The Department of Modern Languages offers programs of study leading to a  bachelor of arts degree in French, Italian, or Spanish, as well as a major in conjunction with the Department of Education for those preparing to teach languages at the secondary level. Many students choose to declare a double major, linking their major in a modern language with a major in another field, such as global studies, political science, English, history, art history, management, or biology. Other students elect to minor in German, French, Italian, or Spanish to complement their major field of study and strengthen their employment potential. The department also participates in the individualized studies major, permitting students to develop an interdisciplinary program (not available in any of the established major programs) by linking courses in a modern language with those in related fields (e.g., business studies, global studies, marketing, management, biology, environmental studies, English, history, health administration, philosophy, political science, psychology, theatre, film, or social work).

The department strongly encourages students to study abroad and offers information on programs for summer, one-semester, or academic-year courses worldwide.