SCHOOL OF STEAM
Spanish, Bachelor of Arts
Introduction
Open doors with a Degree in Spanish from Saint Francis University
Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the United States and a complement to any degree or career path. Acquiring a Spanish major or minor is a fantastic way to develop a set of skills that will make you more marketable in your chosen field, whether that’s through becoming an interpreter or translator, teaching the language, or using it to better serve a diverse population in your career. You can also take advantage of our study abroad programs to places like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and more!
tailor your coursework to fit with your career goals
enhance your health science, education, or business degree by learning a second language
study abroad to immerse yourself in the language and culture
The SFU LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Spanish the Saint Francis Way
Learn Spanish to use in whichever career path you choose! You can learn medical terminology as a Health Science student, learn law enforcement vocabulary as a Criminal Justice major, or learn the language to teach in your future classroom as an Education student.
Enhance your Degree with a Foreign Language
The Spanish language can be studied on its own or easily incorporated into multiple complementary degree programs—it’s all up to you.
- Health Science: Learning medical Spanish in our medical terminology classes will help you interact with future patients and serve diverse populations
- Education: If you want to put your language skills to use in the classroom, combining Spanish with your Education degree will give you the experience to teach the language at any level
- Criminal Justice: Be prepared to serve Spanish-speaking communities in any and all circumstances you might encounter in your future job in law enforcement
- Social Work: You’ll be able to interact with Spanish-speaking clients and understand their customs and cultures
- Business Majors: Communicating effectively with Spanish-speaking clients can be a huge asset, and your experience may provide opportunities to work for international companies in Spain or Latin America
CURRICULUM & COURSES
What You’ll Learn in the Undergraduate Spanish Program
Spanish is a quickly growing language in the United States, with over 55 million speakers in the country alone and nearly a half billion Spanish speakers worldwide. Our goal is to help you develop skills in writing, reading, speaking, and listening to the Spanish language so that you are prepared to use your knowledge in your future career to serve diverse communities with competency and cultural sensitivity. The program will not only prepare you with the fundamentals of the language itself, but also introduce you to the culture of Latin America, teach you specialized vocabulary in your field, and send you on immersive study abroad opportunities—all of which will enhance your language skills and your understanding of cultural issues from a global perspective.
-
Key Topics
-
Degree Paths
-
Learning Objectives
-
Key Topics
- Expand Your Horizons: Introduce a global vision to your education by studying a second language, learning a valuable skill that will make you more marketable in your chosen career path
- Immersive Experience: Our built-in study abroad program gives you the opportunity to visit a Spanish-speaking country and fully immerse yourself in the culture by taking classes, doing an internship, or living with a host family
- Tailored to You: With a variety of minors and concentrations, plus the ability to pair a Spanish major with many other programs, you can ensure your degree is tailored to your interests and career goal
-
On-Campus:
Degree Path Description Course Catalog Plan of Study Spanish, B. A.
in-person bachelor of arts degree
Spanish, B.A./Secondary Education Concentration
focus within Spanish, B.A.
Course Catalog - 24/25 -
As a graduate of our Spanish program, you will be able to:
- Engage in formal and informal conversations in Spanish about any topic
- Read and discuss Spanish media in all of its forms, including news, literature, movies, and more
- Demonstrate knowledge of any grammatical aspect in Spanish, including proper sequence of tenses, direct and indirect discourse, lexical variations, and idiomatic expressions
- Express feelings and emotions, engage in formal discussions and debates, and exchange opinions in Spanish using socio-cultural nuances
- Explain and discuss cultural concepts, including Spanish and Latin American character and cultural identity in the United States and abroad, the history of immigration into the United States, and issues pertaining to economic migration and the human rights of refugees
Benefit from our Experienced Faculty
Taught by faculty in the Literature and Languages Department, you will have one-on-one contact with professors, including opportunities for individualized courses and self-directed study. The department’s major programs aim to provide life enrichment through a liberal arts curriculum and experiential learning through professional opportunities.
Program Chair: Dr. Larissa Clachar, lclachar@francis.edu, 814.472.3193
Career Outlook in Spanish
As the Spanish-speaking world continues to grow, graduates with skills in the language are becoming highly sought after. A Spanish degree will increase your marketability in your chosen field, whether you want to teach the language to a new generation of students, serve as an interpreter or translator, better understand and interact with patients from different cultures in the medical field, or communicate more effectively with Spanish speakers as a social worker, law enforcement officer, or businessperson. Second language skills are an asset in any career, and in our program, you can tailor your coursework and experiences to meet your future goals.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Spanish and Saint Francis University
-
What advantages do Medical Spanish classes offer?
As a Health Sciences major, you’ll learn the medical vocabulary to be able to examine Spanish-speaking patients, explain and discuss complex medical procedures with your patients and their families, and understand how Spanish-speaking cultures deal with different diseases and medical conditions. With this knowledge, you can join us on our HUGS United spring break trip to serve a health clinic in Ecuador!
-
What advantages do Spanish Law Enforcement classes offer?
As a Criminal Justice major, you’ll learn the appropriate public safety terminology to help you communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking victims, perpetrators, or witnesses of accidents or criminal acts. You will also learn about immigration issues and the customs and history of the different Latino populations in the United States.
As a Health Sciences major, you’ll learn the medical vocabulary to be able to examine Spanish-speaking patients, explain and discuss complex medical procedures with your patients and their families, and understand how Spanish-speaking cultures deal with different diseases and medical conditions. With this knowledge, you can join us on our HUGS United spring break trip to serve a health clinic in Ecuador!
As a Criminal Justice major, you’ll learn the appropriate public safety terminology to help you communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking victims, perpetrators, or witnesses of accidents or criminal acts. You will also learn about immigration issues and the customs and history of the different Latino populations in the United States.