The ability to communicate with Spanish speakers and appreciate Hispanic cultures gives you a tremendous advantage in a wide range of careers. Whether on the job or in your community, your Spanish language competency and cultural understanding can help you establish valuable connections in the inter-dependent global community.
Students will attain an advanced level of proficiency in Spanish according to the criteria of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL) guidelines. Students will also acquire a reasonable understanding and knowledge of Hispanic cultures through the study of literature, history, art, social science, philosophy, etc. in a variety of courses taught in Spanish and English. As students plan their programs, they select a specific area of concentration (literature, culture, language) in which to acquire a more profound knowledge relative to their particular interests and goals. Additionally, students will engage in real-life learning via their service learning experiences where they will have opportunities to work with public and private agencies on projects that integrate their language skills with community needs. Finally, in students’ Senior Capstone projects they will have the opportunity to demonstrate thorough understanding of a topic of interest to them.
The program prepares graduates for successful careers as professionals in teaching, business and technology, travel, tourism, governmental and nongovernmental agencies, and for graduate study in hispanic languages and literatures, Chicano/Latino studies, linguistics, translation and interpretation, TESOL, or focused international disciplines such as policy, management and business.
