Foreign Language (A.A.)
Associate in Arts
Program Advisor: Lois Cooper
413-236-4615 • lcooper@berkshirecc.edu
The Foreign Language concentration Liberal Arts degree pro- gram is for students who wish to meet the intermediate foreign language proficiency required in many baccalaureate programs. The emphasis is on the humanities, and the curriculum closely parallels the studies of freshmen and sophomores at colleges offering liberal arts baccalaureate degrees. Graduates of this program regularly transfer with junior status to colleges and universities in the Commonwealth and around the country.
Related majors at the baccalaureate level include anthropology, area studies, communications, economics, education, English, foreign languages, general studies, geography, geology, gerontology, government, history, international relations, journalism, liberal arts, library science, linguistics, mathematics, media, music, nursing, peace studies, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, radio and television, sciences, sociology, speech, telecommunications, theatre arts, visual arts and women’s studies.
This is a MassTransfer eligible program.
Expected Outcomes
Graduates of this program should be able to:
- Know how, when and why to say what to whom;
- Understand the main points in interactions with native speakers well enough to respond appropriately;
- Speak or write about experiences, events, hopes and aspirations, and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans;
- Read texts related to personal and social needs, and comprehend the main ideas in descriptive or narrative texts on less familiar topics;
- Use insights they have developed about the nature of language and culture to function with sensitivity within their own and others’ cultures, and in multilingual communities within and beyond the classroom; and
- Pursue more advanced, college-level study of literature, culture, grammar, in the target language.
Graduation Requirements
Program Courses
| ENG- | Literature | 3 |
| - | Foreign Language | 16 |
| - | Free Electives | 8 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 27 |
Foreign Language: See footnote 1
Free Electives: See footnote 3
General Education Courses
| COM- | Communication | 3 |
| ENG- | English Composition/Writing | 6 |
| ENG- | Literature | 3 |
| - | | |
| HIS-113 | Western Civ to 1500 | 3 |
| - | Or | |
| HIS-121 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
| - | | |
| HIS-114 | Western Civilization Since 1500 | 3 |
| - | Or | |
| HIS-122 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| - | | |
| MAT- | Mathematics | 3 |
| - | Behavioral & Social Science | 6 |
| - | Environmental Studies | 1 |
| - | Natural or Physical Science | 7 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 35 |
Environmental Studies: See footnote 2
Natural or Physical Science: See footnote 2
Additional Requirements
| Core Competencies Portfolio |
4 items |
| Forum |
4 units |
| Health/Fitness |
30 hours |
| Minimum Cumulative Average Overall |
2.000 |
Suggested Pathway to Graduation
The following is a suggestion for completing this program in two years. The actual time needed to complete the program will vary according to each student’s individual needs.
First Semester
| - | Foreign Language | 4 |
| COM- | Communication | 3 |
| ENG- | English Composition/Writing | 3 |
| - | | |
| HIS-113 | Western Civ to 1500 | 3 |
| - | Or | |
| HIS-121 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
| - | | |
| - | Behavioral & Social Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Foreign Language: See footnote 1
Second Semester
| - | Foreign Language | 4 |
| ENG- | English Composition/Writing | 3 |
| - | | |
| HIS-114 | Western Civilization Since 1500 | 3 |
| - | Or | |
| HIS-122 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| - | | |
| MAT- | Mathematics | 3 |
| - | Behavioral & Social Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Foreign Language: See footnote 1
Third Semester
| ENG- | Literature | 3 |
| - | Foreign Language | 4 |
| - | Free Elective | 3 |
| - | Natural or Physical Science | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Foreign Language: See footnote 1
Free Elective: See footnote 3
Natural or Physical Science: See footnote 2
Fourth Semester
| - | Foreign Language | 4 |
| - | Free Elective | 5 |
| ENG- | Literature | 3 |
| - | Environmental Studies | 1 |
| - | Natural or Physical Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Foreign Language: See footnote 1
Free Elective: See footnote 3
Environmental Studies: See footnote 2
Natural or Physical Science: See footnote 2
Footnotes
- Foreign Language: Candidates for the Liberal Arts degree must attain the second-year college proficiency needed for many baccalaureate degrees. Most students achieve this with two years of study at BCC earning 16 credits. With the permission of the foreign language coordinator, students with sufficient background may meet all or part of the requirement through the CLEP examination. They will then complete more elective credits to meet the required 62 credits total for this degree.
- The Natural or Physical Science requirement must be fulfilled by one four credit laboratory science and one three credit non-laboratory science or by two four credit laboratory sciences. Completion of an environmentally focused laboratory science, such as BIO-109, BIO-110, ENV-101, or ENV-102, fulfill both the Natural or Physical Science and the Environmental Studies requirements.
- Recommended Free Electives: GOV-105, HIS-113, HIS-114