Globally, Spanish is spoken in over 20 countries and is used in global business and commerce; in arts, design, and cultural management; in education; in science research and the humanities; in publishing and entertainment; in global health and environmental management; and in politics and diplomacy. It is no wonder that many U.S. students have come to view Spanish as an almost indispensable tool for their future.

Students majoring in Spanish can choose among three tracks:

Hispanic Linguistics Track
The Hispanic Linguistics track enables majors to deepen their understanding of Spanish, including its regional, social, and pragmatic variation; second language acquisition; and bilingualism. The track emphasizes a social-scientific approach to language study, with hands-on research experience in data collection and quantitative analysis of Spanish.

Hispanic Studies Track
The Hispanic Studies track gives students the opportunity to combine any number of 300 and 400-level courses while honing their language abilities and analytical skills. Courses topics include soccer; popular music; science-fiction; cities in Latin America and Spain; translation; Central American literature; Puerto Rican and Latino cultures; Don Quijote; horror cinema; Netflix in Latin America and Spain; the legacies of colonialism and dictatorships; and Mexican literature.      

Spanish-Portuguese Track
Spanish and Portuguese are both Romance languages, and students speaking one language can easily pick up the other. The Spanish-Portuguese studies track allows students to develop proficiency in both languages and gain a more comprehensive understanding of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, and Lusophone Africa. Students develop their linguistic, critical reading, and analytical skills and can choose courses that that delve into cinema, translation studies, women writers, Brazilian and Portuguese literary traditions, Afro-Brazilian culture, and the vibrant regional varieties of Portuguese spoken throughout the world.