Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of World Languages and Cultures (DWLC) at Howard University is to provide students with linguistic and cultural tools necessary to effectively navigate in an inter-connected world, to access information from a variety of international sources, and to apply that information to real-world problems and experiences. The DWLC envisions itself as an important component in the internationalization of education at Howard University, and in the fulfillment of the university’s mission to produce leaders for America and the global community.

Vision Statement

The DWLC prepares the students for success in their future careers, introducing them to a wide range of African and Asian languages and cultures along with European languages and cultures.

We recognize that diversity promotes creative thinking, enhances self-awareness and enriches multiple perspectives.

We are also aware that successful performance in today's diverse and global workforce requires sensitivity to human differences and the ability to relate to people from different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, course work in all languages and cultures includes issues related to peoples of African descent as well as minorities in the diaspora.

These humanistic values constitute the core of our curriculum as we strongly believe that they will assist the university in its stated mission to develop “distinguished and compassionate graduates” who are committed to “discovering solutions to human and social problems in the United States and throughout the world”.