What can I do with a degree in African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures (AMESALL)?

Your study of the Humanities will provide you with the strongest foundation for a lifetime of learning, by empowering you to think more creatively and critically about a wide array of subjects—and not merely training you to focus on a single one. The latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the average American has changed jobs an average of 11.3 times from the ages of 18 to 46. While some degrees may very well train you for the very first job that you take, a solid liberal arts education will prepare you for all of them.

Within the liberal arts, the study of Foreign Languages and Literatures holds the distinction for leading into the most lucrative careers. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top-paying liberal arts majors for 2014 graduates were in Foreign Languages and Literatures, with an average starting salary of $46,900. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that foreign language Translation and Interpretation (T&I) is the fifth fastest growing occupation in America, well ahead of nearly every other profession, including contractors, physician’s assistants, medical secretaries, and physical therapists. Even if you aren’t interested in pursuing a career in T&I, knowledge of a foreign language and the cultural competency that comes with the study of literatures in other languages are both skills that are highly sought by employers in the global marketplace. Since Rutgers is the only university within the Big Ten that does not require you to study a foreign language while you are pursuing your degree, you will be at a huge disadvantage compared to graduates from our sister schools when you enter the job market or apply for graduate studies, if you do not opt to study a foreign language.

Finally, the languages specifically offered by AMESALL have been designated as “critical need languages” by the US Department of State as well as other departments and agencies of the United States federal government. In addition to broadening your horizons and introducing you to peoples and cultures around the globe, AMESALL will also provide you with the keys to a variety of rewarding occupations in both the private and the public sectors.

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I took a language course at another college or university; how do I transfer my credits?

If you took one of the languages currently offered by AMESALL at another institution, you’ll need to fill out a Departmental Evaluation Form before you can get credit for the language at Rutgers.Do not contact the chair of the department. Instead, print out the form and fill out as much information as you can (including your name, RUID, and all the information about the course that you took). Then present the completed form along with the original syllabus from your course as well as any other information you may have to one of our language instructors for their evaluation. If it is not clear from the syllabus what level the corresponding language course at Rutgers would be, the instructor may ask you to take a placement test. Once the instructor has determined the closest equivalent to your course, s/he will fill out the bottom half of the form and return it to you for submission to the Office of Academic Services for approval.

Further details on transferring academic credits from another institution are available here.

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 I am a native speaker of one of the languages taught at AMESALL and would like to take a class in it.

Most of the students who take our languages are what we call “heritage learners,” and many speak some form of them in the home. The first thing you must do is contact the AMESALL Administrative Assistant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., about taking a placement exam in your language. That way we can report your level to the Office of Academic Services. If you can read and write your language, you will likely be placed into a higher level of the language (Intermediate or Advanced). If you can neither read nor write your language, you will be placed into the Elementary of that language, but regardless of whether you can read or write, you must first take the placement exam so that we can report your results to the Office of Academic Services. Once you indicate to the university that you speak another language, you will automatically be denied credit for any Elementary level courses that you take in that language, unless you are officially placed into the Elementary level by the department.

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 I can't enter the section I want and I need permission.

If a section is closed and you require special permission to enter, either because of enrollment or any other reason, please contact the instructor with your name, RUID number, email address, the index number, and the section of the course to request permission. Do not contact the chair of the department. The instructor will contact Mrs. Michele Frishberg to give you permission; Mrs. Frishberg will then provide you with the actual Special Permission Number (SPN). If for whatever reason the name of the instructor is not posted, then kindly attend the class at the time it meets and ask the instructor in person.

If the section requires you to fulfil a prerequisite and you feel that this requirement should be waived (because you have taken a similar course at another institution or you have taken a placement exam but your results have not yet become public) then you will need a Prerequisite Override. Do not contact the chair of the department.Please send an email to the instructor requesting permission, together with your name, RUID number, email address (for the confirmation email), and the index number of the course to be added. The instructor will then email the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with this information. If the course is closed due to enrollment, the email will also have to include an SPN.

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I need to take a certain course to graduate, but it's not offered this semester or I can't arrange my schedule to fit it.

Under rare circumstances, an instructor will agree to offer the course as an "independent study" (01:013:321), but only if you absolutely cannot graduate without it and your scheduling conflicts are irreconcilable. Do not contact the chair of the department. Instead, contact one of our full-time faculty to request an SPN to take an independent study with them, and specify the number of credits that you require (typically, and by default, independent studies are 3 credits).

Due to budget cuts, we cannot accommodate any requests for independent studies with part-time faculty.