Department of Modern Languages

There are clear advantages to preparation in more than one language for students, particularly now that effective communication is such a valuable commodity in the workplace.

For example, as the presence of other languages in the U.S. population grows, and as air travel and telecommunications bring people from different parts of the world together, being able to think and operate in another culture opens many opportunities.

The SUNY Potsdam Modern Languages major combines well with other disciplines, providing graduates career opportunities in fields like public relations, social services, education, anthropology and the law. Many French and Spanish graduates continue their studies at the graduate level while others are hired by employers in government and in business — all of which are actively seeking to meet the need for language and culture skills in the decades ahead.

"With many of the professors being from international cultures themselves, students in the Modern Languages program receive a unique education and a glimpse into other cultures. With the ever growing diversity in the United States, I know that the education I have received from the language department will serve me for many uses in the future.”

- Sarah Kuhn, Spanish Major