The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures presently offers twelve different languages (Classical and Modern):  Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.  The Department has twenty-nine faculty members actively engaged in research, instruction, and service.

The University of Memphis is the only university or college in the area of Western Tennessee and Eastern Arkansas offering a bachelor's degree in foreign languages, with concentrations in French, German, Latin, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish; more limited programs are offered in Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, and Japanese.  The Master of Arts is offered in Romance Languages, with a concentration in either French or Spanish.  Courses are available in literature, linguistics, foreign literature in English translation, civilization, and business language.

The study of a foreign language is central to the international mission of the University, since it offers the student a deeper appreciation of a foreign culture.  As the United States continues to increase its involvement in foreign trade, tourism, and international cooperative ventures, an awareness and an understanding of the culture and civilization of those countries become indispensable for the enlightened and literate individual.

In addition to the basic language courses at the lower level, the Department also serves the wider, humanistic goals of the University as a whole by providing courses in advanced language, literature, linguistics, culture, and civilization.  These courses provide one of the bases for a liberal education by broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of the student and by introducing him or her to a more profound perception of what is meant by the term "humanity":  foreign language courses accomplish this by illustrating the different ways that human beings of different nationalities look at and react to reality.

The university also offers language online courses. Online courses use a different methodology from the communicative approach used in our face-to-face foreign language classes.  Please consult with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures if you have any questions.