Department of World Languages

MSU Denver’s Department of World Languages offers language programs in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Our department aims to broaden our students’ awareness of the world and to open doors toward exciting careers. Engaging with language, culture, and literature enriches an individual’s understanding and fosters more inclusive, inspiring, and creative communities. Our programs thus directly contribute to our university’s mission to provide a high-quality, accessible, enriching education that prepares students for successful careers, post-graduate education, and lifelong learning in a multicultural, global, and technological society.

The Department of World Languages offers four types of majors: a World Languages B.A. with a concentration in either French or Spanish; a World Languages B.A. with a concentration in a dual language study; a World Languages Major with K-12 Teacher Licensure in French or Spanish; and a World Languages Major with K-12 Teacher Licensure in dual language study. Our department offers minors in French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

The Department of World Languages offers a Certificate in Spanish Translation, and has partnered with the School of Education, the Department of English, and the Department of Chicana/o Studies to develop two additional university certificates that function in alignment with the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Endorsement of the State of Colorado: the Bilingual Education Specialist Certificate for School Educators, which is geared toward pre-service and current teachers who work in bilingual English-Spanish classrooms, and the Bilingual Education Specialist Certificate for Agency and Non-Profit, which is designed for those who wish to communicate more effectively with bilingual English-Spanish audiences.

The Department of World Languages also offers the Directed Independent Language Study (DILS) program, which pairs MSU Denver students with partners who have demonstrated advanced proficiency in a less commonly taught language, such as Korean, Russian, Arabic, and Portuguese, among other world languages.

Academic Programs

Level Placement

Students are placed in courses at levels appropriate to their ability as indicated by the BYU placement exam and in consultation with department advisors. Students may earn up to 16 credits through the College Level Exam Program (CLEP), which equates to the full beginner level sequence and part of the intermediate sequence within our minors and majors in world languages.

General Studies Courses, Minors, and Majors

The 1010 and 1020 level courses in all world languages count toward the university’s General Studies program sequencing.

The 2000-level sequence of language courses are the official start point of all minors and majors in world languages.

Certificate Programs Available

Note: To earn the Certificate in Spanish Translation, students must earn a “B” or better in each of the required courses.

Additional Information

For more information, please contact the Department of World Languages.

Students pursuing the World Languages Major with K-12 Teacher Licensure in French or Spanish must satisfy MSU Denver’s teacher preparation program in addition to all of the requirements for the language major. They must also demonstrate sufficient mastery of the target language or languages through an appropriate proficiency exam. For more information, or to apply to the teacher licensure programs, please visit the School of Education website or contact the School of Education Student Services Office.