Foreign language students may major in Asian Studies , French , German , or Spanish, or Latin American Studies . Minors are offered in Asian Studies , French , German , Italian Studies, Latin American Studie s , Russian and Spanish. Instruction is available in Chinese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, K-Swahili, Latin and Russian. The Department of Foreign Languages regularly schedules courses in English which deal with the literature and culture of various countries.
Classes are small and instruction is geared to the individual.
New Paltz was the first campus of the State University of New York to offer instruction in Chinese and to establish programs abroad in China and Russia. Most prospective language majors begin with either intermediate or composition and conversation courses. Students without prior language training begin with elementary language courses during their freshman year. Elementary and secondary education students may opt to major in either French, German, or Spanish. The Department keeps its students informed and advises them about the various career opportunities open to foreign language majors.