Undergraduate

Program Overview

The department offers six majors and five minors in the study of European Languages and Transcultural Studies — B.A. in European Languages and Transcultural Studies, B.A. in European Languages and Transcultural Studies with French and Francophone, B.A. in European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Germanic, B.A. in European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Italian, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Scandinavian, and B.A. in Nordic Studies and minors in European Languages and Transcultural Studies, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with French and Francophone, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Germanic, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Italian, and Scandinavian. 

Historically, the departments that are now included in ELTS are focused on the study of French, Italian, Germanic and Scandinavian languages, with an emphasis on their cultures and literature throughout the world. While fostering interdisciplinary ties to many UCLA departments and research centers, the curriculum also provided students the possibility of exploring film, history, and philosophy. The new department will strengthen the connections between different geographic and linguistic regions, privileging instead the “transcultural” dimension of our shared European roots while seeking a comprehensive understanding of history and more accurate contextualization of the “European” experience in the world. This interdisciplinary humanistic and linguistic training will include literature, film, colonial history, postcolonial studies, philosophy, critical theory, media studies, Jewish Studies, gender and sexuality studies, but also the experimental humanities (digital, environmental, medical, and urban) in order to consider how these have altered our relationship to cultural analysis and production. This framework will encourage us to think additionally about human rights, diversity, religious tolerance, while training students to think critically, to develop writing and research skills, and to understand the power of language to pursue advanced research in a challenging intellectual and globalized world.

If you have questions about any of the majors and minors or want to declare your major or minor in the Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies, please contact Professor and Vice Chair of Undergraduate Studies Tom Harrison and Student Affairs Officer Deanna Finlay.