Departmental Honors 

 

Departmental Honors in Modern Languages are possible in the two languages for which the major is offered: French and Spanish. In order to request admission to Departmental Honors, candidates must have completed at least twelve credit hours at the 300 level or above. They must have a GPA of 3.5 in all their major courses and a 3.5 overall average GPA. Both GPAs must be maintained in order to graduate with Departmental Honors.

During their junior year, candidates for honors will identify an honors thesis supervisor and a second reader and request admission to Departmental Honors.  Admission to candidacy must also be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the appropriate language.

In addition to fulfilling the regular major requirements, students must register in their Senior year for FRE or SPA 594-595, Senior Honors Thesis. This is a two-semester, six credit hour sequence: 594 for research and 595 for the actual writing of the honors thesis.

The honors thesis advisor and the second reader will determine whether the finished thesis merits Departmental Honors.

Student Awards 

 

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FOR WHICH AN APPLICATION IS NECESSARY

 (*Award amount depending on funding availability )

 

The José A. Balseiro Hispanic Scholarship

A $500* cash award presented to a junior or senior in a 300-level (or higher) Spanish or Portuguese course. The student is required to submit an analytical essay which will then serve as the basis for selection for this award.

Application required.  Please complete application form and submit required materials via email to Deandra Irizarry at dxi99@miami.edu. Deadline for submitting all materials including recommendation letters is Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 5pm. Please note that late materials will not be considered.  

 

 

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FOR WHICH NO APPLICATION IS POSSIBLE
(Awarded by nomination only; *Award amount depending on funding availability)

The Abla Khalil Outstanding Student in Arabic

A $100* cash award presented each year to an outstanding student in the Arabic Program.

The John and Melanie Rohrer German Student Scholarship

A $750* cash award presented each year to the graduating senior with the highest average in a German minor. The award is presented in the Fall and Spring semesters. The Rohrer, named in memory of the parents of our former Chair, Dr. Melanie Rosborough, is one of the oldest such awards established at the University of Miami.

The Machler German Language Scholarship

A $200* cash award presented each year to a graduating senior who has distinguished him/herself in a course of study in the German language. The Machler is also one of the oldest such awards established at the University of Miami.

The Outstanding Graduating Major in French

A $300* cash award given to an outstanding graduating major, who has demonstrated excellence in and full commitment to the study of French as a global language. The student, chosen by the French faculty, will have shown creativity, initiative and social responsibility in her or his academic work.

The Outstanding Graduating Major in Spanish

A $300* cash award given to an outstanding graduating major in Spanish, who has demonstrated excellence in and full commitment to the study of Spanish as a global language. The student, chosen by the Spanish faculty, will have shown creativity, initiative and social responsibility in her or his academic work .

The Outstanding Graduating Student in Chinese  

A $100* cash award presented each year to an outstanding student in the Chinese Program.

The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Italian

A $100* cash award presented each year to an outstanding student minoring in Italian.

The Outstanding Graduating Student in Japanese

A $100* cash award presented each year to an outstanding student in the Japanese Program.

The Outstanding Minor in Portuguese

A $100* cash award presented each year to an outstanding student in the Portuguese Program.

The Santiago Achugar Díaz Outstanding Graduating Student in MLL

 

First Awardee of the Santiago Achugar Award: Harper Dine, 2017 (In the picture, left to right: Viviana Díaz Balsera, Haper Dine and María Achugar)

A $500* cash award given to an outstanding graduating senior who is majoring in French and/or in Spanish at the University of Miami and who has shown excellence and  full commitment to study across languages and to the promotion of French and/or Spanish as a global language.  This award was established in 2017 in memory of Santiago Achugar, the son of prominent faculty member Professor Hugo Achugar who taught at MLL for many years.

AY23 Award and Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship Name Recipient
The Abla Khalil Outstanding Student in Arabic Mary Kate Ciolko
The John and Melanie Rohrer German Student Scholarship Yue Fei
Machler German Language Scholarship Audrey Grace Greer
The Greta West Award Nicole Sayles Plummer
The Jóse A. Balseiro Hispanic Literature Scholarship Mila Dvorquez-Herrera
The Outstanding Graduating Major in French
Dante Patrick Sorrentino
The Outstanding Graduating Minor in Chinese
Stella Maria Bordon
The Outstanding Graduating Minor in Italian
Valentina Scotti
The Outstanding Graduating Major in Spanish
Layth Hamed
The Outstanding Graduating Minor in Japanese
Felipe Rangel
The Outstanding Graduating Minor in Portuguese
Alex Walch

AY22 Award and Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship Name Recipient
The Abla Khalil Outstanding Student in Arabic Jessica Diez
The John and Melanie Rohrer German Student Scholarship Jevonna Asha Jarvis
Machler German Language Scholarship Anna Terese Heinzen
The Jóse A. Balseiro Hispanic Literature Scholarship Jonathan Macchiaroli
The Outstanding Graduating Major in French
Nathaly Gonzalez
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Chinese
Rebecca Schactel
The Outstanding Graduating Major in Spanish
Abigail Scharf
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Japanese
Zhuting Gong
The Outstanding Minor in Portuguese
Agatha Dias Mendoza

AY21 Award and Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship Name Recipient
The Abla Khalil Outstanding Student in Arabic
Kinnon McGrath
The John and Melanie Rohrer German Student Scholarship Maria Margarita Lujan
Katya Inge Irving
Machler German Language Scholarship Claudia Fernandez Perez
The Jóse A. Balseiro Hispanic Literature Scholarship Julianne Canaley
The Outstanding Graduating Major in French
Izabela Pop
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Chinese
Dorothy Chan
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Italian
Arianna Guzman
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Japanese
Kemeng Geng
The Outstanding Minor in Portuguese
Andrea Palacio Castro

AY20 Award and Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship Name Recipient
The Abla Khalil Outstanding Student in Arabic
Brandon Hadeed
The John and Melanie Rohrer German Student Scholarship Riya Ashish Shah
The Jóse A. Balseiro Hispanic Literature Scholarship Giovanna de Cristofano Lopes de Souza
The Outstanding Graduating Major in French
Anairen Rodríguez
The Outstanding Graduating Major in Spanish
Antonio Miguel Fontanella
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Chinese
Wil Arthur Harris
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Italian
Daria J. Pietropaolo
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Japanese
Fangyuan Deng  
The Outstanding Minor in Portuguese
Brandon Martin
The Santiago Achugar Díaz Outstanding Student in MLL (French or Spanish) Spanish Lauren Tess Milgram

AY19 Award and Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship Name Recipient
The Abla Khalil Outstanding Student in Arabic Michael Anthony Qureshi 
The John and Melanie Rohrer German Student Scholarship Anna Christine Barnard    
The Jóse A. Balseiro Hispanic Literature Scholarship

Antonio Fontanella

The Machler German Language Scholarship Nicole Suren 
The Outstanding Graduating Major in French Theodore Tsukasa Dunn  
The Outstanding Graduating Major in Spanish Gabriella V. Kayal
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Chinese Ethan Goldstein
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Italian Ulises Rodríguez
The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Japanese Gustavo Pino 
The Outstanding Minor in Portuguese Juan Sebastián Gómez   
The Santiago Achugar Díaz Outstanding Student in MLL (French or Spanish) Spanish Ashley R. Brooks