College of Liberal Arts
and Social Sciences

Who's Who in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages

Chair:
Marc Zimmerman

Professors:
Valentini Papadopoulou Brady, Rudolfo Cortina, Nicolas Kanellos, Julian Olivares, Marc Zimmerman

Associate Professors:
Samye Cimerhazel, Lee Dowling, Claudine Giacchetti, Hildegard Glass, Manuel Gutierrez, Pedro Gutierrez, Carlos Monsanto, Dennis Parle, Guadalupe Quintanilla, Andrew Small, Nina Tucci, Harry Walsh, Sharon Wen, Robert Zaretsky

Assistant Professors:
Richard Armstrong, Gabriela Baeza, Francesca Behr, Anadeli Bencomo, Marta Fairclough, Casey Dué Hackney, Teresa Langle de Paz, Maria Elena Soliño

Instructors:
Sandra Celli-Harris (Visiting), Sandra Frieden (Visiting), Anatoly Shaykevich (Visiting), Jing Zhang (Visiting)

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Classical Studies Director:
Richard Armstrong

French Studies Director:
Valentini Papadopoulou Brady

German Studies Director:
Hildegard Glass

Italian Studies Director:
Alessandro Carrera

Spanish Studies Director:
Pedro Gutierrez-Revuelta

Degrees and Majors

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies, French, German, German Area Studies, Italian Studies, and Spanish.

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies, French, German, German Area Studies, Italian Studies, and Spanish.

Teacher certification for secondary education is available in French, German, Latin, and Spanish.

The department also offers a Master of Arts degree in French and Spanish and a Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish. For general graduate admissions requirements and listing of courses, contact the respective graduate advisors in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and consult the Graduate and Professional Studies catalog.

General Reqirements

Majors in French, German, and Spanish must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.50 grade point average in all courses attempted in the major and must demonstrate or attain at least 2302 (fourth semester) level proficiency in a second foreign language.

Summer Programs Abroad in French and Spanish

A summer program of study in France allows qualified students to earn residence credit in French at various undergraduate levels. The program is directed by a full-time faculty member of the department. A minimum of one year of college French, or equivalent, is required. Contact the department for more information.

Through its summer programs in Latin America and Spain, the department offers up to six semester hours of credit in Spanish language, civilization, and literature. These programs are directed by University of Houston faculty members, and costs are modest. Undergraduate and graduate students of Spanish and allied specialties are eligible to apply for admission. Programs usually coincide with the first summer session. For more information, consult the program director in the department.

In addition, the department encourages students interested in studying abroad during the regular academic year to consult with the department's undergraduate advisor.

Classical Studies

The college offers an interdisciplinary program in classical studies leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The course of study deals with linguistic, historical, literary, and artistic aspects of the Mediterranean ancient world.

Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies

In addition to fulfilling the college's requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students majoring in classical studies must complete 33 semester hours as follows:

1. Twelve semester hours in either Latin or ancient Greek language, at the 2000 level and above, or equivalent placement by examination
   
   
2. Six semester hours from survey courses taught in English: CLAS 4380 (also ENGL 4380) and CLAS 4381 (also ENGL 4381).
   
   
3. Six semester hours, HIST 3339 and either HIST 3340 or 3341
   
   
4. Nine semester hours from classical studies electives.
   

These courses may also be applied to meet general requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree (for example, the foreign language requirement).

Because there is no uniform program of study for a degree in Classical Studies, majors should consult a Classical Studies advisor before enrolling in classes each semester. In general, however, students should begin the formal study of the ancient language (i.e., Greek or Latin) they choose for their major while they are still freshmen or as soon as possible after becoming a major. Many students will want to learn both Latin and Greek, but normally they should not begin both languages simultaneously at the elementary level. Taking the intermediate courses of one and the elementary courses of the other, however, usually presents no difficulty.

Selection of electives should follow the general criteria for students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree. In selecting the classical studies electives, students will be guided by the faculty so that the courses they choose provide a general background in classical antiquities as well as a core of basic knowledge related to the individual student's particular interest (ancient Greece, the Roman world, New Testament studies, medieval studies, comparative literature, ancient philosophy, etc.). Electives not listed may be taken and are subject to the approval of the program advisor.

Classical Studies Electives

Nine semester hours from the following courses. Students may choose other courses, not listed here, if approved by the program advisor.

Art History (ARTH)
3390: Greek Art
3391: Roman Art

Classics (CLAS)
3345: Myth and Performance in Greek Tragedy
3365: Birth of Love in Western Literature
3368: Homer and the Bible
3371: Ancient Comedy and its Influence
3372: Medieval Epic
3373: Ancient Satire and its Influence
4375: Gender and Race in Ancient Greek Myths
3397/ENGL 3396: City of Dreams

English (ENGL)
3300: Ancient and Classical Literature
3302: Medieval Literature
3323: History of Literary Criticism
4366: Introduction to Folklore
4370: Myth, Ballad, Folktale

Greek (GREK) or Latin (LATN)
GREK 3,000 and above; LATN 3,000 and above, if beyond the 18 semester hours required by the CLA STD degree in one of the two ancient languages

History (HIST)
3336: Europe in the Age of Chivalry: The High Middle Ages 1050-1350
4330: The Flowering of the Middle Ages

Philosophy (PHIL)
3383: History of Ancient Philosophy
6396: Ancient Greek Science (Graduate seminar)

Political Science (POLS)
3340: Ancient and Medieval Political Thought
4346: Greek Political Thought

NOTES:  Majors in Classical Studies may choose either Latin or Greek to fulfill their language requirement. We recommend that students who are planning to do graduate studies, especially in Classics or in History, take at least three years of one of the classical languages and two years of the other. It is advisable to begin one language in the first year of the major, and wait to begin the study of the other language the following year.

The elementary year of foreign languages, including Latin or Greek, does not count toward the total number of hours in the degree. Thus GREK/LATN 1301–1302 count as general elective hours. Students may place out of the elementary year by examination. At the intermediate level and above, students may earn credit by taking the Placement Exam. These exams are administered by Classical Studies, not by Testing and Counseling.

Credit in Modern Greek courses (GREK 1305, 1306, 2305, 2306) will not count as credits in one of the ancient languages.

Bachelor of Arts in French

In addition to the other requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, students will complete 27 semester hours in French at the advanced level (3000 and 4000) to include the following:

1. Fifteen semester hours at the advanced level, as follows: FREN 3312, 3313, 3320, 4301, and 4302
   
   
2. Nine semester hours chosen from FREN 3311, 3316, 3317, 3318, 4313, 4315, 4317
   
   
3. Three semester hours of a literature course at the 4000 level.
   

French majors must earn at least a 2.50 grade point average in all French courses counting toward the major and attempted at the University of Houston. Some of the above requirements may be satisfied by courses from the department's program in France (see above). Students majoring in French are encouraged to seek advice concerning their degree objectives from the department's undergraduate advisor during their first or second semester at the University of Houston.

In addition to the requirements in French, students majoring in French will choose a minor, to be approved by the department, in a field complementing the study of French and relevant to the students' career interests. Suggested minors include other languages, English, Art History, Classical Studies, History, Business Administration, Economics, Political Science, or another minor of particular interest to the individual student. Specific prerequisites and requirements for minors are described in the appropriate sections of this catalog.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for all the advanced courses in French include the equivalent of at least six semester hours in second-year college French. Students with credits in high school or college French must take a placement test before entering a French course at the University of Houston.

Students with no high school French may satisfy the first-year requirements by completing both of the following courses:

First Semester: FREN 1501
Second Semester: FREN 1502

Students may satisfy the second-year requirements by completing six hours from the following courses:

First Semester: FREN 2301
Second Semester: FREN 2302

Students may also satisfy the second-year requirements in the summer program in France.

Credit by Examination

The department does not award credit by examination for elementary French. Students may obtain up to six hours of credit in intermediate (2000 level) French by special examination, administered by the department. No credit by exam is awarded for 3000 level French except by a score of 4 or 5 on the AP exam or by special permission.

Bachelor of Arts in German

In addition to the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree, students majoring in German must complete

1. GERM 3330, 3331, 3332, 3333, 3334, 4373, 4361
   
   
2. Six hours of advanced German courses;
   
   
3. The sophomore level of a second foreign language, or six hours in another field approved by the department.
   

German majors must earn at least a 2.50 grade point average in all German courses counting toward the major and attempted at the University of Houston.

Students who have not taken their first three semesters of German at the University of Houston (including those with two or more years of high school German) must take a placement examination and see a department advisor before enrolling in German courses. Credit may be awarded by examination in courses on the 2000 and 3000 level. For information see the department chair.

Transfer students must take at least 12 semester hours of advanced German course work in residence to qualify for a bachelor's degree with a German major or German teacher education major.

German Area Studies

The department offers an interdisciplinary program in German area studies leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The program allows students to major in a broad area, rather than in one specific department.

Bachelor of Arts in German Area Studies

All requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree must be met. Several of the German area studies courses also may be allowed to meet some of the specified degree requirements.

The German area studies major requires 30 semester hours in German, art, economics, geography, history, music, philosophy, and political science. German area studies majors must earn at least a 2.50 grade point average in all German courses counting toward the major and attempted at the University of Houston.

1. Eighteen semester hours of German including GERM 3330, 3331, 3333; 3334, and 4373
   
   
2. HIST 3358
   
   
3. Six semester hours of art, music, or philosophy selected from ART 1381, 2387, 4385, 4386; MUSI 3300; 3301; PHIL 3385, 3386
   
   
4. Six semester hours of economics or political science selected from ECON 3389, 4368, 4379; POLS 3311, 3313, 3329, 3341

Italian Studies

The department offers an interdisciplinary program in Italian studies leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The program allows students to major in a broad area, rather than in one specific department.

Bachelor of Arts in Italian Studies

In addition to completing the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, students majoring in Italian Studies must complete 30 semester hours in areas listed. The requirements for the major in Italian Studies include:

1. Six semester hours: ITAL 2301 and 2302
   
2. Nine semester hours in courses at the 3000-4000 level taught in Italian, or courses that require a substantial amount of written work in Italian.
   
3. ITAL 3335
   
4. Twelve semester hours selected from ARCH 3354, ARTH 2383, 3381, 3383; CLAS 3306, 3307, 3308; ECON 3389; ENGL 4330; HIST 4330, 3336, 4333; ITAL 3305 or 3306; MUSI 3300, 3301, 4380; THEA 3335, 3336.
   

Italian Studies majors must earn at least a 2.00 grade point average in all Italian courses counting toward the major and attempted at the University of Houston.

Students who have not taken their first three semesters of Italian at the University of Houston (including those with two or more years of high school Italian) must take a placement examination and see a department advisor before enrolling in Italian courses. Credit may be awarded by examination for courses at the 2000 and 3000 level. For information see the departmental advisor.

Transfer students must take at least 9 semester hours of advanced Italian course work in residence to qualify for a bachelor's degree with a major in Italian Studies.

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish

In addition to completing the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, students majoring in Spanish must complete the following:

1. 27 advanced hours in Spanish, including SPAN 3301 or 3307, 3302 or 3308, 3384;
   
   
2. Three hours of Spanish linguistics (SPAN 3303, 4355, 4365, or 4396);
   
   
3. Three hours of Hispanic civilization and culture (SPAN 3373 or 3374);
   
   
4. Six hours from SPAN 4311, 4312, 4321, and 4322.
   
   
5. Six hours of advanced electives in Spanish.
   
   
6. At least 2302-level proficiency in a second foreign language is required.

Level Placement:

Students who have completed three or more years of high school Spanish or the equivalent and students who have completed two years of high school Spanish during the three years immediately prior to enrolling in any 1000 or 2000 level Spanish courses are required to take a placement exam before enrollment. Students who have lived for an extended period of time in a Spanish-speaking environment are also required to take the Heritage Speaker's Credit placement exam before enrolling. Such students are required to enroll in the course into which they have been placed and will not be allowed to enroll for credit in SPAN 1501: Elementary Spanish I.

Advanced Placement Credit in Spanish by Examination

Students may earn credit by examination for the following courses: up to five hours at the 1000 level, SPAN 2301 or 2307, SPAN 2302 or 2308, up to six hours credit for 3000 level language-based courses. Native speakers of Spanish who have received credit for ENGL 1309 or 1310 may not receive credit by examination for Spanish courses at the 1000 and 2000 levels. A maximum of 12 semester hours credit in Spanish may be earned by examination. Credit at the 4000 level may not be earned by examination. A minimum grade of B must be earned on the examinations to qualify for credit. It is the policy of the college that students who have acquired any previous college-level Spanish credit are not eligible to receive further credit by examination in Spanish. Further information and applications can be obtained in 413 Agnes Arnold Hall.

Minor in Chinese Studies

Components of the curriculum in Chinese Studies:

The minor in Chinese Studies requires 15 semester hours (at least 12 advanced hours) taken from the courses listed below. A minimum of 9 hours must be taken in residence, and at least 6 of the 9 hours must be advanced. A student must earn a 2.00 grade point average in all courses attempted in the minor field at the University of Houston.

Minor in French

Students minoring in French must complete at least 15 semester hours in French. Twelve hours must be advanced, including three at the 4000 level. At least nine of the advanced semester hours in French must be completed in residence. French minors must earn a 2.00 minimum grade point average on all French courses attempted at the University of Houston.

Minor in French for Business-Related Professions

Students minoring in French for Business-Related Professions must complete at least 15 semester hours in French, of which 12 must be advanced, including FREN 3316, FREN 3317, and FREN 4317. Students minoring in French for Business-Related Professions, with a major in a field leading to a career in a business-related profession, may apply for a summer internship abroad, after completing 12 advanced hours in the major and in French. French minors must earn a 2.00 grade point average on all French courses attempted at the University of Houston.

Minor in German

Students minoring in German must complete at least 15 semester hours in German. Twelve hours must be advanced, including three at the 4000 level. At least nine of the advanced semester hours in German must be completed in residence. German minors must earn at least a 2.00 minimum grade point average on all German courses attempted at the University of Houston.

Minor in German Area Studies

A minor in German area studies requires 15 semester hours taken from courses listed below. A minimum of nine semester hours must be in residence, and at least six of these must be advanced. A student must earn a 2.00 grade point average in all courses attempted in the minor field at the University of Houston.

1. GERM 2332
   
   
2. Three semester hours selected from GERM 3330, 3331, or 3333
   
   
3. GERM 4373
   
   
4. Six semester hours selected from ART 1381, 2387, 4385, 4386; ECON 3389; GEOG 3361; GERM 3350, 3395; HIST 2353, 3357, 3358; MUSI 3300, 3301; POLS 3311, 3313, 3329, 3341; PHIL 3385, 3386

Minor in Greek

Students minoring in Greek must complete at least 15 hours in ancient Greek language and literature and Greek civilization as follows:

1. GREK 2301 and 2302
   
   
2. GREK 3398 and 4398 or equivalent
   
   
3. Three semester hours from HIST 3339 or CLAS 4380.
   

Another advanced course with the prefix CLAS relevant to the minor may be substituted with the approval of the Classical Studies advisor.

Nine semester hours of the minor including six advanced hours must be completed in residence. A 2.00 minimum grade point average must be earned on all minor courses attempted at the university.

Minor in Italian

Students minoring in Italian must complete at least 15 semester hours in Italian, nine of which must be advanced. Students must complete the following:

1. Six semester hours in ITAL 2301 and 2302
   
   
2. Six semester hours taught in Italian at the advanced level, selected from ITAL 3301, ITAL 3302, ITAL 3303, and ITAL 3304
   
   
3. ITAL 3336
   

Nine semester hours of the minor, including six advanced hours, must be completed in residence. A 2.00 minimum grade point average must be earned on all minor courses attempted at the university.

Minor in Latin

Students minoring in Latin must complete at least 15 hours in Latin language or literature and Roman Civilization:

1. LATN 2301 and 2302
   
   
2. LATN 3301 and 3302
   
   
3. Three semester hours from HIST 3340 or 3341.
   

Another advanced course with the prefix CLAS relevant to the minor may be substituted with the approval of the Classical Studies advisor.

Nine semester hours of the minor including six advanced hours must be completed in residence. A 2.00 minimum grade point average must be earned on all minor courses attempted at the university.

Minor in Russian

Students minoring in Russian must complete at least 15 semester hours in Russian (RUSS) of which nine must be at the 3000 level or above. A minimum of nine semester hours must be in residence, and six of these must be advanced. Russian minors must earn at least a 2.00 grade point average on all Russian courses taken at the university.

Minor in Spanish

Students minoring in Spanish must complete at least 15 semester hours in Spanish, of which 12 must be advanced. Nine semester hours, including six advanced, must be completed in residence. Spanish minors must earn a 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average on all Spanish courses attempted at the University of Houston.

Minor in Spanish for the Business Professions

Students minoring in Spanish for the Business Professions must complete at least 15 semester hours in Spanish, all of which must be advanced, including SPAN 3341, 3342, and 4341. Nine semester hours must be completed in residence. Students must earn a 2.50 minimum cumulative grade point average on all Spanish courses attempted in the minor at the University of Houston.