Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University has a long-standing tradition of preparing foreign language specialists. The year 1971 saw the creation of a teacher education programme in English Language and Literature. In June 1973, the programme became a full-fledged department, named the English Department, with Associate Professor H.D. Polishchuk being its first chair. The year 1975 marked the opening of the Faculty of Foreign Languages as well as the graduation of the first class of students from the English Language and Literature programme, the only one offered by the Faculty of Foreign Languages at that time.
The first class of graduates from the English Language and Literature programme (1975)
The German Department (with Associate Professor S.P. Handziuk as its first chair) was founded within the Faculty of Foreign Languages in September 1976 in response to the need to add a course in German as a second foreign language to the English Language and Literature programme.
During subsequent years, the Faculty of Foreign Languages expanded its teaching staff by recruiting a number of academics with doctoral degrees and extensive experience in education: V.О. Kravchenko, L.A. Ostapenko, Ya. A. Baran and L.K. Uvarova, among others.
At different times, V.V. Fishchuk, V.H. Matviishyn, V.V. Lazarovych, B.A. Hrytsiuk, Ya.T. Bylytsia succeeded each other in the position of the Faculty Dean.
In 1989, German Language and Literature was established as a separately accredited degree programme.
In 1993, the Faculty of Foreign Languages expanded its offerings to include a distance learning / correspondence degree programme in English Language and Literature, followed by one in German Language and Literature in 1997.
The year 2002 brought the launch of a degree programme in French Language and Literature (full-time study).
During the same year, the departments were renamed the Department of English Philology, the Department of German Philology and the Department of French Philology.
A further change came in 2004 when the degree programmes were expanded to include Chinese as a second foreign language.
In 2009, the Faculty of Foreign Languages was granted the fourth (highest) national accreditation level.
In 2016, Translation began to be offered as a new specialization option at the master’s level.
In 2020, the Faculty of Foreign Languages was awarded full accreditation by the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance.
In order to enhance students’ academic experience and personal growth, the Faculty of Foreign Languages invites distinguished professors from the other institutions of higher education across Ukraine. At different times, the Department of English Philology hosted Mykhailenko Valerii Vasylovych, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor (Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University) and Poliuzhyn Mykhailo Mykhailovych, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor (Transcarpathian State University); the Department of German Philology invited Ohui Oleksandr Dmytrovych, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor (Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University); the Department of French Philology welcomed Popovych Mykhailo Mykhailovych, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor (Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University).
The Faculty of Foreign Languages and its departments maintain a close working relationship with institutions of higher education across the country: Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv National Linguistic University, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University and Uzhghorod National University, among others.
THE FACULTY TODAY
Dean: Nataliia Yatskiv. Graduated from Ivan Franko State Pedagogical Institute of Drohobych with a specialization in French and German Languages (1990); Candidate of Philology (2000); Professor (2016); 18 years of teaching experience at institutions of higher education.
Assistants to Dean: Andrii Venhrynovych, Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor; Nataliia Ivanotchak, Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor; Nataliia Pyliachyk, Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor.
The teaching staff is comprised of 64 full-time members, namely two doctors of philology, full professors; one candidate of philology, professor; 40 candidates of sciences, associate professors; and 21 members without doctoral-level degrees (lecturers and instructors). Today, approximately 67.4 per cent of the teaching staff hold doctorates.
Departments: English Philology headed by Yakiv Bystrov, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor; German Philology headed by Oleh Ostapovych, Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor; French Philology headed by Olha Bihun, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor. The Faculty of Foreign Languages works in association with the Department of General and Germanic Linguistics (chair – Vitalii Kononenko, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor) and the Department of World Literature and Comparative Lіterary Studies (chair – Ihor Kozlyk, Doctor of Philology, Full Professor) to deliver its academic programmes.