Languages Other Than English

Students should recognize the deep importance and value of language study for their future endeavors.  In learning a language other than English (whether ancient or modern), students:

  • improve their cognitive, analytical, and theoretical capacities.  Studies show that students with good training in languages perform better on all major tests for graduate study in law, medicine, business, etc.
  • not only understand other cultures and modes of thought, but better understand their own culture and language by gaining outside perspectives on their own language and culture.
  • distinguish themselves from the majority of candidates for jobs and professional schools.
  • prepare themselves better to enter the globalized workplace.​​
  • enhance their rhetorical and persuasive capacities. 

The following departments within the College of Arts and Sciences offer language courses: 

First- and Second-Year Language Courses at UB

Language Prefix Department Major Minor 1st Year Transition* 2nd Year
American Sign Language ASL Linguistics N Y
 101, 102 (5) --- 203, 204 (3)
Arabic ARI Linguistics N N 101, 102 (5) --- 201, 202 (4)
Chinese CHI Linguistics Y Y 101, 102 (5) 104 (5)

201 (4),

202 (3)
French FRE RLL Y Y 101, 102 (5) 104 (5) 151, 152 (3)
German GER Linguistics Y Y 101, 102 (5) 104 (5) 151, 152 (3)
Greek (Ancient) GR Classics Y Y 101 (5) --- 201, 301 (3)
Greek (Modern) GRE Linguistics N N 191, 192 (3) --- 193, 194 (3)
Hebrew (Modern) HEB Jewish Thought
 N N 101, 102 (5) --- 201, 202 (3)
Hindi/Urdu HIN Linguistics N N 101, 102 (5) 104 (5)
 ---
Italian ITA RLL Y Y 101, 102 (5) --- 151, 152 (3)
Japanese JPN Linguistics Y Y 101, 102 (5) --- 201, 202 (4)
Korean KOR Linguistics Y Y 101, 102 (5) 104 (5) 201, 202 (4)
Latin LAT Classics Y Y 101, 201 (5) --- 301, 302 (3)
Polish POL Linguistics SM** N 101, 102 (5) --- 203, 204 (3)
Russian RUS Linguistics SM** N 101, 102 (5) 104 (5) 223, 224 (3)
Seneca AMS AAS N N 197 (4)
 --- ---
Spanish SPA RLL Y Y 101, 102 (5) 104 (5) 151, 152 (3)

*Transition: Review courses designed for students with 1+ years of study in high school

**SM: Special Major

Placement testing for Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish

Students who entered UB prior to Fall 2016 and have not re-entered UB follow the UB 2002-2016 General Education requirements, which include the demonstration of proficiency in a language other than English. Most students meet this requirement by completing a second-semester or transition language course. See your academic advisor for additional information.