Our curriculum prepares you to excel in communicating and interacting with Spanish speakers across the globe. Course work emphasizes all language skills—oral fluency and comprehension, writing, and analytical reading of various texts—as well as literature, and culture. Outside of class, you’ll meet regularly with native speakers for conversation practice and will have opportunities to participate in on- and off-campus events with LAZOS, a student-run club. Upon graduation, our students are well-prepared to live and work in a Spanish-speaking environment or pursue graduate study.
Major and Minor Offered
- Spanish—Spanish Language Concentration (BA major, minor)
- Spanish—Hispanic Studies Concentration (BA major, minor)
We also offer a Spanish Language Certificate, available to majors and non-majors. The certificate recognizes students' proficiency in Spanish based on the standards of the nationally-recognized ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) test. With global business increasingly being conducted in languages other than English, the certificate provides another way for students to prepare for success in multilingual environments.
Why Study Spanish at Principia College?
- Our multilingual faculty emphasize all skills pertinent to a learned language, but also focus on broad-based intellectual exploration and strong written and verbal communication skills.
- We develop cross-cultural understanding skills transferable to any unfamiliar culture.
- We prepare students to continue their education in some of the top graduate schools in the country.
- Our students complete projects and presentations in Spanish built around their interests.
- Fluency in Spanish is an essential accomplishment, equipping our students for global citizenship, to live and work abroad in service to humanity.
- Our students often intern where Spanish is an asset.
- Our students have daily opportunities to talk with bilingual students from Chile, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, and other Spanish-speaking countries.
- Students gather for hymn sings in Spanish and tapas or taco parties.
- Spanish-only marathon weekends and other activities build community (as well as language skills).
Abroads
Our abroad programs are open to all majors, and students are encouraged to apply for any abroad program that interests them. All abroads involve individual research that students can tailor to their interests. The Argentina, Peru, and Spain Abroads are especially popular with our students, providing them with a cross-cultural experience, an opportunity to improve language proficiency, and a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture and society.
Note: See the College Catalog for more detailed information about our program and departmental learning outcomes.
