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  1. Home
  2. School of Humanities and Social Sciences
  3. Academic Programs

Global Languages and Cultures

Penn State Behrend students and faculty visit Cuba in Spring 2016.

Languages Open Doors

In addition to fulfilling a General Education requirement for many majors, studying another language provides rich life and career opportunities. The knowledge you gain from your study of a global language can make you a more skilled communicator in English, and the greater sensitivity to other cultures that comes from studying a language is invaluable in the job market and beyond.

Whatever your degree, knowledge of another language will give you a leg up on the competition, providing you with some of the skills many employers seek. In addition, speaking, reading, and writing even a bit of another language can open new doors, allowing you to make friends overseas, experience another culture from the inside, and reimagine your own life and career choices.

At Penn State Behrend, you will receive personalized instruction from expert teachers. Class sizes are kept low, and professors are of the highest caliber. Employing the most current instruction methods, they travel frequently and bring to the classroom their experiences in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Latin America.

Penn State Behrend offers world language courses in French, German, and Spanish and a class on Italian culture. Once you complete your language requirement, you can continue to build your skills by pursuing a German Studies certificate or Spanish minor. 

Behrend students at Erie Art Museum

Students from Behrend French classes visit the Erie Art Museum.

Credit: Contributed Photo
 

Get Involved

If you enjoy languages and want to learn more about other cultures, join the German Club, the French and Francophone Club, International Student Organization, or Multi-Cultural Council. Or study abroad. Penn State Behrend offers a variety of study abroad opportunities, including courses with an embedded trip overseas, such as IT 130 Italian Culture and Civilization and PL ET 499 International Plastics Experience.

The Global Languages and Cultures department also offers many events throughout the year. See some of our events, such as National Foreign Language Week.

Global Languages and Cultures

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    • Fact Sheet for German
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PROGRAM CHAIR

Dr. Eva Kuttenberg
49 Kochel
814-898-6079
[email protected]

Apply to Behrend
Learn More
Alumnus Zane Dilts in front of a palace in Vienna

Study abroad experience leads alumnus to teach in Vienna

Read More

Study Abroad Information Sessions

Attend a one-hour information session to learn about locations, costs, scholarships, deadlines, and the application process for study abroad experiences.
Learn more

See Also

  • Behrend Study Abroad Information
  • Black School of Business Global Internships
  • Black School of Business Study Abroad
  • English Language Study Center (ELL Courses)
  • Global Boarders Living Learning Community
Pennsylvania map showing Penn State's campuses with Penn State Behrend highlighted

Penn State Behrend

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers the learning opportunities of a major research university in a welcoming, student-centered campus environment.
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