Minor (Non-Degree) tracks

A Minor in one of the areas of Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication allows students to develop proficiency in a foreign language, to learn about the nature of language, and to become familiar with the societies in which different languages are spoken. A minor will assist students in developing communication skills and in understanding the complexities of an increasingly interdependent, multilingual and multicultural world. It will enrich students’ learning experience and enhance their career potential.

Students may pursue a minor in Linguistics, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Latin American studies.  Below are the requirements for the minor tracks. Note that core courses MLL 230 and 301 must be taken at UMBC, and that all courses applied to the minor requirements must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Applied Linguistics Minor (21 credits)

•  3 credits: MLL/LING/ENGL 190
•  12 credits: LING 210, 290, 310, 320
•  6 credits of LING courses at the 300 or 400 level.  One cognate course in another discipline (e.g., MLL 305 Introduction to Intercultural Communication; MLL 413 Language, Gender & Culture; MLL 470 L2 Acquisition and Learning: Theory to Practice; PHIL 345 Philosophy of Language; PSYC 316 Language and Thought; ENGL 407 Language in Society; ENGL 490 History of the English Language) and up to two language-specific linguistics courses (e.g., FREN 315; GERM/SPAN/RUSS 331, 332, 438) may substitute for an equivalent number of the elective LING courses, in consultation with the student’s major advisor.

Arabic Language and Culture Minor (18 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305
•  6 credits: ARBC 301, ARBC 302 (ARBC 301 and ARBC 302 must be completed at UMBC)
•  9 credits of ARBC electives:

•  ARBC 325
•  ARBC 333
•  ARBC 350
•  ARBC 355
•  MLL 424

An MLL elective course (or a course in a related discipline) relevant to Arabic language and culture may replace any one of the Arabic electives with the approval of the MLLI department.

Chinese Language and Culture Minor (18 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305
•  6 credits: CHIN 301, CHIN 302
•  9 credits of CHIN or MLL (CHIN) electives:

•  CHIN 309
•  CHIN 319
•  CHIN 300
•  MLL 300
•  MLL 328
•  MLL 329
•  MLL 334
•  MLL 335

Students may petition the MLLI department to have relevant courses from other disciplines be counted for the minor in Chinese Language and Culture.

French Language and Culture Minor (22 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305
•  10 credits: FREN 202, 301, 302
•  9 credits of elective FREN courses at the 300 or 400 level

All candidates must complete at least three FREN courses at the 202-level or above at UMBC, according to placement.

German Language and Culture Minor (22 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305
•  10 credits: GERM 202, 301, 302
•  9 credits of elective GERM courses at the 300 or 400 level

Japanese Language and Culture Minor (18 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305

•  6 credits: two upper level Japanese language courses:

• JPNS301 – Advanced Japanese I [Fall]
• JPNS302 – Advanced Japanese II [Spring]

• 9 credits in JPNS or MLL electives (3 credits must be JPNS):

• JPNS309 – Business Japanese [Fall]
• JPNS319 – Japanese Translation [Spring]
• MLL316 – Japanese Language in Society [Fall, odd year]
• MLL317 – Images of Society in Modern Japanese Film  [Fall, even year]
• MLL327 – Modern Japanese Culture [Spring, odd year]
• MLL333 -Japanese Food Culture [Spring, even year]

An MLL topics course (or course in another discipline) relevant to Japanese language and culture, with the approval of the MLLI department.

Korean Language and Culture Minor (18 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305

•  6 credits: TWO upper level Korean language courses:

•  KORE 301 – Advanced Korean I
•  KORE 302 – Advanced Korean II
•  KORE 309 – Business Korean

•   9 credits in KORE or MLL electives:

•  KORE 309 – Business Korean (cannot be used as both language and elective)
•  KORE 310 – Korean Language in Social and Cultural Context
•  MLL 311 – Introduction to Korean Culture
•  MLL 315 – Images of Society in Contemporary Korean Films

An MLL topics course (or course in another discipline) relevant to Korean language and culture may be applied with the approval of the Korean advisor.

Russian Language and Culture Minor (22 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305
•  10 credits: RUSS 202, 301, 302
•  9 credits of RUSS courses at the 300 or 400 level; up to two 200- or 300-level MLL courses, chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor, may substitute for RUSS electives. Note that RUSS 350 is a one-credit course designed to be taken in three successive semesters, each paired with a different level of RUSS 202 through 302. The course may be taken for a total of 3 credits as the sequence is completed.

Students are encouraged to consider combining a minor in Russian with a major in History, Economics, or Political Science, or a minor in International Affairs.

Spanish Language and Culture Minor (22 credits)

•  3 credits: one MLL core course: MLL/LING/ENGL 190, MLL/LING/ENGL 191, MLL/LING 230, MLL 301, MLL 305
•  10 credits: SPAN 202, 301, 302
•  9 credits of SPAN courses at the 300 or 400 level

It is highly recommended you take SPAN 308 before or concurrently with SPAN 312 and SPAN 307 before or concurrently with SPAN 311.

A minor in Spanish combines well with any major. Speaking more than one language and knowing about more than one culture is a definite advantage in any career.

Latin American Studies Minor (18 credits)

• 6 credits: SPAN 301 or SPAN 304; SPAN 302 or SPAN 305;

• 6 credits of elective courses in Spanish, chosen from:

SPAN 308 – Latinoamérica y sus Culturas I (3)
SPAN 312 – Latinoamérica y sus Culturas II (3)
SPAN 421 – Studies in Hispanic Literature (3) (approved topics)
SPAN 472 – Topics in Latin American Society (3)

• 6 credits of elective courses in English, chosen from:

AMST 345 – Indigenous Heritage: Issues of Representation and Ownership (3)
AMST 372 – American Food (3)
AMST 403 – Ethnography in America (3)
ART 424 – Contemporary Art of the Non-Western World (3) approved topic
ECON 387 – Economic Development of Latin America (3)
GES 302 – Selective Topics in Geography (3) approved topic: Latin American Geographies
GWST 343 – Gender, Human Rights, and Political Violence in Latin America (3)
HIST 327 – Modern Latin American History (3)
HIST 328 – Colonial Latin America
MLL 218 – Film and Society in Latin America
MLL 280 – Introduction to the Spanish-Speaking World (3)
POLI 377 – Latin American Politics (3)