Career Preparation
The Department of Modern and Classical Languages is offering 11 minors, 5 major degrees, and 6 graduate degrees in foreign languages to prepare our students for various career paths. In addition to earning a degree, our students gain valuable research, internship, and study abroad experiences and develop a cultural mindset for global success. Combined with their other disciplinary backgrounds, foreign language majors and minors are able to market themselves with compelling stories as an effective cultural ambassador and global leader.
In Career Preparation Courses, you'll earn credit toward your degree while making real progress on your career before graduation. They are taught by employers and career advisors who can offer in-depth guidance on setting goals for every stage of your career path. Please find a list of such UNIV courses with the topics ranging from internship readiness to professional skills development following this link. The Department of Modern and Classical Languages also offers FRLN 309: Humanities College to Career which specifically focuses on career choices and effective self-presentation for humanities majors and explores how skills they learned can be leveraged for a successful transition to post-graduation employment
Additionally, the Languages for Professions and Internship courses in our department are designed to help students develop practical language skills for professional and real-world contexts. These courses emphasize communication strategies, cultural competence, and specialized vocabulary relevant to fields such as business, healthcare, education, public service, and international communication. By integrating language learning with career-oriented applications, the program prepares students to engage effectively in multilingual and multicultural professional environments. Here is the full list of courses currently offered:
ARAB 370: Arabic for the Professions
ARAB 490: Internship in Arabic Studies
CHIN 305: Chinese for the Business World
CHIN 490: Internship in Chinese Studies
FREN 390: French for the Professions
FREN 392: French for International Development and Aid Work
FRLN 490: Internship in Foreign Languages
GERM 316: German for the Business World
KORE 305: Business Korean
KORE 390: Korean for Specific Purposes
KORE 490: Internship in Korean Studies
RUSS 481: Russian for the Professions
SPAN 400: Spanish for the Professions
SPAN 490: Internship in Spanish
Many top employers of Mason students require security clearances. UCS thus offers Clearance Ready Program to help Mason students prepare to obtain a security clearance, which is essential for positions that include access to national intelligence information. Employers range from federal agencies to federal contractors, such as U.S. Department of State. Through this program, students will gain an inside view of the security clearance process and receive exclusive access to employer events, as well as priority registration for site visits.
University Career Services at George Mason University, a nationally recognized centralized career center, takes an industry-focused approach to help students make career connections and develop career readiness skills for post-graduate success. Please find an overview of the industry of your interest and the careers within it along with relevant opportunities and resume samples following this link.
How do career preparation courses help you reach your goals?
