Engineering + foreign language

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

I am going to U Rochester to study Audio Engineering and was wondering about your thoughts on foreign language. I have to study Russian since I’m half Russian. What will be best? I would like to be equally involved in both areas.

  1. Eng + minor Russian + minor German
  2. Eng + minor Russian
  3. Eng + Russian majors

Thanks for your help in advance.

2

You may not necessarily need a minor if you just want take the language courses to a high enough level to have useful knowledge of the language.

3

I would also like to study some Russian literature as well, though.

4

You should meet with an advisor when you arrive in the fall or if you attend an admitted students day. They can outline the requirements for both and go over with you how and if the two work together.

5

None of them will be inherently “better” than the rest because the languages will have essentially no bearing on your future engineering job. The languages would essentially be for personal enrichment only.

6

Unless you’re planning on working in Russia, there really is no need to get a degree, whether it be a major or minor, at all in it. It’s not a language that would be extremely beneficial in business or international things like perhaps Arabic, and you don’t need it for engineering besides potentially a language requirement you have. It’s like if you went to study French, that wouldn’t really be beneficial either. If you really can’t pick a more in-demand language, then either get through the basic requirements and stop, or continue on only if you yourself have a passion to learn Russian.

7

FWIW, U Alabama has a new engineering program/relationship with Mercedes-Benz (they have a plant a few miles down the road from Tuscaloosa) where 20 students per class go to school and intern/co-op in Germany for a year. So these kids are required to either have some German language already from HS or take intensive German classes during freshman year (or maybe both). Sounds like an interesting experience for those interested.

8

Thanks for the ideas. Im planning on getting an MBA and working in finance or global business, so language probably matters. Btw I’m fluent in French so I wouldn’t have to continue french in class

9

You can take language classes and not add the burden of minor (or extra major) requirements. Having a “fluent” bullet (or two) on your resume is probably plenty. But I agree with advise to check with the adviser.