Romance Languages

About the Major


Romance Studies Major

 

The Romance studies major provides students the opportunity to develop a broad knowledge of two  or more of the Romance cultures taught at Wesleyan (French, Italian, Spanish) through a flexible, interdisciplinary program combining course work in a number of fields that may serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies. Students who are interested in this major should contact the chair of the department.
Requirements    

  • 9 courses at or above determined levels (FREN223, ITAL112, SPAN221) in two Romance Languages
  • Determination of a “major” (5 courses, “1L”) and “minor” (4 courses “2L”) focus
  • A minimum of 2 comparative projects to be completed on Wesleyan’s Middletown campus in a course within each of the two language groups
  • At least 1 course taken in both 1L and 2L following the student’s study abroad experience
  • At least 1 course taken in both 1L and 2L in the student’s senior year
    Further details  
  • Study abroad for 2L to take place on a Wesleyan-sponsored study abroad program. Alternatively, students may with the advisor’s advanced statement of support, study on another approved program. This practice is intended to promote the intellectual coherence of a major in which students acquire one language (2L) more recently than another.
  • Students may take 1 course through the medium of English in 1L only.
  • With the advisor’s approval, students may satisfy the comparative requirement by way of coursework and/or written work conducted on a study abroad program.
  • Students whose 1L placement is higher than FREN 215, ITAL 112, SPAN 221 are required to complete 9 courses, 2 of which may be in English in 1L only.
  • Up to 3 courses taken during study abroad may be used for the major, combining both 1L and 2L unless the student has very high standing in 1L. See the sample transcripts below.
  • Excepting extremely rare circumstances, students may not double major in any of the majors sponsored by the Department of Romance Languages & Literatures: RMST, IBST, SPAN, FRST, ITST.
  • Senior essays or theses must be comparative and involve the literatures and/or cultures of both 1L and 2L.
  All majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester studying abroad in a Romance-language-speaking country. In addition to Wesleyan's own programs in Bologna, Madrid, and Paris, there are currently Wesleyan-approved study abroad programs in Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France (internships in Francophone Europe in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Grenoble), Italy (Florence, Padua, Rome), Madagascar, Mexico and Senegal. Wesleyan also sends one exchange student a year to the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. Students who have strong academic reasons for wishing to participate in other programs may also petition the International Studies Committee for permission to do so. For information on the approved programs and the petition process, contact the Office of International Studies, 105 Fisk Hall (gwinter@wesleyan.edu).
Majors with a minimum grade point average of 92 in courses taken for the major may choose to complete a one- or two-semester project for departmental honors. Students who are interested in this opportunity should read the description of the departmental honors program (<http://www.wesleyan.edu/romance/rllhonors.html>). The course credit(s) associated with the project are not applicable to the 9 required for completion of the major.
Sample transcripts: two students, staggered start of 2L, study abroad one semester  
YR SEM Student 1 1L (major) Student 1 2L (minor) Student 2 1L (major) Student 2 2L (minor)
FR F 1L 221 2L 101 1L 221  
S 1L 2++ 2L 102 1L 2++  
SO F 1L 2++ 2L 111   2L 101
S   2L 112 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)* 2L 102
JU F Wes abroad 1L Wes abroad 1L Wes ab. (not RLANG or 2L) Wes ab. (not RLANG or 2L)   1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)* 2L 111
S 1L 2++ OR related course in English*/** (Or 0) 2L 2++ (or 0)   Wes abroad 2L Wes abroad  2L Wes ab (1L or not RLANG) Wes ab (1L or not RLANG)  
SE     1L 2++ OR Eng*/** (Or 0)____________ 1L 2++ OR Eng*/** (Or 0) 2L 2++ ** (or 0) 2L 2++ ** (or 0) 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)**   1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)**   2L 2++ ** 2L 2++ **  
  NOTES:
  • *1 course on the subject matter of the culture/country in English permitted for the major in 1L.
  • **Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L following study abroad.
  • Students required to take at least 1 course in both 1L and 2L in the senior year.
  Key:
                Courses in bold: accepted as courses for RMST major
1L = major language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
2L = minor language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
F = Fall / S = Spring                                  
Sample transcripts: two students, staggered start of 2L, study abroad two semesters, 1 in each of the target cultures  
YR SEM Student 1 1L (major) Student 1 2L (minor) Student 2 1L (major) Student 2 2L (minor)
FR F 1L 221 2L 101 1L 221  
S 1L 2++ 2L 102 1L 2++  
SO F 1L 2++ 2L 111   2L 101
S   2L 112 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) 2L 102
JU F Wes abroad  (or another program) Wes abroad abroad (not RLANG) abroad  (not RLANG)       Wes abroad Wes abroad abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG)  
S   Wes abroad Wes abroad abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG)   Wes abroad (or another program) Wes abroad abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG)  
SE     1L 2++ OR Eng (Or 0)____________ 1L 2++ OR Eng (Or 0) 2L 2++ (or 0) 2L 2++ (or 0) 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)   1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)   2L 221 2L 2++  
NOTES:  
  • *1 course in English on subject/culture permitted for the major in 1L.
  • **Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L following study abroad.
  • Students required to take at least 1 course in both 1L and 2L in the senior year.
    Key:
                Courses in bold: accepted as courses for RMST major
F = Fall / S = Spring
1L = major language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
2L = minor language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish                                
Sample transcripts: students with very high placement in 1L  
YR SEM Student 1 1L (major) Student 1 2L (minor) Student 2 1L (major) Student 2 2L (minor)
FR F 1L 2++ or Eng* 2L 101 1L 2++  
S 1L 2++ or Eng* 2L 102 1L 2++  
SO F 1L 2++ 2L 111   2L 101
S   2L 112 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)* 2L 102
JU F Wes abr (or another program) Wes abroad abroad (not RLANG or 2L) abroad (not RLANG or 2L)       2L 111
S   2L 2++** (or 0) Wes abr (or another program) Abroad 2L abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG)  
SE     1L 2++ OR Eng**/*** (Or 0)____________ 1L 2++ OR Eng**/*** (Or 0) 2L 2++ ** (or 0) 2L 2++ ** (or 0) 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) */**/*** 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) */**/*** 2L 221 ** 2L 2++  
NOTES:
  • *2 courses in English on subject culture/country permitted for the major in 1L.
  • **Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L following study abroad.
  • Students required to take at least 1 course in both 1L and 2L in the senior year.
    Key:
                Courses in bold: accepted as courses for RMST major
F = Fall / S = Spring
1L = major language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
2L = minor language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish