Modern Languages and Cultural Studies

Welcome to Modern Languages and Cultural Studies!

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS) is a multilingual and multidisciplinary home for studying, learning, researching, and experiencing different languages and cultures and gaining a transnational perspective. MLCS is committed to excellence in research and has world-renowned scholars in Applied Linguistics, Comparative and Transnational Literature, Media and Cultural Studies, and Translation Studies. We have a long list of award-winning teachers and offer language courses in ASL, Arabic, French, German, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Old Norse, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian, and transcultural courses in Comparative Literature, Folklore, Latin American Studies, Scandinavian Studies, and Slavic Studies. MLCS is committed to experiential learning and offers opportunities for study abroad and integrated Community Service Learning.

Programs

Undergraduate Degree Program

The BA in MLCS will give you a strong theoretical foundation steeped in languages, comparative, and cultural studies. Choose between 2 routes: Language Studies, with a focus on French, German or Spanish or Cross-Cultural Studies, with a focus on Comparative Literature, Latin American Studies, Scandinavian Studies, or Slavic Studies. Consider a BA Honors program in MLCS.

Study Abroad

Journey into other worlds with our Study Abroad option. Travel to and experience La Rochelle, France; Orienete, Cuba; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland.

Graduate Programs - MA Program and PhD Program

A graduate program in MLCS will help you develop and explore research questions in a creative, dynamic, and international learning environment that emphasizes both academic and professional training. Choose from four major areas or streams: Applied Linguistics, Media and Cultural Studies, Translation Studies, and Transnational and Comparative Literatures.

Certificate in Translation

A Certificate in Translation Studies will provide you with the necessary focus and skills to pursue further training in the profession. Undergraduate students in all Faculties may pursue this certificate.

winter Term 2026
TR 3:30 - 4:50 P.M.

ital 326 - italian myths and fairy tales

Dive into the early versions of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Rapunzel; explore film adaptations of Pinocchio; and meet the flying witch that brings you presents on January 5.

Instructor: Stefano Muneroni

winter Term 2026
TR 2:00 - 3:20 P.M.

Scand 329 - Scandinavian cinema

Experience the beauty and intensity of Nordic film. Together we’ll explore groundbreaking directors like Ingmar Bergman and Thomas Vinterberg, uncover hidden gems, and discuss the themes that define Scandinavian storytelling. This course is taught in English and no prerequisites are required.

Instructor: John Eason III

winter Term 2026
TR 12:30 - 1:50 P.M.

MLCS 399/slav 399 - everyday life and culture of minorities in the late russian empire, soviet union, and eastern europe

This course examines how minority communities preserved their languages, religions, education, and cultural life under shifting regimes—from the late Russian Empire to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (case of Poland). Focusing on groups such as Ukrainians, Jews, Poles, Volksdeutsche (local Germans), Roma, Crimean Tatars, and others in Central Asia in relation to the Russian majority, students will explore themes of multiethnic coexistence, cultural resilience, and state-minority relations under systems of assimilation, repression, and limited autonomy. Using primary sources—memoirs, diaries, interviews, underground texts, and visual and performing arts—students will assess how everyday experiences reflected broader tensions between identity, tradition, ideology, and survival. The course combines historical and cultural perspectives to develop a deeper understanding of multiethnic life in twentieth-century Eastern Europe.

Instructor: Hanna Abakunova

13 languages

for you to choose from
20+ countries

where MLCS students and researchers work, play, and learn
experience

other cultures in Study Abroad and Community Service Learning

Message from the Chair

The Department's history dates back to 1908 and is closely intertwined with the foundation of the ��. From its beginnings, language study was a fundamental part of a Bachelor of Arts degree, and today, students continue to be drawn into our courses, translation certificate, and high-demand study abroad programs. Language is a gateway to another culture to develop different ways of thinking and approaching the world. Our programs have an experiential component so students can easily understand the critical value of bringing language and culture studies to the local community to engage and connect to global communities. Every academic year, MLCS welcomes scholars and students from around the world who make our department a vibrant and exciting place to study, learn, and play!

Victoria Ruétalo
Department Chair