Language Programs
Clemson offers a degree in modern languages where you focus on one of seven crucial languages — American Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. This rigorous program will prepare you for a wide range of careers in the international arena, as well as for a variety of graduate programs.
Majoring in modern languages is not just about practicing your target language in the classroom; it’s about immersing yourself in the culture, experience and country of the foreign language. Clemson offers opportunities for you to not only become intimately acquainted with your target language, but also to travel overseas and become a part of the language you choose to study.
The B.A. in Modern Languages is offered in the following languages:
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
American Sign Language (ASL) is a rich, complex language that uses signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. ASL is the primary language used by an estimated 500,000 Deaf members of the ASL community in the United States and parts of Canada.
ASLCHINESE
First, Chinese is spoken by over 1.3 billion people. Learning Chinese means to develop an ability to communicate directly with the one fifth human beings. Second, China has the second largest economy in the world and plays a major role in the international affairs. A good knowledge of Chinese is helpful and important for your career in any fields.
CHINESE
FRENCH
The French program at Clemson explores the diverse cultures of the French-speaking world. Whether you are interested in the humanities, business, technology, education, international health care, or the connections between all of these, studying French at Clemson will prove to be a multifaceted and invaluable experience for you.
FRENCHGERMAN
The German Program at Clemson University prepares students for a wide range of careers and graduate studies in the humanities, business, sciences, engineering, politics, diplomacy, law, and education.
GERMAN
ITALIAN
Since the beginning, Italy has been at the center of Western civilization, absorbing, transforming, and innovating all cultural aspects of the ancient, medieval, and modern eras. According to statistics compiled by UNESCO, the Italian peninsula has produced at least 70 percent of the so-called treasures of humankind. Italian, by far the closest Romance language to Latin, provides extraordinary opportunities for English speakers to better understand their own language and enrich their active vocabulary, as 70% of the words in the English dictionary come from Latin.
ITALIANJAPANESE
The Japanese Program at Clemson University offers a B.A. in Modern Language, a B.A. in Language and International Trade, and a Minor in Asian Studies and Japanese Language. Each semester approximately 140 students enroll in and study Japanese Language and Culture. About 30% of the students continue on to the upper levels (300 and 400 levels) to seek higher proficiency.
JAPANESE
RUSSIAN
Russian is not only the language of Russia. It is also the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the official language of many other countries associated with the former Soviet Union. Russian is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
RUSSIANSPANISH
The Spanish Program at Clemson University helps students develop skills in critical thinking and intercultural communication as well as the ability to speak, listen, read, write, and conduct research in Spanish. The Program engages students, scholars and members of national and international communities in the interdisciplinary study of language, culture, business, and health of the Spanish-speaking worlds, including Spain, Latin America, Africa and the US.
SPANISH
