Most instructors are native speakers, and all courses require intensive oral practice and individual oral examinations, as well as written examinations at the end of each term. In the third year of study, Western languages provide a three-term series of courses in stylistics, literature, civilization, and business and the professions. These courses require both oral and written examinations, and the format varies from small tutorials to classes of 12-15 students. Chinese, Japanese, and Russian courses at these levels continue to use a tutorial format of 3-6 students. The Drexel Abroad study and study-internship programs, independent study abroad, and international cooperative education placements are among the options available to students with validated skills in the language of the country in which these programs or positions are located.
Certification is listed on the student transcript.
The Foreign Language Programs offer minors in all of the Western and non-Western languages included in the curricular offerings. A language minor requires 24 credit hours of course work above the first year of study, a minor thesis in the target language or its equivalent, advanced-level Certification of Proficiency in the language, and an oral defense of the thesis before a committee appointed for that purpose.