Immersion
There are vast opportunities to extend your exploration into languages, literature, and culture through an Immersion Vanderbilt experience within the department. Whether it is studying abroad, an independent project, or through coursework, the options are endless.
Our students have engaged with a wide range of immersive experiences:
- Jacqueline Welsh, BA'26, visited Italy during Maymester in ITA 3704: Made-in-Italy and Abroad, A Culinary Journey. See this journey through her day-in-the-life video and read a Q&A about this experience.
- A group of students in SPAN 3860: Emprendimiento: Global Supply Chain and Entrepreneurship in the Spanish-Speaking World traveled to Panama as part of the course. Throughout the five-day trip, students learned about local corporations such as the Port of Singapore Authority Panama International Terminal, DHL, Dicarina, and J. Cain Logistics. Students had the opportunity to tour some of these company’s facilities and distribution centers, as well as connect with corporate leaders and some Vanderbilt alumni.
- Alyssa O’Connell, BA’22, spent a month studying in Verona, Italy. O’Connell attended school the first half of the day and in the evening got to work behind the scenes on an opera production. Hear about her experience.
- Carly Maskowitz, BA’21, used her design skills to create a website that revealed the impact of COVID-19 on the Latinx community in the early days of the pandemic. She focused her work on health disparities and workplace challenges, providing a highly accessible, visual depiction of essential information and statistics to help viewers understand what is at stake.
- Sydney Ross, BA’21, studied in Siena, Italy for a semester abroad. Hear about her time in Italy.
- Monica Gallagher, BA’20, combined her skills as a photographer with her friendships in the Latinx community to explore notions of identity. In her interviews, Monica’s questions invited participants’ reflection on what it means to be part of the Latinx community at Vanderbilt. She then illustrated their experiences through refracted photographs in a photo essay.
Study Abroad
Many students in the department study abroad during their time at Vanderbilt. Some of those opportunities are below: visit the Study Abroad Office for a listing of all options.
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Cuba
Dominican Republic
France
- Columbia in Paris: English Program (Fall only)
- Columbia in Paris: French Immersion Program
- American University of Paris
- CIEE Open Campus in Paris
- CIEE Toulouse: Business & Culture
- CIEE Toulouse: Language & Culture
Italy
- CET Siena – Fall or Spring, Summer
- CET Florence – Fall or Spring, Summer
Spain
Maymester
Maymesters abroad are three-to-four week Vanderbilt courses taught by our faculty in another country in the month of May. Below are some Maymester courses that have been offered in the past. Maymester courses are generally announced in November.
- EUS 2260: Fashion Forward: the Intersection of Business, History, and Sustainability in French and Italian Fashion
- This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of French and Italian fashion from the early modern period to the present, examining clothing as a lens to understand culture, identity, and society. Through historical, economic, and socio-political perspectives, students engage with key topics such as luxury and sustainability, regional craft traditions, the ethics of global production, migration and labor, and the future of conscious fashion. Visits to museums in Paris, Florence, and Milan, including the Armani/Solo Museum and the Galliera Museum showcasing 200,000 garments and accessories spanning the 18th century to the present day.
- FREN 3230/CMA 3772: History of French Film: From Paris to Cannes
- This course introduces students to the influential French cinema industry with a survey of the development of film in France and an introduction to international film festivals via the Cannes Film Festival.
- ITA 3704: Made-In-Italy: Italy and Abroad
- This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of Italian cuisine from the Middle Ages to the present, examining food as a lens to understand culture, identity, and society. Through historical, geographical, and socio-economic perspectives, students will engage with key topics such as the Mediterranean diet, regional traditions, the Slow Food movement, migration, and food justice. Combining theory and practice, the course highlights food’s roles as nourishment, cultural expression, and social connection. Learn more from student Jacqueline Welsh.
- SPAN 3325: The Way of Saint James: An Epic Trail to the Essence of Spain
- This course explores the origins, development, and influence of The Way of Saint James in the life, and culture of Spain. It includes a 200-mile walking trip along several sections of the medieval route known as the French Way, specifically from Pamplona to Santo Domingo de la Calzada and from Ponferrada to Santiago. Students will visit several major cities relevant to the history of the route (Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, and Santiago) and Madrid.
Internships
Students wanting to gain real-world experience should consider an internship, which can also fulfill Immersion requirements. See a few of the options below that students have engaged in.
- Teaching Assistant Program in France
- The Teaching Assistant Program in France offers students the opportunity to work in France for seven months, teaching English to French students of all ages. Each year, more than 1,500 American citizens and permanent residents teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of France such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion. The American cohort is part of the larger Assistants de Langue en France program, which recruits approximately 4,500 young educators from 60 countries to teach 15 languages annually in France. The Assistants de Langue en France program is managed by France Éducation International.
Applications open each year in mid-October.
- The Teaching Assistant Program in France offers students the opportunity to work in France for seven months, teaching English to French students of all ages. Each year, more than 1,500 American citizens and permanent residents teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of France such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion. The American cohort is part of the larger Assistants de Langue en France program, which recruits approximately 4,500 young educators from 60 countries to teach 15 languages annually in France. The Assistants de Langue en France program is managed by France Éducation International.
- ISCID-CO, Institut Supérieur de Commerce International de Dunkerque
- ISCID-CO, Institut Supérieur de Commerce International de Dunkerque, is a university business school based on three campuses—Dunkirk, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Longuenesse—aimed at training professionals in international business in three years (BA) or five years (MBA). Each summer, they offer a seven-week full-time internship (35 hours per week) in the International Relations Department.
French Professional Certificates
Diplomas in French for Professions are official certifications awarded by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. These diplomas validate professional-level French proficiency in specific sectors and are recognized by the French government. Unlike general proficiency tests such as the TEF, these diplomas are valid for life. The examining body for each is CCI Paris. For more information about professional certificates, please contact Nathalie Dieu-Porter.
Honor Societies
Gamma Kappa Alpha
The Gamma Kappa Alpha National Italian Honor Society acknowledges superior scholastic performance in the field of Italian language, literature, cinema, and culture, and is open to membership at institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada. The society encourages college students to acquire a greater interest in, and a deeper understanding of, Italian culture, art, and history.
Eligibility:
There is no application process for inclusion. Students are nominated by Vanderbilt faculty members based on certain criteria. A student must:
- Be working toward a minor in Italian studies.
- Have completed at least 3 courses within the department.
- Be a junior or senior with at least a B grade in Italian.
- Rank in the top 35% of the class.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of B in all courses taken.
Pi Delta Phi
Pi Delta Phi is the National French Honor Society. The purpose of the organization is to:
- Recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literature.
- Increase American knowledge and appreciation for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world.
- Stimulate and encourage French and francophone cultural activities.
The Vanderbilt chapter of Pi Delta Phi is Kappa Lambda and was inaugurated in 1990. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 and a French GPA of 3.6 who have taken at least four classes at the 2500 level or above may apply for membership in Pi Delta Phi.
Important Dates:
- October 15: Deadline for applications
- October 21: New initiates announced
- October 31: Deadline for dues
- TBD: Initiation Ceremony and Reception