Coursework at the Department of Language and Foreign Studies (LFS) at American University taught in the target language provides solid language skills and depth of cultural understanding in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and Turkish. Instruction for individuals interested in teaching English to non-English speakers is provided through the TESOL Program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). LFS offers an online Language Placement Test to help students find appropriate classes, in addition to one-on-one Undergraduate Advising. 

Undergraduate Degrees

LFS offers BA degrees in French, German, Russian, and Spanish Studies, as well as interdisciplinary majors in Language and Area Studies, and Foreign Language and Communication Media. LFS also offers certificates in translation in French, German, Russian and Spanish, and minors in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

Graduate Degrees & Certificates

Master's programs offered include an MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies and an MA in TESOL. Please see the Degrees page for more about our graduate translation certificate programs.