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Romance Languages
In this age of global
communications and multiculturalism, the study of
Romance languages and the ever-evolving cultures they
represent is a particularly timely pursuit. At Penn, we
offer Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
On the most basic level, the activity of foreign
language study in our department is articulated around
the essential skills of communication. The discipline
of learning how to communicate in a foreign language
not only makes the student able to interact with other
cultures but also, because of the comparative and
contrastive exercise that language learning entails,
sharpens his or her English communication skills as
well. The Department of Romance Languages offers a wide
variety of courses in French, Italian, Portuguese and
Spanish language, literature, culture and film.
Acknowledging the need for
experiencing a culture contextually, the Department of
Romance Languages has established several study-abroad
programs. Some of the sites offer business-oriented
programs of study, while others offer more
humanities-based options. The department works closely
with the Office of International Programs to make
foreign study an attainable possibility for Penn
students—majors and non-majors alike. The Modern
Languages House (which offers French-, Italian- and
Spanish-speaking residential experiences, weekly
conversation hours, film series and other cultural
events open to both residents and non-residents)
provides further opportunities for practical language
experience.
Beyond the inherently valuable
intellectual benefits gained from the study of
language, the department’s faculty is deeply
committed to the exploration of literature and film as
they pertain to broader issues of cultural
self-representation. A literary or visual text tells a
great deal not only about the writer or artist who
produced it, but also about how a society thinks or
represents itself. The study of a text not only tells
us about the cultural climate in which a given text was
produced, it also reveals our own cultural values and
myths as we engage in the process of interpretation.
The department offers a wealth of courses in literature
and culture, both canonical and non-canonical, that
address European classics from specific periods as well
as texts produced in contemporary cultural
circumstances such as the French- and Spanish-speaking
Caribbean or Italian-American life. Courses on film are
also an increasingly important part of our curriculum.
Students in satisfactory academic
standing are invited to apply for a major or minor in
French, Hispanic or Italian Studies, or the dual major
in Romance languages, once they have satisfactorily
completed two courses beyond the Language Requirement.
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Science, Technology and Society
The structure of the modern world
is constructed on a complex foundation of science and
technology. Understanding how science works, how
technological innovation happens, and how both relate
to larger social, political, and economic developments
is an essential skill for professionals in almost every
occupation.
Students who major in Science,
Technology and Society (STSC) will pursue a broad and
highly interdisciplinary program of study that includes
courses in the history of science, technology,
medicine, and related fields in the natural and social
sciences. In doing so they will acquire both a broad
liberal arts education as well as specific preparation
for careers in knowledge-based occupations such as law,
public policy, business, medicine and journalism.
Slavic Languages and Literatures
The Department of Slavic
Languages and Literatures offers a major, a minor and a
language certificate in Russian. Additionally, with the
support of the Penn Language Center, the department
offers courses in the Ukrainian, Czech and Polish
languages. The department also offers a series of
courses for students who have spoken Russian at home
and wish to gain literacy and/or improve their language
skills or to pursue the study of Russian literature and
culture in Russian.
The Russian major provides a
framework that can be adapted to meet the needs of a
wide variety of students, ranging from those oriented
toward the study of language and literature to those
interested in any of a variety of interdisciplinary
approaches. The major and minor in Russian, because of
their flexible nature, are well suited to students
wishing to pursue a double major (or minor) with a
complementary field of study, such as politics,
economics, international relations, anthropology,
history or comparative literature. The major and minor
in Russian are well suited to students preparing for
law or medical school, as well as those contemplating
careers in international business, teaching,
governmental and foreign service or journalism.
Students of Russian are
encouraged to spend a semester of study abroad,
normally during the junior year. Study in Russia may be
pursued through the American Councils of Teachers of
Russian program, which offers the intensive study of
Russian language, literature and contemporary culture.
Additionally, the Penn-in-Prague and Penn-in-Warsaw
programs provide options for summer study abroad that
may be pursued with any level of language
ability—even with no prior knowledge of foreign
languages.
Students may choose to live in
the Russian House starting fall 2006. The house brings
together students who are
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