What can you do with a degree in world languages?
A solid foundation in the humanities
A degree in a language can open many doors. It is a degree in the humanities, with the added international language and cultural skill set. Employers are looking for professionals with the "soft skills" that a humanities degree emphasizes: the ability to communicate well and work in diverse teams, flexibility and critical thinking. Humanities students excel in pre-professional school exams. In 2017-18 humanities majors scored higher on the entrance exams for medical school (MCA) than Biological Science majors, according to data provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Graduate study
A degree in a language is excellent preparation for graduate study, not only in the language of your choice, but also in areas such as the following (all of which are offered at the master's level at WMU):
Internships and employment
Take advantage of WMU's Career and Student Employment Services to find an internship during your studies or immediately following graduation. World Languages and Literatures' alumni have interned with large companies such as Disney, as well as institutions such as the German Parliament. Attend our internship workshop and register with Handshake through the Office of Career and Student Employment Services to learn more. It may be helpful to become acquainted with the following Michigan-based organizations:
Teach English abroad
Some of our alumni spend a year or more teaching abroad in France or Japan through the following programs:
Department activities
World Languages and Literatures' faculty are active researchers and publish in the areas of creative writing; language acquisition; linguistics; literary, theatre and film studies; textual editing; and translation.
Department activities include our refereed journal, Transference, featuring poetry translated into English and commentary on the art and process of translation.