Academic Planning: Spanish

Advising Toolkit

The top 5 things to consider when planning a major in Spanish

  1. Be sure to take the placement exam so that you know which level is most appropriate for you. If you’re still not sure, don’t hesitate to consult with a Spanish faculty member.
  2. If you begin your Spanish studies at the Intermediate level, you can finish easily in four years.
  3. If you love Spanish but had to begin your studies of Spanish at the Beginning level (1001, 1002, or 1003) don’t despair. You, too, can finish in four years provided you participate in a summer study abroad program in consultation with the Spanish faculty in order to “leap frog” and accelerate your progress through the major.
  4. Courses in the Spanish program tend to be VERY SEQUENTIAL. It is difficult to skip a semester and then try to pick up a course the following semester because that course generally carries the pre-requisite of the course offered the previous semester. Once you have advanced to the upper-level courses (32xx, 36xx levels), there is much more flexibility.
  5. There are many opportunities for students to maintain and to improve their Spanish language skills both on campus and off. On campus opportunities include: the weekly Conversation Table, the Jane Addams program, the English as a Second Language (ESL) program, the annual Festival of Spanish Language Cinema, and student organizations Vamos Juntos and Voces Unidas. The Briggs Library and the Language Teaching Center contain many Spanish language films and the Language Teaching Center provides access to Spanish language television programing. Off campus opportunities include a vast array of study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries. Studying abroad is the most effective means by which to improve language abilities, broaden academic and personal horizons, globalize one’s world-view, expand career opportunities, and advance cross-cultural understanding and problem-solving skills. The opportunity to study abroad is a critical one for modern language majors, and the Spanish faculty is devoted and motivated to make this feasible for students. To find out which study abroad programs might be of interest to you, please consult with personnel in the Academic Center for Enrichment or Stacey Parker Aronson, the Spanish Discipline Study Abroad Adviser.