Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Focuses on one or more of the Romance languages of Western, Central, and Southern Europe. Covers philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

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Inside the major

Programs within this field

Colleges may offer this field under 9 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General: Focuses on one or more of the Romance languages of Western, Central, and Southern Europe. Covers philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
French Language and Literature: Focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Covers philology; Metropolitan French; Canadian French; African and Caribbean Creoles; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
Italian Language and Literature: Focuses on the Italian language and related dialects. Covers philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
Portuguese Language and Literature: Focuses on the Portuguese language and related dialects. Covers philology; Metropolitan Portuguese; Luso-Brazilian Portuguese; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
Spanish Language and Literature: Focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Covers philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
Romanian Language and Literature: Focuses on the Romanian language and related dialects. Covers philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
Catalan Language and Literature: Focuses on the Catalan language and related dialects. Covers philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General: Focuses on the languages and literatures of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas of the world, including the Iberian, Latin American, and Lusophone worlds. Covers Spanish and Portuguese language and linguistics; regional and Latin American dialects; and Spanish, Portuguese, Spanish American, Luso-Brazilian, and Chicano literature.
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other: Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics not listed above.

Where it can lead

Careers this field can lead to

Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.

Shrinking

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Median pay: $72,040
Hiring change through 2035: −0.2%
Job openings a year: 63,500

To get hiredBachelor's degree

Explore this career Growing with the economy

Interpreters and Translators

Median pay: $60,170
Hiring change through 2035: 2.0%
Job openings a year: 6,000

To get hiredBachelor's degree

Explore this career Growing slowly

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Median pay: $79,350
Hiring change through 2035: 0.2%
Job openings a year: 1,600

To get hiredDoctoral or professional degree

Explore this career

All work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $31,690 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.

Working style

How and where the work happens

Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.

89%of related openings involve substantial in-person or active work

Most careers connected to this field involve in-person work. About 89 of every 100 openings require working close to other people or spending time on your feet.

College options

Where to study it

Ordered by how many degrees each college awards in this field. Sort by any numbered column.

College	Degrees a year	Earnings, first year out	Admit rate	Average annual cost after aid
University of Wisconsin-Madison WI	157	$31,856	43%	$8,000
Brigham Young University UT	125	$35,254	69%	$13,000
University of Arizona AZ	115	$31,820	86%	$16,000
University of Virginia-Main Campus VA	105	$35,907	17%	$13,000
University of California-Davis CA	94	$33,621	42%	$12,000
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI	91	$26,839	18%	$5,000
Florida International University FL	82	—	59%	$11,000
Ohio State University-Main Campus OH	82	$27,247	51%	$10,000
University of Notre Dame IN	74	$37,909	12%	$11,000
University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA	74	$34,701	58%	$13,000
San Diego State University CA	73	$26,059	34%	$13,000
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN	72	$29,573	77%	$10,000
University of Oregon OR	69	$29,205	85%	$18,000
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC	67	$33,146	19%	$9,000
University of Georgia GA	65	$31,338	37%	$13,000
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA	64	$34,958	54%	$26,000
Indiana University-Bloomington IN	62	$24,681	80%	$12,000
University of North Carolina at Charlotte NC	62	$25,075	80%	$14,000
University of Rhode Island RI	62	$39,833	77%	$18,000
University of California-Santa Barbara CA	60	$23,017	28%	$13,000
Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ	60	$33,149	64%	—
University of California-Berkeley CA	58	$39,997	12%	$10,000
University of California-Riverside CA	57	$19,892	63%	$13,000
California State University-Fresno CA	56	$23,389	96%	$7,000
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL	54	$31,246	44%	$8,000
California State University-Long Beach CA	53	$29,118	47%	$10,000
Vanderbilt University TN	53	$31,649	6%	$4,000
The University of Alabama AL	51	—	76%	$22,000
University of Nevada-Reno NV	49	$32,703	85%	$15,000
University of Maryland-College Park MD	48	$24,871	45%	$10,000
Illinois State University IL	47	$38,648	89%	$16,000
Iowa State University IA	47	$42,285	89%	$15,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ	46	$33,149	90%	$17,000
University of New Mexico-Main Campus NM	45	$27,770	95%	$16,000
New York University NY	45	—	9%	$17,000
University of Colorado Boulder CO	44	$34,809	83%	$19,000
University of North Texas TX	44	$23,615	72%	$14,000
California State University-Fullerton CA	43	$29,668	87%	$6,000
California State University-Northridge CA	43	—	93%	$8,000
Purdue University-Main Campus IN	43	—	50%	$9,000

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