Today’s students need international skills and a broad cultural understanding to be competitive and to function effectively in an increasingly interdependent global environment. Knowledge of a foreign language sharpens the mind, transforms thinking, and provides access to information. It empowers those who want to become successful players in the 21st century.

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Duquesne University offers diverse curricula in both commonly and less commonly taught languages. Its programs are designed to give students competency in the language of their choice and to expose them to a variety of cultures and literatures. The department provides its students with a global education and prepares graduates for productive roles in our rapidly changing world. It is an integral part of the department’s mission to foster an educational setting in which students learn to connect knowledge and skills to their social responsibilities. In small classes with individualized attention, students learn to use language wisely and judiciously as a tool in their interaction with others and to respect the dignity of all women and men. In this way, the programs contribute to building moral character through facilitating encounters with different cultures, traditions, values, virtues, and norms.

Recognizing the diverse needs of foreign language education across campus, the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures also offers Medical Spanish (for Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health Sciences) as well as Languages for Business, for the Legal Profession and for Musicians.

Contact Information
Edith H. Krause, Ph.D.
Chair
modlang@duq.edu

 “Thanks to its phenomenal variety of second language opportunities and supportive staff, the Modern Languages Department at Duquesne University prepared me to be a leader in my own Spanish classroom.”    -- Kathy Klamut, Class of 2004

“My study of Spanish at Duquesne University and abroad in Sevilla opened the door to an exciting internship with the Hispanic community of Pittsburgh and a career in the non-profit sector.”  -- Emily R. Hall, Class of 2005

“The various experiences I had both inside and outside of the classroom as I learned Spanish and Italian were wonderful!  I wish I could begin my journey at Duquesne all over again because my experiences were very memorable.”  --  Daniela Soruco Helton, Class of 2002