Languages and Literature

Georgetown University has a longstanding tradition of excellence in the study of foreign languages.

The university’s Faculty of Languages and Linguistics is among the leaders in the field. Georgetown has seven modern foreign language departments and three additional departments dedicated to English, classics, and linguistics. Faculty research spans a diverse range of topics, including cross-cultural communication, phonetics, foreign language learning, and comparative literature. Through these departments, the university offers numerous academic programs that encourage language proficiency and provide students with opportunities for cultural immersion abroad. All of Georgetown’s programs are tied together by the common goal of serving the global community and fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding.

Featured News

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"The Christian Literary Imagination" Explores God’s Engagement with the World

Future of the Humanities Project Director Michael Scott and Georgetown University Dean Emeritus Michael Collins edited the new book featuring chapters written by scholars from the United States and United Kingdom.

Georgetown Global Dialogues to Bring Leading Intellectuals to Campus

Students Become Professional Translators in Donatella Melucci’s Course

Joint Degree Prioritizes Internationalism, Interculturalism Alongside Business Savvy

Select Academic Programs

Major in Arabic

The Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies sponsors this major in Arabic language for undergraduate students.

Ancient Church on Top of Mountain in Spain

Ph.D. in Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese sponsors this Ph.D. program in the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.

M.A. in Italian Studies

The Department of Italian sponsors this master's degree program in Italian language. Students focus on Italian literature and culture or Italian language pedagogy, and all students spend a mandatory semester abroad at a partner university in Italy.

Select Centers, Institutes,
and Research Programs

Lannan Center for Poetics and Social PracticeGeorgetown Unit

Founded in 2006 with the support of the Lannan Foundation, the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice is a literary research and pedagogical center focused on the art of poetry and its social and cultural presence.

Global and Comparative Literature ProgramGeorgetown Unit

The Comparative Literature Program is an area of study and undergraduate major offered by the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics in the College of Arts & Sciences. It offers the opportunity to acquire expertise in and to analyze two or more linguistic, literary and cultural traditions.

Students from the English Language Center take a selfie

English Language CenterGeorgetown Unit

The English Language Center is a communication training center at Georgetown offering English as a foreign language programs and special programs for professional communication and teacher training.

Upcoming Event

March 31

Gatsby's New York

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Past Event

March 24

Cultural Encounters in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”

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Past Event

March 17

Humanizing the Enemy: Don Quixote and the Moors

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