In the United States, more people speak Spanish than any other language except English. The ability to speak and read Spanish has become a professional asset in an array of professions.
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
The Spanish major provides students with a strong foundation in language skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing in a variety of language courses.
As students advance in the major, they continue to enhance their knowledge through a variety of upper-level courses in culture and literature from Latin America, Spain and through study abroad opportunities.
Our language classes are small, especially in upper-level courses, and there is a personalized pedagogical approach between faculty and students. Our dedicated faculty offer a diverse curricula and advisement to enhance students’ educational experience as well as to provide students with a multicultural perspective of the Hispanic speaking world.
The linguistic and communication skills acquired in the Spanish major, along with critical-thinking skills and the overall cultural awareness gained, prepare students to pursue employment in fields of teaching, translation and interpretation, government positions and others.
If interested, students can pursue a double major in Spanish and a different discipline in the schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health Professions, and the Jandoli School of Communication. Students are encouraged to develop a plan for a minor in another area of study.
Students who graduate with a Spanish major also pursue myriad graduate degrees including the Ph.D. in Spanish as well as graduate studies in Hispanic studies or comparative literature, MBA, MPA, Master of Spanish and other advanced degrees.
Minor in Spanish
For non-majors, the Spanish minor provides the student a firm foundation in Spanish to complement their major field.
Requirements for a Spanish minor
Sigma Delta Pi Honor Society
Students who meet requirements may apply for induction into Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Society.
Established in 1919 at the University of California, Berkeley, Sigma Delta Pi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and affiliated with the Modern Language Association and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
Each summer, Sigma Delta Pi awards two scholarships for study in Spain at the Estudio Nacional Sampere's centers in Madrid, Salamanca or El Puerto de Santa María, and 18 scholarships at the Center for Bilingual Multicultural Studies of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Competition for these scholarships is open to undergraduate and graduate members of the society.
Scholarships must be used during the summer for which they are awarded. Sigma Delta Pi Scholarships may not be used for research purposes only.
Sigma Delta Pi application
To apply for membership to Sigma Delta Pi, please complete and submit the form below.