Welcome and thank you for visiting the Michele Bowman Underwood Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (MLL) at the University of Miami.
We are a diverse and intellectually curious group of scholars and students who provide an academic gateway to Miami and to the world. Our department is located at one of the nation’s top research and teaching institutions in a global city that sits at the crossroads of the Americas. Originally inhabited by Tequesta, Ais, Mayaimi, Jeaga, Miccosukee, and Seminole indigenous communities, Miami is also home to a rich array of Black and Hispanic communities as well to transplants from all over the United States and immigrants from across the globe.
You cannot be global if you live in only one language. Our department offers undergraduate majors in French and in Spanish; minors in Arabic Studies, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; a minor combining two of our languages; independent College minor options in Chinese and Japanese; and coursework in Haitian Creole and modern Hebrew. Our courses range from introductory language courses for beginners to advanced seminars on cultural, professional, and/or linguistic topics for students with intermediate or confirmed fluency.
Many of our students study abroad in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Spain, and elsewhere on one of the University’s semester-long or summer programs. Meet our advisors and learn more about our undergraduate programs.
Interested in graduate study of language and culture? Our department offers an exciting, interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Literary, Cultural, and Linguistic studies. We have a proven track record of helping students secure fulfilling careers in academia, cultural organizations, secondary schools, multinational corporations, government and NGO structures, and more. Students in our program focus on a cultural and/or linguistic corpus in one of our three primary languages (French, Portuguese, Spanish) while also completing highly unique projects that engage cognate fields including (but certainly not limited to) Anthropology, Film Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, History, Performance Studies, Sociology, and the Digital Humanities. Our graduate students gain valuable teaching experience in our undergraduate programs and learn cutting-edge pedagogical practices and other valuable professional skills in our seminars and through our mentorship. Learn more about our program and how to apply.
Our award-winning faculty are engaged researchers of global cultural productions (literature, film, dance, theater, plastic arts, digital media, and more), linguistics, and approaches to teaching language. Our research profile is vast and varied, and with particular strengths in Caribbean and Latin American Studies; Cultural Studies; Diasporic and Transnational Studies; the Digital Humanities; Gender, Sexuality, Queer, and Trans Studies; Medieval/Early Modern Studies; Post-Colonial/Decolonial Studies; and Theatre and Performance Studies. Please read about and reach out to our faculty.
Our dedicated and valued staff members enable our students and faculty to thrive. UM alumni and community members also empower us by creating transformative experiences, especially for our students with financial need. Learn about opportunities to get involved and/or provide financial support.
Please stop by for a visit. I look forward to helping you better understand and appreciate our programs – and I love bragging about the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff. Our department is based in the heart of the Coral Gables campus on the second floor of the Merrick Building.
Yours,
Dr. Logan J. Connors
Professor and Chair
Michele Bowman Underwood Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
USA
