Liberal Arts Component

The Liberal Arts component includes foreign language, business language in the specified foreign language, and culture, as well as those courses required for graduation from the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA). These classes provide a breadth of education which enhance the graduate's value to an international corporation from the very beginning, while also increasing opportunities for later promotion to middle and upper managerial ranks.

Business Component

The College of Business and Administration (CoBA) offers the business courses that make up the other side of what is almost a double major. They consist not only of those core courses deemed most necessary for a basic business education, but also include international courses designed especially for students with a focus on international business. Subjects covered include accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing.

Internship

Near the end of the program, All FLIT students complete an internship in a country that speaks the language that they are studying. The internship helps put theory into practice, sharpen language skills, and introduce students to the real world of international business. The FLIT internship is a huge component of what sets FLIT students apart from other graduates. Not only do FLIT students graduate with practical work experience, but they also possess the business, linguistic, and cultural knowledge to enable them to operate effectively within the international business (or government service) community.

Languages

Languages presently offered as specializations within the basic FLIT degree are Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Every FLIT student chooses one language to specialize in, but there is no limit to how many foreign languages a student can study.

Most students who study a foreign language in high school are able skip past introductory courses through proficiency testing or by getting a grade of B or better in a second- or third-year language sequence course. These super-students are able to take more electives than those who have not already begun their language study before coming to SIUC.

Accelerating Acquisition of Language Skills

The acquisition of language skills can be accelerated and is strongly encouraged in two ways:

1. Study Abroad. In order to facilitate the acquisition of language skills and understanding of the contemporary culture, students are encouraged to do a study abroad in a country where they might end up serving their internship. Many times, a study abroad can fit in to a summer semester and help advance the student one year's worth of language classes.

2. Language and Cultural Programs. Many programs are offered through the Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures as well as through the International Programs and Services office that can help students further their language and culture studies. For example, one of the most popular ways to practice a foreign language on campus are the "language tables." Each foreign language hosts a conversational "table" that serves as an opportunity to practice your language of study and meet others who also study or natively speak that language.

Area of Specialization

It is strongly recommended that to enhance both internship placement and employability in a competitive job market, students choose, in consultation with a FLIT Advisor, an area of special emphasis within the business side of the program.

The options for an area of specialization are unlimited--tourism, agribusiness, aviation management, banking, international hotel management, international marketing, accounting, computer science, etc. Students planning to use the FLIT degree as a basis for international public service, should have political science together with an appropriate area studies focus as the basis for their specialization.

Developing the Area of Specialization

Appropriate specialty areas are established by a three-step process. Although none of these steps is mandatory, they are strongly encouraged.

1. Taking at least two relevant, additional courses in the area of specialization.

2. Seeking summer or part-time employment in the specialization area. Any entry-level position which will provide exposure to the area is appropriate.

3. Conducting a limited research project on the specialization area. In some cases this may be done under supervision as a term paper in the business language course.