholarship, and interdisciplinary inquiry across generations.
Courses
News & Events
The Department of Romance news and events highlight the vibrant intellectual life of the department, featuring lectures, workshops, conferences, student achievements, faculty research, and other community activities.
Undergraduate Information
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures undergraduate programs offer students the opportunity to develop advanced language skills while exploring the rich cultures, histories, and literary traditions of the Romance-speaking world. Through interdisciplinary study and close engagement with language and culture, students build strong foundations for global citizenship and a wide range of future careers.
Graduate Information
We offer PhD programs in three areas of study: French and Francophone Studies, Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies, and Italian Studies. Students whose interests lie at the intersection of more than one Romance language and literature may petition during their first year to pursue a course of study in two RLL graduate programs (e.g., HLBS and Italian).
People
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures people directories help connect students, faculty, staff, and visitors with the individuals who make up the department’s academic community. These directories provide an easy way to learn more about department members and find contact information, roles, and areas of expertise.
About the Department
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures embraces multiple disciplinary and linguistic traditions reflecting the geographical range and theoretical diversity of our fields. We teach seven languages: Basque, Catalan, French, Haitian Kreyol, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Our configurations for undergraduate study include majors and minors in the languages, literatures, and cultures of Italy, France and the Francophone world, and Iberia and Latin America.
Why Study Linguistics?
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. At the heart of linguistics is an understanding of:
- The unconscious knowledge that humans have about language
- How humans acquire language
- The general and specific structures of language
- How languages vary
- How language influences the way in which humans interact with each other and think about the world
Sapir Scholars
The Sapir Scholars Program pairs undergraduate students with advanced graduate students in the Linguistics Department who will mentor and supervise them as they serve as research assistants to the graduate students’ own research projects. The undergraduate student receives a stipend of $500 for the quarter, paid in two parts: one payment of $250 when