Florida International University

What you'll study

This interdisciplinary bachelor’s programme brings together linguistic theory, literary and cultural studies, and practical language training across the Romance languages (commonly Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian). Core linguistic topics include phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, historical linguistics and sociolinguistics. You will study language acquisition, typology and applied linguistics modules that prepare you for teaching, translation and language assessment.

• Foundations of Linguistics: introduction to linguistic description, phonetics, morphology and syntax
• Sociolinguistics and Bilingualism: language variation, language contact and community multilingualism
• Historical and Comparative Romance Linguistics: sound change, comparative method and the evolution of the Romance languages
• Language Acquisition and Psycholinguistics: first and second language development and processing
• Literature and Culture: surveys of modern and classical literatures, film and cultural studies in Spanish, French, Portuguese or Italian-speaking contexts
• Applied Language Skills: advanced oral and written practice, translation and interpreting, language pedagogy and curriculum design
• Research Methods and Capstone: coursework or a senior project/thesis that applies linguistic analysis or literary research to a focused topic

Students typically combine general education requirements with a language concentration and optional minors or study-abroad semesters to deepen regional expertise. Practical components such as internships, community-based tutoring and laboratory work in phonetics and corpus analysis are commonly available.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a recognised secondary school diploma or equivalent. Admission is competitive and normally considers academic record, strength of curriculum and any relevant language study. Typical expectations include a solid GPA and evidence of successful study in foreign languages or humanities subjects.

International applicants whose first language is not English are expected to provide proof of English proficiency unless they qualify for an exemption; recognised tests or institutional equivalents are usually accepted. Some pathways are also available for students with existing university-level credit or transfer students from other institutions. Specific departmental prerequisites may apply for advanced-level language courses; contact the programme for guidance on placement testing and exemptions.

Career prospects

Graduates leave with strong analytic, communicative and cross-cultural skills that are valued across public, private and non-profit sectors. Common career paths include:

• Language teaching and TESOL (after required certification for K–12 or adult education where applicable)
• Translation, interpreting and localisation for government agencies, NGOs, media and corporations
• International business, diplomacy and consular services where language and cultural competence are essential
• Publishing, journalism, cultural programming and museum work focused on Romance-language communities
• Graduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, comparative literature, translation studies or law
• Roles in language technology, data annotation and corpus linguistics with growing demand for multilingual NLP expertise

Internships, campus career services and alumni networks at FIU help students identify sector-specific opportunities and prepare professional applications.

Why study at Florida International University

Florida International University is located in Miami, a multilingual, multicultural city with large Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities — an ideal setting for learning and practising Romance languages. The university’s faculty include specialists in Romance linguistics, sociolinguistics, translation and Latin American and Iberian literatures, offering a range of research and applied supervision.

Students benefit from FIU’s connections across the Americas and Europe, a variety of study-abroad programmes, language labs and community-engaged projects that provide real-world experience. The bilingual and international environment on campus supports internship placement, community interpretation opportunities and collaborative research initiatives that bridge theory and practice.

Overall, the programme combines rigorous linguistic training with immersive language study and cultural competence, preparing graduates for diverse careers that require advanced language skills and intercultural awareness.