Romance Languages Major Requirements

(Also see Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree.)

The Department offers a Romance Languages major in two different configurations: a dual-language option or a three-language option. Students interested in the major should get in touch with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Romance Languages. All major requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better and may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Courses taken at another institution that are not directly equivalent to a JHU course may not apply towards requirements without permission of the DUS. At least two upper-level courses (300- or 400-level) counting toward the major must be taken at JHU on the Homewood Campus.

Writing and Communication in the Major

Students must complete at least 6 credits of Writing and Communication Foundational Ability coursework in one major. For this major, students would be able to fulfill this requirement by selecting 6 credits of courses in the major that are designated as Writing and Communication courses.

Required of All Romance Languages Majors

One 400-level course with a focus on at least two languages, to be pre-approved by the DUS3
Total Credits3

Dual Language Options

Students must complete the requirements listed below for two languages (French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish). 

French

AS.210.301Advanced French for Writing 3
AS.210.302Advanced French for Speaking3
AS.212.333Introduction à la littérature française I3
or AS.212.334 Introduction à la littérature française II
Three upper-level French courses, one of which may be from the AS.210.3xx-4xx series OR 211.311 (Introduction to Romance Linguistics); and the two others from AS.212.3xx-4xx series; at least one must be at the 212.4xx level.9
Total Credits18

Italian

AS.210.251Intermediate Italian I3
AS.210.252Intermediate Italian II 13
AS.210.351Advanced Italian I 23
AS.210.352Advanced Italian II 23
One premodern Italian literature course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-PITAL)3
One modern Italian literature or cinema course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-MITAL)3
Total Credits18
1

Students may complete AS.210.176 Accelerated Italian for Advanced Speakers of other Romance Languages II in place of AS.210.252 Intermediate Italian II.

2

Students placing out of Advanced Italian I and/or II will have to take an equivalent number of credits at the 300 or 400 level. These courses need to have the following numbers and tags: 211.3xx-4xx with POS TAG MLL-ITAL, MLL-MITAL or MLL-PITAL, or 214.3xx-4xx.  

Portuguese

AS.210.271Intermediate Portuguese I3
AS.210.272Intermediate Portuguese II3
AS.210.371Advanced Portuguese I3
Three Portuguese courses from the AS.211.3xx-4xx (POS-Tag MLL-POR), 210.37x-210.47x or 217.3xx-4xx series. One course may be an independent study with DUS permission.9
Total Credits18

Spanish

AS.210.311Advanced Spanish I 3
AS.210.312Advanced Spanish II3
Three Spanish courses from the AS.211.3xx-4xx (POS-Tag MLL-SPAN) or AS.210.3xx-AS.210.4xx or 215.1xx-4xx series. One course may be an independent study with DUS permission.9
One Spanish course from the AS.215.1xx-4xx series3
Total Credits18

Sample Program of Study (Dual Languages - Spanish and Italian)

First Year
First SemesterCreditsSecond SemesterCredits
AS.210.1114AS.210.1124
AS.210.1514AS.210.1524
 8 8
Second Year
First SemesterCreditsSecond SemesterCredits
AS.210.2113AS.210.2123
AS.210.2513AS.210.2523
 6 6
Third Year
First SemesterCreditsSecond SemesterCredits
AS.210.3113AS.210.3123
AS.210.3513AS.210.3523
One course from the AS.211.3xx-4xx series with MLL-SPAN POS tag or from the 215.3xx-4xx series 3One course from the AS.211.3xx-4xx series with MLL-SPAN POS tag or from the 215.3xx-4xx series3
 One premodern Italian literature course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-PITAL)3
 9 12
Fourth Year
First SemesterCreditsSecond SemesterCredits
One course from the AS.211.3xx-4xx series with MLL-SPAN POS tag or from the 215.3xx-4xx series3One modern Italian literature or cinema course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-MITAL) 3
One Spanish course from the AS.215.1xx-4xx series3One 400-level course with a focus on at least two languages3
 6 6
Total Credits 61

Three Language Options

When pursuing this option, students must select two languages from the Language 1 and 2 section, and one language from the language three section. 

Languages 1 and 2

French
AS.210.301Advanced French for Writing3
AS.210.302Advanced French for Speaking3
AS.212.333Introduction à la littérature française I3
or AS.212.334 Introduction à la littérature française II
Two upper-level French courses, one of which may be from the AS.210.3xx-4xx series OR 211.311 (Introduction to Romance Linguistics); and the two others from AS.212.3xx-4xx series; at least one must be at the 212.4xx level.6
Total Credits15
Italian
AS.210.251Intermediate Italian I3
AS.210.252Intermediate Italian II 13
AS.210.351Advanced Italian I 23
AS.210.352Advanced Italian II 23
One premodern Italian literature course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-PITAL)3
One modern Italian literature or cinema course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-MITAL)3
Total Credits18
1

Students may complete AS.210.176 Accelerated Italian for Advanced Speakers of other Romance Languages II instead of AS.210.252 Intermediate Italian II.

2

Students placing out of Advanced Italian I and/or II will have to take an equivalent number of credits at the 300 or 400 level. These courses need to have the following numbers and tags: 211.3xx-4xx with POS TAG MLL-ITAL, MLL-MITAL or MLL-PITAL, or 214.3xx-4xx.  

Portuguese
AS.210.271Intermediate Portuguese I3
AS.210.272Intermediate Portuguese II3
AS.210.371Advanced Portuguese I3
Two Portuguese courses from the AS.211.3xx-4xx (POS Tag MLL-POR), 210.37x-210.47x or 217.3xx-4xx series. One course may be an independent study with DUS permission.6
Total Credits15
Spanish
AS.210.311Advanced Spanish I3
AS.210.312Advanced Spanish II3
Two Spanish courses from the AS.211.3xx-4xx (POS-Tag MLL-SPAN) or AS.210.3xx-AS.210.4xx or AS.215.1xx-4xx series6
One Spanish course from the AS.215.3xx-4xx series3
Total Credits15

Language 3

The student must satisfy their third language requirement as described below:

French
AS.210.301Advanced French for Writing 3
AS.210.302Advanced French for Speaking 3
AS.212.333Introduction à la littérature française I3
or AS.212.334 Introduction à la littérature française II
One French course from the AS.212.3xx-4xx series3
Total Credits12
Italian
AS.210.251Intermediate Italian I3
AS.210.252Intermediate Italian II 13
AS.210.351Advanced Italian I 23
AS.210.352Advanced Italian II 23
One premodern or one modern Italian literature course at 300-level or above (POS Tag: MLL-PITAL or MLL-MITAL)3
Total Credits15
1

Students may complete AS.210.176 Accelerated Italian for Advanced Speakers of other Romance Languages II in place of AS.210.252 Intermediate Italian II

2

Students placing out of Advanced Italian I and/or II will have to take an equivalent number of credits at the 300 or 400 level. These courses need to have the following numbers and tags: 211.3xx-4xx with POS TAG MLL-ITAL, MLL-MITAL or MLL-PITAL, or 214.3xx-4xx.  

Portuguese
AS.210.271Intermediate Portuguese I3
AS.210.272Intermediate Portuguese II3
AS.210.371Advanced Portuguese I3
One Portuguese course from the AS.211.3xx-4xx (POS-Tag MLL-POR), 210.37x-210.47x or 217.3xx-4xx. One course may be an independent study with DUS permission.3
Total Credits12
Spanish
AS.210.311Advanced Spanish I3
AS.210.312Advanced Spanish II3
One Spanish course from the AS.215.1xx-4xx series3
One Spanish Course from the AS.215.3xx-4xx series3
Total Credits12

Honors in the Romance Languages Major

Dual-language option:

For all languages: verification of a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA and a 3.7 GPA in a student's major requirements is required at the time of graduation. For French as a primary language only: Honors in Romance Languages with a primary focus in French are conferred upon successful completion of the 3-credit Senior Thesis in French.

Students wishing to complete a Senior Thesis in French should notify their French advisor the semester prior to registering.  An Honors course cannot be double counted as an upper-level course.  

Three-language option:

No Honors track is available.