Minor in Spanish Studies

With more than 485 million speakers, Spanish is the primary language of South, Central, and Caribbean countries. It's also widely spoken by a growing population of people living in the United States.

Gain knowledge, language proficiency, cultural competency, and new perspectives about the cultures, heritage, and histories of Spanish-speaking peoples. Get the skills and experience you need to communicate with Spanish speakers, both at home and abroad.

Why Minor in Spanish Studies at Marian?

Engaging with Spanish-speaking communities and cultures will broaden your perspective and set you up for success in nearly any field.

In fact, labor and employment experts report median salaries for employees who speak more than one language are five to 20 percent higher than the salaries of those who speak just one language.

• Thanks to a curriculum that's grounded in the liberal arts tradition, this minor will help you become a clear, consistent Spanish speaker, writer, and listener.
• A flexible, durable minor that's practical in nature, you'll learn how to communicate key information and engage with Spanish-speaking people in and out of the workplace.
• By strengthening your cross-cultural awareness and competencies, you'll be positioned to better understand the influence those of Hispanic origin and ancestry have had on our nation and our world. You'll also gain new awareness and insights about your own culture.
• It will help you develop intercultural communicative competence, a valuable skill.

Our expert faculty will challenge and encourage you with their native and near-native Spanish language competence. Thanks to small class sizes, you'll get one-on-one faculty attention and mentoring. 

What Will You Study?

To earn a Spanish studies minor, you will complete at least 18 credits of Spanish courses, including:

• SPA 310 Written Communication in Spanish or
• SPA 311 Written Communication for Heritage Speakers

You'll also complete 15 credits of Spanish electives. You can choose from courses like:

• SPA 102 Beginning Spanish II
• SPA 125 Spanish for Ministry
• SPA 200 Intermediate Spanish I
• SPA 201 Intermediate Spanish II
• SPA 213 Spanish for Mental Health Professionals
• SPA 214 Spanish for Medical Professionals
• SPA 220 Introduction to Hispanic Literary Studies
• SPA 230 Oral Communication
• SPA 231 Oral Communication for Heritage Speakers
• SPA 315 History and Culture of Spain
• SPA 325 Latino Catholic Culture
• SPA 330 Business Spanish I
• SPA 331 Business Spanish II
• SPA 335 Latino Voices in the U.S.
• SPA 337 Teaching World Languages
• SPA 345 Spanish Cultural Studies
• SPA 350 History and Culture of Latin America
• SPA 355 Latin American Artistic Expressions
• SPA 360/460 Internship/Practicum in Spanish

For complete course descriptions, please review our undergraduate course catalog.

What Career Paths Are Available?

A minor in Spanish studies is an excellent complement to any course of study. With this minor, you can:

• Work in international business and corporate settings in fields like banking, finance, marketing, advertising, communications, operations, and human resources.

In addition, you'll be encouraged to study-abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. We offer both short-term study abroad courses and semester-based programs that can include internships. Marian also has foreign exchange programs with universities in Spain and other countries. Talk with your academic advisor about study-abroad options

Meet the Faculty