Department Information and Typical Discipline-Specific Academic Degree & Qualifications1 of faculty within Modern Languages

The Department of Modern Languages at Florida International University offers courses in languages from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America, with undergraduate majors (B.A.) and minors in French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Courses are regularly offered in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili from elementary to advanced levels.

In addition, the Department offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Spanish. Modern Languages is also the home of the Translation & Interpretation Program with two Academic Certificates, one in Translation Studies and one in Legal Translation / Court Interpreting

Degrees offered

The Modern Languages Department offers these programs:

  • BA in Modern Languages
  • Combined BA/MA in Linguistics
  • Combined BA/MA in Spanish
  • MA in Spanish
  • MA in Spanish with an Emphasis in Spanish Applied Language, Culture, and Literature
  • Ph.D. in Spanish

Terminal Degree 2 for each discipline taught in Modern Languages

  • DML, DOA, Ph.D. in Foreign Languages and Literatures (16.0101)
  • DML, DOA, Ph.D. in French Language and Literature (16.0901)
  • DML, DOA, Ph.D. in Portuguese Language and Literature (16.0904)
  • DML, DOA, Ph.D. in Spanish Language and Literature (16.0905)

Related Disciplines 3

  • Foreign Language, Literature and Linguistics (16.) - all LIN courses
  • Arabic Language and Literature (16.1101) - all ARA, ABT courses
  • Chinese Language and Literature (16.0301) - all CHI courses
  • Comparative Literature (16.0104) - all FOL, FOT, FOW, FRE, FRT, FRW, SPN, SPW and SPT Courses
  • Foreign Language, Literature and Linguistics (16.) – all LIN courses
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education (13.1306) - all lower division SPN courses
  • Foreign Languages and Literature (16.0101) - all except FIL and LIN courses
  • French Language and Literature (16.0901) - all FOL, HAI, SWA, YOR courses
  • French Language Teacher Education (13.1325) - all lower division FRE courses
  • German Language and Literature (16.0501) - all FOL, GER courses
  • Hebrew Language and Literature (16.1102) - all HBR courses
  • Italian Language and Literature (16.0902) - all FOL, ITA courses
  • Japanese Language and Literature (16.0302) - all JPN, JPT, JPW courses
  • Language Interpretation and Translation (16.0103) - all lower division course in appropriate language, PRT and SPT courses
  • Latin Language and Literature (16.1203) - all FRE, FRT, FRW, FOW, HAI, ITA, POR, POW, PRT, SPN, SPW courses
  • Linguistics (16.0102) - all LIN, SPN, SPT and SPW courses
  • Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other (16.0199) - all SPN, SPT, SPW courses
  • Portuguese Language and Literature (16.0904) - all FOL courses
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (16.0900) - all FOL, FRE, FRT, FRW, ITA, POR, POW, PRT, SPN, SPW courses
  • Russian Language and Literature (16.0402) - all RUS courses
  • Spanish Language and Literature (16.0905) - all FOL, LIN courses
  • Spanish Language Teacher Education (13.1330) - all lower division SPN courses
  • Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language (13.1402) - all FRE, FRT, FRW courses

Related Disciplines for specific courses 3

  • Foreign Language, Literature and Linguistics (16.) - FOL 3940
  • Romance Languages (16.0900) - LIN 6608
  • Spanish Language and Literature (16.0905) - FIL 4881, 5825, 5846

Other Teaching Qualifications (Description of Required Academic Degree and Justifications 4 for the programs in Modern Languages)

Consideration of other teaching qualifications in lieu of academic credentials is made on a case-by-case basis and accepted in special cases where evidence of exceptional industry experience, research or other qualifications can be documented and are directly applicable to the course being taught.

Notes

1Whenever instructors are not credentialed by their advanced degree or by an approved CIP relationship, they must be credentialed through a narrative justification of the instructor's qualifications to teach this/these course(s). Such credentialing is based on the proposed instructor's academic and professional preparation; diplomas, certificates, or relevant licensures; publications and presentations in the field; honors, awards, and professional recognitions; and other demonstrated competencies, skills, and experiences which the instructor brings to the University. These must be clearly tied to the specific courses to be taught and should establish beyond doubt that the instructor is qualified to teach the specific courses they are to be assigned.

The Office of the Provost reviews all such justifications and where the justifications warrant the instructor's teaching the courses proposed, it will either approve the justification for the appropriate period (seven years for full-time faculty members, or four years for part-time faculty members) or employ one of two additional clearance categories beyond the advanced degree and related-discipline categories which it may use to credential some instructors where their accomplishments warrant this:

Active Research Clearance in the Discipline or Active Artistic/Special Talent Clearance in the Discipline

2The level and discipline of the terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D., MS, MFA, doctorate) that is required to teach graduate courses in the discipline

3For each discipline, all strongly-related degree(s) and/or equivalent names for the discipline (include level) that would also be appropriate for teaching at the graduate level

4(1)The appropriate academic degrees and justifications for each related degree above if not obvious; (2) the justification for why the terminal degree is not a doctorate in a discipline, e.g., specific examples of best practice in the discipline and accrediting association language; and (3) any other criteria used to determine appropriate academic qualifications to teach specialty courses in the program.

Current/Effective Date 11/15/2024