You can major or minor in a foreign language at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for aesthetic enrichment. You should also consider language study as a marketable part of becoming an effective member of the global business, medical, technological, or agricultural economy.

Learning to Communicate  

The study of foreign languages is primarily the study of communications at different levels within the Germanic, Francophone, and Hispanic cultures. We now also offer Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese.

Language and culture are inseparable. Through language and its many expressions: literature, civilization, music, and more, our students learn to communicate fluently and within a cultural context.

Languages Offered

The foreign language program offers majors in German and Spanish, along with minors in French, German, and Spanish.  Students who major in foreign languages find career opportunities in many areas, such as international business, marketing, civil service work, diplomacy, and law enforcement.

Minor studies in French, German, and Spanish are designed for students interested in combining a minor in a foreign language with other areas of study for the purpose of enhancing communication skills and career opportunities. Likewise, apart from the intellectual development that results from the study of the French, German, or Spanish language, its literature and its civilization, students may also find professional employment in international business, marketing, civil service, and teaching.

Students who wish to teach French, German or Spanish must be admitted to the School of Education, meet all of the requirements for teacher certification and also take TEACHING 4060 (credits do not count toward major or minor).  All students intending to become licensed teachers must satisfy the requirements outlined in the teacher licensure section listed under the School of Education.

Advantages at UW-Platteville  

The UW-Platteville foreign languages program offers some unique advantages. You will learn a foreign language in small conversation classes that immerse you in the language and culture.

Listening is so important in language acquisition. Our language laboratory provides you with electronic equipment which will help you learn to speak and understand a foreign language. Our laboratory also serves as a library and is open to you 30 hours per week.

Soon, we will offer computer and video lab stations as well as our current audio stations.

Experienced Faculty  

We have experienced faculty who have first-hand knowledge of the subject matter through extensive travel abroad and contact with the culture.

Our faculty employ the most progressive teaching methods, and we offer study abroad programs and travel-abroad seminars in which you can travel to Europe, Central and South America, or other parts of the globe, while earning college credits.

Retroactive Credit

If you had a year or more of foreign language in high school, you may be eligible for free retro credits as a UW-Platteville student. If you complete a second semester or higher foreign language course at UW-Platteville and receive an A or a B in that course, you'll receive FREE retro credits for the course(s) that you did not need to take.

What retro credits can do for you:

• Retro credits count toward the major and minor in a foreign language. Students who place into a third-semester language course can complete half of a foreign language minor as a first-semester freshman.
• Retro credits may be used to meet general education requirements in humanities and international education, saving time toward graduation.
• Retro credits apply toward your total accumulation of credits, so you can register earlier.
• Retro credits could save you as much as $2,000 in tuition costs.