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Department of World Languages and Literatures College of Arts and Sciences

A Second Language is a Great Asset for Your Profession

Our programs foster international perspectives and build communication and critical and creative thinking skills. These skills are invaluable to a variety of career paths such as health, business, education, and government. Our students have the opportunity to study in diverse locations around the world.  Whether in Birmingham or abroad, our students have countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.
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Global Seal of Biliteracy

Global Seal of Biliteracy

The Department of World Languages and Literatures offers the Global Seal of Biliteracy to its students, as well as to anyone at UAB and in the Birmingham community. The Global Seal is an internationally recognized proficiency credential, and UAB was the first university in Alabama to offer it. If you can demonstrate proficiency in English and another language, we encourage you to further explore this valuable credential!

Global Seal of Biliteracy

Placement Tests

Placement Tests

Do you plan to study Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and/or Spanish? If so, be sure to take a placement test so you can enroll in courses that are a good fit for you! Placement tests are a great advising tool, and you can easily sign up to take them through the department’s website or by reaching out to faculty members directly.

Placement Tests

Languages

Latest News

  • Celebrating CAS Authors: 20 faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences published books in 2023
    Twenty faculty members across multiple departments in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s College of Arts and Sciences wrote or edited 23 books last year.
  • UAB wins multiple awards at annual Alabama World Languages Association conference
    The strong showing of UAB representatives at the AWLA conference reflects the university’s dedication to language education and highlights the exceptional talent nurtured within its academic community.
  • UAB launches Global Seal of Biliteracy program for anyone in the community
    The UAB Department of World Languages and Literatures began offering the Global Seal of Biliteracy to its students in 2020 — the first university in Alabama to do so.

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