The University of Arizona is among the nation’s top producers of foreign-language degrees.
The Chronicle of Higher Education examined data from the 2016-2017 academic year. The University of Arizona awarded 216 bachelor’s degrees in foreign languages, literatures and linguistics and the Chronicle ranked Arizona tenth among all colleges.
The UA said it ranks even higher on specific languages: first in Italian, fourth in Russian and fifth in Spanish.
In a prepared statement, UA College of Humanities Dean Alain-Philippe Durand said, “When you major in a second language, you develop more than just communication skills. The critical thinking, problem-solving skills and intercultural competence that come from studying languages will benefit students no matter what career they pursue.”
In the last year, the university added new programs for minors in Korean, Cantonese, Hindi, Swahili, Thai and Vietnamese.
A report by the Chronicle last year found Spanish, French and American Sign Language continue to be the top studied languages across the country.
