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The Foreign Language & International Economics Major

Why choose FLIE?

The Foreign Language and International Economics (FLIE) major (a joint, interdisciplinary program based in the Departments of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Hispanic Studies and Economics) combines economics with proficiency in a second language and prepares students for a future in government, international relations, law, research, multinational corporations, and local industries who conduct business internationally. Economists are able to interpret and forecast general economic conditions, estimate trends, analyze data, and use economic theory to help their organization operate more efficiently. Combine those skills with the ability to communicate effectively in another language, and opportunities abound! Our students have gone on to a variety of fields. They are working at the IRS (economist), at Transition Networks (international account manager), Alltech (Asia-Pacific marketing coordinator), the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. (media analyst), CSX (manager of environmental sustainability partnerships) and Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland (economist). They have also pursued advanced degrees at institutions such as the London School for Economics, Columbia University, University of California, New York University and Johns Hopkins. 

In the FLIE major, students take a minimum of nine economics core courses and a one language core course as well courses in one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish. For more information on the requirements for the individual language tracks, click on the links in the sidebar or contact the FLIE Director Jianjun He (jianjun.he@uky.edu; 257-6814).

The economic component of the FLIE program will teach you how to view and process world happenings from an economic perspective as you learn how to forecast general economic conditions, estimate trends, analyze data, and use economic theory to help organization operate more efficiently.  You will acquire essential skills that allow you to engage in economic analysis for private industry, non-profit organizations and in the public sector for government at all levels.  The pairing with a specific language is a crucial enrichment that allows you to seamlessly apply your skills in economics in today’s global economy.

The requirements for the Economics Core of the FLIE major are the same for all language tracks:

Economics Core Requirement

STA 296 Statistical Methods and Motivations

ECO 201 Principles of Economics I       

ECO 202 Principles of Economics II

ECO 391 Economic and Business Statistics

ECO 401 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory

ECO 402 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory

ECO 300+ Any 300+ level ECO course

Plus two of the following:

ECO 471 International Trade

ECO 472 International Monetary Economics

ECO 473G Economic Development

The requirements for the Language Core of the FLIE major are the same for all language tracks:

MCL/SPA 300 Contact Zones: Cultivating Intercultural Competence

Officers of the Department of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures are:

Contact:

1055 Patterson Office Tower
University of Kentucky
Lexington KY 40506-0027
ph: 859-257-3761
fax: 859-257-3743