A Message From the Chair
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard offers undergraduate and graduate courses in the French and francophone, Italian, Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian, Spanish and Latin American literary traditions.
We offer language courses in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as beginning Catalan. In the four major areas, our courses explore all aspects of culture, including literature, providing students with an intellectual experience while they are learning the language. Recognizing that people study the Romance languages for a variety of reasons, our program allows students to take courses which correspond to their particular interests. You can learn more about language study in the "Language Programs" section of our web site.
Our faculty is committed to interdisciplinary studies and encourages students to situate literature in the broad context of cultural productions, ranging from the canonical to alternative modes. The literature programs enable students to examine a wide range of periods,genres, and approaches, and to tailor their plans of study according to their specific interest.
I encourage you to navigate our website for a more detailed picture of the vibrant intellectual life of the Department. You will find an introduction to each of the four sections, information about our programs, along with a schedule of events sponsored by the Department and links to resources for study. We are particularly excited about our new study abroad programs in countries including Brazil, Italy, France & Spain that are offered through Harvard Summer School.
Printed brochures for the undergraduate concentrations and graduate programs are available. Requests for printed Handbooks for Concentrators describing our various concentration tracks for undergraduates should be addressed to Walter Hryshko, the Assistant to the Bureau of Undergraduate Studies. For printed information on our graduate program, please contact Frannie Lindsay, Student Services Coordinator. Please provide your name and complete mailing address.
Luis Fernandez Cifuentes
Chair, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
Last updated on September 18, 2007