Where can a degree in foreign language from Temple University degree take you? Your career options range from translation to education to government and more. Make your declaration at the College of Liberal Arts by visiting us and applying today. Need more information? Read up on our application deadlines and transfer opportunities.

French

The French major prepares students for a career that requires analytical thinking and communication skills, which includes the domains of education, business, government service, travel and tourism. It’s a great major or a second major for students planning to attend law or medical school. Studies have shown that learning a foreign language helps raise scores on the LSAT, GRE, and MCAT exams. French also proves valuable to anyone who plans to work for a multinational corporation.

The program helps prepare students enrolled in the School of Education for careers teaching French and provides the opportunity to students enrolled in the Fox School of Business to acquire a certificate in French with a special course on French in the business world. Recent French major graduates also majored in education, business, political science and history.

Recent Temple French graduates include students pursuing graduate degrees in French, high school and middle school French teachers, numerous teaching assistants in France (in cities such as Montpellier, Nancy, Nice and Tours), a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, an executive assistant at Chanel’s American headquarters (Manhattan), a Lead Annotator at the Linguistic Data Consortium (University of Pennsylvania) and a food and travel writer who is the recent author of a guide to green spaces (Paris). Learn more about the Teaching Assistant Program in France.

Studying French opens doors across many industries including:

• Education
• Journalism
• Government
• Business
• Travel
• Translation
• The arts
• Public relations
• Health care

German

Your career possibilities will be many when you earn a bachelor of arts in German degree from the College of Liberal Arts. The B.A. in German is an interdisciplinary liberal arts degree, providing students with concrete language proficiency skills and with the knowledge base and the intellectual, communication and interpersonal skills essential to success in any career.

Students of German at Temple University will learn in-demand communication skills in our increasingly complex and global society. Such language skills will contribute to an increased opportunity within international-based organizations and businesses. German language skills will open doors across many fields and professions: education, journalism, government service, nonprofits, business, travel and tourism, translation, the arts, public relations, health care, military, international law, and the sciences.

Further Study

You can enroll in Master’s or PhD programs in Germany, most of which are either free or comparatively inexpensive. Reading/writing ability in German also fulfills foreign language requirements in PhD programs in the US.

Expanding Your Horizons

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to read Nietzsche in the original German or to understand those Schubert Lieder you love so much. Or maybe you’re curious what the United States could learn from German-speaking countries and how they have dealt with (and continue to deal with) the dark chapters of their history or with issues such as terrorism, climate change, or migration. Learning German expands your horizons and allows you to encounter other traditions, perspectives, and ways of seeing, approaching, and changing the world. 

Italian

What’s next after you learn to speak Italian? Take a look at where some College of Liberal Arts grads have landed for an idea of what your career prospects could be. Then, take the first steps toward your future by making your declaration after visiting us in North Philly. Need more info? Find out everything you need to know about transferring and our application deadlines before you apply.

Students who’ve earned a bachelors degree in Italian have continued their education at prestigious universities as well as launched successful careers in government and private industry at home and abroad. Visit the Italian careers, internships and opportunities page for more information.

Russian

Russian Students Go on to Great Careers. Studying Russian helps you succeed after graduation: Russian class students have a higher rate of acceptance for graduate study in law school, business school, medical school and other professional programs.

Russian provides students with the opportunity to pursue careers in many diverse areas. Former students of Russian are now working or have worked as engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center with Russian cosmonauts training for the Space Shuttle, at banks operating in international markets, as professors of Russian literature at small colleges and large universities, in major accounting firms in Russia and in the US, in large and small law firms, in press offices in Russia, Europe and America, in the State Department and Commerce Department of the federal government, in the FBI, in the Peace Corps, as English teachers in Russian high schools, and for non-profit agencies such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the National Foreign Language Center, and the US-Russia Business Council. Some former Russian students have worked for the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) and the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) both in the US and in Russia.

Russian classes provide students with the opportunity to pursue careers in many diverse areas. Former Russian students are now working or have worked at:

• NASA’s Johnson Space Center with Russian cosmonauts
• International banks
• College and university Russian programs
• Major Russian and U.S. accounting firms
• Large and small law firms
• Russian, European and American press offices
• The U.S. Department of State and Department of Commerce
• The FBI
• The Peace Corps
• Russian High Schools
• The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• The National Foreign Language Center
• The U.S.-Russia Business Council
• The American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR)
• The International Research and Exchange Board (IREX)

The US Government needs more linguists with Russian language expertise. The Commerce Department, FCC, ITC, FBI, CIA, NSA, Energy Department, State Department and other branches and agencies are all hiring professionals with Russian skills!