Research

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures promotes undergraduate research and independent study opportunities from the beginning of students’ academic careers through to their senior year and beyond.

Student Research

Students can apply for funding from the Arts and Sciences Research Fellowships to conduct a summer research project in an area of interest, mentored by a faculty member. The Richmond Guarantee now provides support for each student to undertake one research project or internship during their time as a student. Recent projects completed by LLC students have included:

  • Translating Short Stories by Jordanian and Palestinian Authors
  • Peace Education and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Case Study of History Textbooks
  • The Search for Italian National Identity through Languages in the Media

Independent Study

Independent study is reserved for significant projects in areas that lie beyond the scope of regular course offerings. It is expected that such projects will involve extensive individual research and result in a significant project, such as a paper suitable for a conference presentation. (The project should represent a higher standard of work than than the average course term paper.) Only such projects will be approved for full credit (4 semester hours) and applicable to LLC major programs.

Independent study is available only to students who have already taken at least one 400-level course (with exception noted below).

Independent study should not replicate regular course offerings (except in cases of smaller programs where 400-level courses cannot be offered each semester).

Students should begin planning their independent study as early as possible, preferably in time for pre-registration, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The project proposal presented to the department chair should include a full description of the project, preliminary bibliography, and rationale explaining how the project furthers the student's specific educational goals in ways that are not covered by the existing curriculum.

Students may also propose smaller-scale independent study projects (1-2 sem. hours credit). These projects will allow students to carry out individual reading / research projects that build on earlier coursework or allow a student to expand an interest in a given area. Most projects based on internships will fall into this category, unless there is a substantial academic component involved.

Faculty Research

LLC faculty are teacher-scholars who spend significant time devoted to research in their area of expertise, often conducted abroad. 

The University of Richmond's Scholarship Repository shares faculty publications with a world-wide audience. The map below shows where articles from LLC faculty are being read around the globe.