Languages & Cultures at UCCS
The UCCS Department of Languages and Cultures is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural understanding and language education at the local, regional, and global level.About the Department
The UCCS Department of Languages and Culture is international and transcultural – we live through diversity. Our classes are inclusive and offer a learning environment that promotes cultural understanding and fosters a sense of international community in our students. Studying another language and culture teaches us to respect and better understand those who have a different perspective on the world. It enriches our own lives and serves us both abroad and within our own community.
We offer academic programs for Spanish majors and minors. We also offer minors in American Sign Language, French, German and Japanese along with courses in Arabic, Chinese, Ancient Greek, Korean, Latin, and Russian.
News, Events, & Study Abroad Opportunities
Discover exciting study abroad opportunities on our dedicated news, events, and press release page. Stay informed about new programs, scholarships, and application deadlines that can enhance your academic experience. Join us in exploring diverse cultures and academic landscapes around the world!
Spring 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to the Department of Languages and Cultures and to our most recent Newsletter. In these pages, we want to share information about who we are, what are some of the accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff in the last semester, and the journeys you can take with us as a student.
If you are a student of languages and cultures or are interested in joining one of our programs, please read on, and contact our faculty or some of the students in our programs to learn more about specific courses and the different ways you can learn about other ways to communicate with people around the country and around the world.
About Micro-Credentials & Digital Badges
Unlock your linguistic potential and open doors to new opportunities in the global job market with our brand-new micro-credentials in languages! In today’s workforce, the demand for multilingual professionals and cultural proficiency is higher than ever. These specialized courses are meticulously crafted to provide you with practical language skills and cultural expertise sought after by employers worldwide. Once you’ve successfully completed the required courses and demonstrated your proficiency, you’ll receive a digital badge from Credly, perfect for showcasing on your LinkedIn profile to signal your language skills to potential employers and recruiters.
Student Experience
Audra Craig- FranceNews from our recent graduate Audra Craig (French Minor, History Major), teaching English in Cherbourg, France, as a TAPIF participant. Audra was selected for the competitive Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) to teach English in France for a year:
“I am teaching at three elementary schools and working with kids 5-11ish years old, they are all really sweet and it’s been fun trying to converse with them despite the fact sometimes I don’t know French and they don’t know much English!
Also I only work two days a week- the program only allows 12 hours weekly maximum. In addition, the program pays around €800 euro after tax a month and my school provided me with housing in a teachers’ apartment at an internat (boarding school) for €223. On top of that I will get social security and receive healthcare- so the finances really worked out well.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the French program!!
I have two roommates who also teach for the program, they are from Ghana and Gambia. It has been nice and we’ve been sharing recipes for diner and exploring la Manche region. I’m lucky because my roommate from Ghana is completely fluent in French, and we mostly only speak in French, so I’m getting lots of practice even at home. There are also Spanish and Italian assistants in Cherbourg, and I’ve hung out with them as well.
The bus here is one euro per ride [...]. So exploring on weekends had been convenient. There is a train station as well, but apart from Caen and Paris it can be a bit of a hassle going elsewhere. Lastly I still have yet to watch Les parapluies de Cherbourg, but I see plenty of photos of movies scenes, in the filming location throughout the town and I will watch it soon.
[...]
I would really like to thank you because I loved French class so much. I would never have done this if I didn’t have such a great professor throughout my years at UCCS :). I will keep in touch!”