¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ

• Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
• 688 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite 425
• Montreal QC H3A 3R1

• Telephone: 514-398-3650
• Fax: 514-398-1748
• Email: info.llcu [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: www.mcgill.ca/langlitcultures

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is dedicated to fostering a critical understanding of European and Latin American cultures in a global context. To this end, we offer programs in European, German, Hispanic, Italian, and Russian Studies, immersing students in the study of specific languages, literatures, thought, cinemas, cultures, and national traditions while encouraging transnational approaches and cultural plurality. In addition, we offer a selection of courses that are not specific to just one language or culture, including film, eco-criticism, literary theory, book history, and digital humanities.

In terms of undergraduate studies, we seek to broaden students’ liberal arts background. Our goal is to enable our undergraduates to develop communicative skills in at least one target language and to provide critical tools to understand the complexities of other cultural traditions. The skills acquired are invaluable for careers in business, government, the media, cultural and literary fields, and numerous other professions.

We are committed to international standards of excellence in graduate student training; our graduate programs in German, Hispanic, Italian, and Russian Studies offer a vibrant research environment combining the rigour of traditional philological inquiry with a range of other theoretical and methodological approaches, many of them informed and/or creatively challenged by broader transnational and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Students who envision graduate studies upon completion of the B.A. are strongly advised to pursue an honours or joint honours program (Honours students must submit their thesis by March 15). Although the Major and Minor concentrations form an important part of the multi-track B.A. in Arts, this general degree does not provide the specialized training called for by most graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences.

Students may need to obtain Departmental approval to register for language courses and are strongly urged to consult with the Department for advice/approval of their program plans. A placement test is available and may be booked before the start of term with the Language Adviser of the respective area of study. Please see the Advising section of our website at: www.mcgill.ca/langlitcultures/contact.

Students may begin at the intermediate or advanced level in their first year if they have taken approved courses in high school, CEGEP, or through ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Summer Studies. Please consult with our advisers for more information.

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers undergraduate programs and concentrations which permit students to pursue a variety of intellectual and pre-professional options.

The Minor Concentration in European Literature and Culture provides students with a broad foundation for understanding the development and interconnectedness of European culture, and its relevance for the comprehension of today's world through the study of literature and the arts from the Middle Ages to modern times. Knowledge of a language other than English is not required to complete the program.

With faculty members working at the forefront of literary, media, and cultural studies, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures – German Studies immerses students in both the rich literary traditions of the German language, and in the innovative directions of transdisciplinary research.

With our multiple major, minor, honours, and joint honours undergraduate programs, as well as our graduate program, we accommodate a broad range of student interests, from eighteenth century Enlightenment to questions of migration and multiculturalism in contemporary German culture. While our department offers a wide spectrum of courses in language, literature, and culture, our particular strengths lie in philosophy, critical theory, cultural studies, philology, cinema, and media studies. Students receive close attention and individual mentoring in both their academic and professional training.

We also consider German Studies to be part of a broader humanistic endeavor and encourage students to draw on the wealth of faculty working on relevant topics both at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ and the many other Montreal universities, in departments and programs such as History, Philosophy, Music, Art History and Communications, Jewish Studies, English, and other national literatures.

Undergraduate Programs

• Adviser: Andrew Piper
• 688 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 483
• Telephone: 514-398-4400, ext. 094504

• Minor Concentration in German Language (Expandable)
• Minor Concentration in German Literature (Expandable)
• Minor Concentration in German Literature and Culture in Translation
• Major Concentration in German Language and Literature
• Major Concentration in German Literature and Culture
• Major Concentration in Contemporary German Studies
• Honours in German Studies
• Joint Honours in German Studies

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures – Hispanic Studies offers courses in the literature, intellectual history, and civilization of Spain and Latin America, as well as in the Spanish language. The Department's undergraduate and graduate programs are committed to expanding the liberal arts background of students by helping to develop the skills of communication and critical reasoning, and by providing insight into the culture of other regional, linguistic, and national groups. Enrichment in these areas reduces provincialism and broadens intellectual horizons, regardless of the professional interests or fields of specialization that may guide students in other facets of their university education.

¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University has bilateral exchange agreements with the Universidad de Salamanca (Spain), the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Universidad de las Américas, Puebla (Mexico), as well as with other leading universities in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world which allow student and faculty exchanges, and other collaborative ventures. Further information about these exchanges may be obtained from the Department or from the International Education website.

Undergraduate Programs

• Adviser: Fernanda Macchi
• 688 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 379
• Telephone: 514-398-4400, ext. 04594

• Minor Concentration in Hispanic Languages (Expandable)
• Minor Concentration in Hispanic Literature and Culture (Expandable)
• Major Concentration in Hispanic Languages
• Major Concentration in Hispanic Literature and Culture
• Honours in Hispanic Studies
• Joint Honours in Hispanic Studies

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures – Italian Studies has a mission to maintain the traditions and study of the great classics, as well as to provide a window on an increasingly complex and diverse contemporary Italian culture. It promotes the study of the Italian language through an excellent and rigorous language training program. Its undergraduate and graduate programs also offer courses in Italian literature, both in Italian and in English, as well as in Italian film. The Department periodically invites scholars specializing in contemporary politics, the Italian immigrant experience, and social change, enabling students to gain both a broader and more critical understanding of various aspects of Italian culture through contact with specialists in these areas.

Undergraduate Programs

• Adviser: Matteo Soranzo
• 688 Sherbrooke, Room 429
• Telephone: 514-398-4400, ext. 089896

• Minor Concentration in Italian Studies (Expandable)
• Major Concentration in Italian Studies
• Honours in Italian Studies
• Joint Honours in Italian Studies

In addition to offering the only full undergraduate and graduate programs (including M.A. and Ph.D.) in Quebec, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures – Russian and Slavic Studies continues to attract one of the largest student enrolments in North America. We are proud to have approximately 25 graduates each year from undergraduate programs, many of whom have received credit for courses taken in Russia during their studies. Due to expanding global links—both business and institutional—many opportunities are open to students with qualifications in Russian studies. Students may be interested in the organization of human society, comparative literature, and linguistics; Russian Studies are highly relevant to all of these.

Undergraduate Programs

• Adviser: Anna Berman
• 688 Sherbrooke, Room 333
• Telephone: 514-398-4400, ext. 094513

• Minor Concentration in Russian Studies (Expandable)
• Minor Concentration in Russian Culture
• Major Concentration in Russian Studies
• Honours in Russian Studies
• Joint Honours in Russian Studies