Romance Languages

Within the Department of Romance Languages, you will be welcomed into a spirited community that is committed to intellectual inquiry, social justice, and career development through language and culture. With class sizes that average under 25 students, you’ll get to know our faculty and enjoy the benefits of a program big enough to support a wide range of interests but small enough to form a real community. Our campus is “human scale”—just the right size for students to get personalized attention while also having access to extraordinary research resources.

31.5%
PERCENTAGE OF UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS WHO ARE FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
23
AVERAGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN AN UNDERGRADUATE CLASS
90%

PERCENTAGE OF SOPHOMORE STUDENTS WHO REMAIN IN THE MAJOR PROGRAM AFTER DECLARING

Romance Languages at the UO

Hundreds of University of Oregon students currently major or minor in French, Italian, Spanish, or major in Romance languages—a program that combines advanced study in two Romance languages (now including Portuguese). For graduate students, the Department of Romance Languages offers programs of study leading to an MA in Romance Languages, French, Italian, or Spanish and to a PhD in Romance languages or Spanish.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Romance Languages

What kind of career can you get with language skills? Studying Romance languages can take you just about anywhere! Our alumni are traveling the world, making an impact in their communities, and building careers in a broad range of fields such as:

  • International law and business
  • Communications
  • Education
  • Fine arts
  • Tourism
  • Diplomacy
Spanish major Melissa Torres-Duran

Making a Community Impact 

Since graduating I’ve had the opportunity to work at a few different ad agencies, but I pivoted to the non-profit sector to do social community impact work. I am able to use my background as a native Spanish speaker and the many skills I developed to help my community. Studying abroad opened up my horizons and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime! 

—Melissa Torres-Duran, Spanish major, '22 

Learn from Experts in the Field

Learn from Experts in the Field

Our Romance languages faculty includes specialists who work on all aspects of the Romance-speaking world, including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. They are passionate scholars who inform and inspire, as well as dedicated mentors who help students build real-world skills and strong professional networks.

Get Real-World Experience

Immerse Yourself in Another Culture

Studying Romance languages abroad accelerates the development of speaking and comprehension skills while giving students a real-world experience within the culture they’re studying. The Department of Romance Languages offers numerous study abroad programs in Romance-speaking areas of the world, as well as other hands-on learning opportunities to help students develop their language proficiency.

Scholarships and Funding

The Department of Romance Languages awards multiple scholarships to current undergraduate and graduate students who are declared majors or minors within the department. Learn more about available scholarships and eligibility requirements.

Undergraduate Scholarships
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students talk through their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising
Support for Graduate Students

Romance Languages News and Events

ROMANCE LANGUAGES, WOMEN'S AND GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - Oregon Ducks come from all over the world, including the Basque Country, a small region carved out of northern Spain on the border with France. Meet Nagore Sedano Neveira and learn about her life's journey that brought her to University of Oregon.
GLOBAL STUDIES AND LANGUAGES, LINGUISTICS, SPANISH - U.S. Latinx students studying Spanish while studying abroad can encounter discrimination and condescending attitudes from their instructors. For students who grew up speaking Spanish, known as heritage speakers, this can lead to missed learning opportunities, according to Devin Grammon and Sergio Loza, both assistant professors of Spanish sociolinguistics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
ENGLISH, ROMANCE LANGUAGES - Staff and faculty members came together for the inaugural College of Arts and Sciences Awards and Hallmark Achievement Reception, which celebrated some of the achievements of faculty and staff. In addition to celebrating some of the college’s faculty members who have received accolades outside of the university, the ceremony featured the college’s first-ever awards that recognize the work of faculty and staff.

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Graduate School Fair 2024
Nov13
Graduate School Fair 2024 Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop)
Nov13
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop) Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
From Secondary Burial to Eco-Coffins: Traditions and Trends in Funerary Cultures
Nov13
From Secondary Burial to Eco-Coffins: Traditions and Trends in Funerary Cultures Nov 13
Let's Talk - Wednesdays Noon-2MP (Peterson Hall/Zoom)
Nov13
Let's Talk - Wednesdays Noon-2MP (Peterson Hall/Zoom) Nov 13 Peterson Hall
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop)
Nov13
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop) Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Let’s Talk – Wednesdays 2PM-4PM (BCC/Zoom)
Nov13
Let’s Talk – Wednesdays 2PM-4PM (BCC/Zoom) Nov 13 Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center
How to Manage Stress, Rejection & the Haters in Your Midst
Nov14
How to Manage Stress, Rejection & the Haters in Your Midst Nov 14
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: Revising the Dissertation and Other First Book Problems
Nov14
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: Revising the Dissertation and Other First Book Problems Nov 14
Herchurch: Utopian Thinking at the Intersection of Feminism, Lutheranism, and Paganism
Nov14
Herchurch: Utopian Thinking at the Intersection of Feminism, Lutheranism, and Paganism Nov 14
Ascent to Europa: NASA’s Mission to Jupiter’s Ocean Moon
Nov14
Ascent to Europa: NASA’s Mission to Jupiter’s Ocean Moon Nov 14 Museum of Natural and Cultural History

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