New undergraduates in the Moody College of Communication can now graduate without ever taking a foreign language. As of the 2026-2028 undergraduate catalog, Moody added a new option for fulfilling the language, communication, and culture degree requirement. The two other options both require students to take a foreign language.
The new pathway allows students to take six hours from an approved list of 36 classes from the different Moody schools. Prior catalogues required students to demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a language other than English, or demonstrate beginner proficiency in a language other than English and take one approved culture course relevant to the language.
The sequence of classes to reach beginner and intermediate proficiency are determined by the language departments in the College of Liberal Arts, said Cassandre Alvarado, senior associate dean for undergraduate education and teaching excellence at Moody. A language sequence usually requires two semesters of five or six hour introductory classes, so the new pathway could allow students to complete the requirement in fewer credit hours.
“This is an expansion of opportunities for students to look at communication through a variety of different lenses,” Alvarado said.
The approved culture courses are categorized by major, but Moody students can take any combination of listed classes, regardless of their major, Alvarado said. Course options include classes about specific cultures like Reporting Latin America or broader concepts like Media and Culture.
Undergraduate curriculum committees are responsible for making recommendations that are then voted on and approved by the dean, Alvarado said. The University produces the undergraduate catalog in two-year periods and outlines the degree requirements for incoming students who enter under that catalog.
“By giving (students) more choice, students have more options,” Alvarado said. “They can choose what works best for their interests as well as their schedule; then that’s a win.”
