There is something for everyone at Southeastern. Explore our undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, typical career paths and related fields – then decide which one is right for you.
Lucia Harrison, Department head
The Department of Languages and Communication offers work in the fields of French, German, Italian, Latin, Mythology and Spanish. With the exception of Mythology, courses in these languages may be used to satisfy the language requirements of the curricula in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and to offer a major and/or minor in these fields in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Education. The curriculum leading to a major and/or minor in foreign languages is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to pursue further graduate training, who seek a variety of positions in which the knowledge of a foreign language is required and/or desirable, who wish to teach at the elementary and/or secondary school levels, and who, it is hoped, simply desire to acquire the knowledge of the language and of the cultural heritage of another country.
Entrance into Foreign Language Courses
Students who have taken two or more years of foreign language in High School or have grown up speaking a language other than English may seek entrance into foreign language courses numbered 102, 201, 202, and advanced level (300 and above) by receiving a passing grade on the appropriate departmental entrance test. These tests are offered at designated times during registration period. Tests at each level in each language may be taken only once by a given student. Entrance tests are not credit exams and carry absolutely no academic credit. A student who is permitted to enter a course above the 101 level on the basis of entrance testing may receive a grade of "P" in the course(s) he or she is permitted to skip over, if and when the student receives a passing grade in the course into which entrance has been permitted.
Majors
For a major in a foreign language, the requirement is thirty (30) semester hours in advanced courses (300 and above) in one language. Students enrolled in FLAN courses will study the language in which they are pursuing their degree.
All foreign language majors are encouraged to do study abroad in a country where the foreign language they are majoring in is spoken. A minimum of six (6) credit hours out of the thirty (30) hours should be obtained through study abroad. Foreign language majors are, therefore, urged to do a minimum of one summer study abroad program. To gain desired fluency, they are encouraged to spend a semester or a year abroad. Course approval for study abroad programs other than Southeastern programs must be obtained from the Department Head before departure.
All students are required to choose from the following courses: Spanish 303, 310, 311, 312 or 330, 319, 320, 423; 314 or 324; 325, or 326.
Minors
A student who majors in Spanish is required to have a minor. Successful completion of a double degree or double major in another area will also fulfill this degree requirement. Students wishing to minor in foreign languages (French, German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish) are required to complete a total of twenty-one (21) semester hours, nine (9) of which must be at the 300-level or above.
In addition to a minor in French, Italian, German, Latin, or Spanish, the Department of Languages and Communication administers three interdisciplinary minors: Francophone and Creole Ethnic Studies, Hispanic Ethnic Studies and Native American Studies. These minors consist of eighteen (18) hours each and include the following course requirements.
1. Minor in Francophone and Creole Ethnic Studies:
Required Courses:
FREN 201: Intermediate French I
FREN 202: Intermediate French II
FREN 324: Francophone Civilization and Culture
Nine additional hours must be chosen from the following:
FREN 326: Francophone Literature
FREN 314: French Culture and Civilization
GEOG 432: World Regional Geography II
HIST 321: History of Louisiana
HIST 448: The Caribbean Area
HIST 488: Oral History Techniques
[Alternates for these courses must be approved by the Department Head]
2. Minor in Hispanic Ethnic Studies
Required Courses:
SPAN 201, Intermediate Spanish I
SPAN 202, Intermediate Spanish II
SPAN 314, Hispanic Civilization or
SPAN 324, Latin American Culture and Civilization
Nine additional hours must be chosen from the following:
ANTH 405: North American Indian
GEOG 432: World Regional Geography II
HIST 446: History of Latin America to 1820
HIST 447: History of Latin America since1820
HIST 449: History of Mexico
HIST 321: History of Louisiana
HIST 488: Oral History Techniques
MYTH 204: Mesoamerican Mythology
MYTH 205: South American Mythology
SOC 411: Race and Ethnic Relations
SPAN 423: Special Topics (when content is appropriate)
[Alternates for these courses must be approved by the Department Head]
3. Native American Studies
Required Courses:
ANTH 405: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
ENGL 392: Studies in Native American Literature
MYTH 204: Mesoamerican Mythology or MYTH 205: South American Mythology
Nine additional hours must be chosen from the following:
ANTH 101: Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 301: Exploring Archaeology
AHTH 403: Archaeological Studies
CRMP 431: Arts Administration of Non-Profit Organizations
CRMP 491: Field Training
GEOG 401: Historical Geography of the United States
GEOG 410: Cultural Geography
HIST 478: The American Frontier
HIST 488: Oral History Techniques
SOC: 411: Race and Ethnic Relations
SPAN: 324: Latin American Civilization
[Alternates for these courses must be approved by the Department Head]
For the Honors Diploma in Spanish majors must complete the following requirements:
| ENGL 210H, 291H, or 292H1 | 3 hours |
| HIST 101H, 102H, 201H, or 202H | 3 hours |
| COMM211H | 3 hours |
| GBIO 151H or 153H | 3 hours |
| HONR 1912 | 3 hours |
| Senior Thesis4 | 0 hours |
| SPAN 312, 319, 325, 326, 4233 | 9 hours |
| Total | 24 hours |
1May be substituted for English 230, 231, or 232.
2Satisfies Art Elective or Art/Music/Theatre/Dance requirement.
3These courses must be completed as an H-Option.
4The domain in which the student will complete the thesis project and the student's
participation in the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities program, service
learning, internship, or international experiences will be determined during the student's
enrollment in FREN/SPAN 423.
Foreign Study Opportunities
The Department of Languages and Communication maintains ties with institutions of higher education in many countries. Summer course work through Southeastern Louisiana University is offered regularly in a variety of international locations.
Foreign Language Resource Center (FLRC)
The Foreign Language Resource Center, a state-of-the-art digital facility located in D Vickers Hall, provides an inviting environment for the study of foreign languages. Housed in the FLRC are 35 new computers with Internet access and the Microsoft Office package, which can stand alone for individual work and/or be controlled by a teacher console. Students and faculty working in the FLRC can also take advantage of satellite programming in French, Italian and Spanish; a growing collection of VHS and DVD movies and documentaries; all materials that accompany current textbooks; and supplementary instructional materials on CD-ROM. Staff members are available to assist both students and faculty as needed.
The baccalaureate degree in Communication is designed to develop student competencies in oral, written, and visual communication by providing opportunities for focused study and research in broadcasting, speech communication, interpersonal communication, multi-platform journalism, public relations, and/or organizational communication. Acquisition of communication skills will facilitate participation in the economy, development, and culture of southeast Louisiana and beyond.
Students who complete Southeastern's BA in Communication will:
Enrollment in Communication Courses
All students are permitted to enroll in any communication course a maximum of two times; this includes course withdrawals (W grades). The only exceptions are Communication 210 or 211 or with the consent of the Department Head.
Major
Students wishing to major in Communication must complete 23 hours of core requirements and 21 hours of Communication electives. Students must devote their Communication electives to a minimum of 6-9 hours in each of the categories of writing/oral communication, production and culture, Fifteen (15) hours of communication electives must be at the 300- or 400-level. The major in communication leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Core Requirements:
| COMM 101 | 1 hour |
| COMM 102 | 1 hour |
| COMM 151 | 3 hours |
| COMM 159 | 3 hours |
| COMM 211 | 3 hours |
| COMM 215 | 3 hours |
| COMM 391 | 3 hours |
| COMM 453 | 3 hours |
| COMM 498 | 3 hours |
| Total | 23 hours |
Communication Electives
Writing/Oral Communication (Courses focusing on the generation of content – information gathering, reporting, researching, and writing 6-9 hours required): Communication 213, 316, 321, 340, 344, 354, 359, 363, 408, 411, 413, 463, 465, 495.
Production (Courses focusing on the display of communication – design, display, editing, packaging, and production, 6-9 hours required): Communication 256, 257, 260, 341, 357, 376, 417, 430, 449, 460, 466.
Culture (Courses focusing on cultural issues in professional communication – critical, social, theoretical and qualitative values, 6-9 hours required): Communication 270, 353, 360, 362, 364, 371, 375, 378, 401, 410, 418, 427, 433, 451, 456, 458, 459, 461, 467, 468, 471, 475.
Special Recommendations for Communication Majors
Communication is so very diverse in general that it affects all human activity, and Communication majors find that their studies prepare them for a wide range of endeavors. The best approach to gaining a general understanding of their field is to emphasize a broad range of skills and principles. However, in preparing for a specific vocation in this field, change if rapid, and Communication majors must pay close attention to techniques and styles associated with professional approaches. For those students who have a special interest in any of the focus areas below, they should give careful consideration to fulfilling their communication major electives with the courses listed.
Film/Video: Writing/Oral – COMM 354, 363. Production – COIMM 257, 260, 449. Culture – COMM 369, 456, 461, 493.
Health Communication: Writing/Oral – COMM 316, 411, 413, 463, 465, 495. Production – COMM 376, 417, 466. Culture – COMM 371, 378, 418, 433, 458, 461, 471, 475, 485.
Journalism/Magazines: Writing/Oral – COMM 321, 344, 495. Production – COMM 341, 376, 430. Culture – COMM 451, 456, 461, 493.
*Journalism/Newspapers: Writing/Oral – COMM 340, 344, 495. Production – COMM 341, 417, 430. Culture – COMM 451, 456, 461, 493.
Organizational Communication: Writing/Oral – COMM 316, 413. Production – COMM 376, 417. Culture – COMM 418, 433, 471, 475.
On-line Media: Writing/Oral – COMM 321, 495. Production – COMM 341, 376, 417, 430. Culture – COMM 451, 456, 458, 461.
Public Relations: Writing/Oral – COMM 411, 413, 463, 465, 495. Production – COMM 376, 417, 466, Culture – COMM 270, 364, 458, 467.
Radio: Writing/Oral – COMM 354, 359, 495. Production – COMM 256, 417, 460. Culture – COMM 451, 456, 461, 493.
*Speech and Rhetoric: Writing/Oral – COMM 213, 411, 413. Production – COMM 256, 376. Culture – COMM 371, 378, 418, 475.
Television/Video: Writing/Oral – COMM 354, 363, 408. Production – COMM 257, 260, 357. Culture – COMM 369, 456, 461, 493.
*Note: One of these two areas is recommended to students interested in pursuing alternative certification to teach communication at the high school level.
Honors Diploma in Communication
| ENGL 121H1 | 3 hours |
| HIST 122H2 | 3 hours |
| HIST 101H3 | 3 hours |
| HIST 102H4 | 3 hours |
| ENGL 291H, ENGL 292H, HIST 201H, ECON 201H, GBIO 151H, MATH 161H, HONR 191, HONR 311, HONR 312, HONR 313, or HONR 3145 |
3 hours |
| COMM 400, 410, 411, 418, 451, 453, 456, 458, 461, 471, or 4756 and 493 | 9 hours |
| Honors 300 Senior Thesis7 | 1 hour |
| Total | 25 hours |
1May be substituted for English 101.
2This course may be substituted for English 102.
3This course can be substituted for History 102 or 201.
4This course can be substituted for History 102 or 202.
5Any one of these courses can be substituted for similar major requirements with the
approval of the Department Head.
6These courses must be completed as an H-Option.
7The domain in which the student will complete the thesis project and the student's
participation in the undergraduate research program, service learning, internship,
or international experience will be determined during the student's enrollment in
Communication 498.
Minors
Students who wish to complete a minor will complete 18 hours of communication courses, including COMM 211.
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