Spanish
Build Bridges Across Cultures. Mount Mary University’s Spanish major creates unique opportunities for you to become lifelong learners of languages and cultures. The ability to bridge cultural barriers in today’s ever-shifting global society begins with learning a world language and then broadens to include a whole world of opportunities.
Mount Mary University’s Spanish program is designed to help you develop your ability to understand, speak, read and write Spanish, as well as to understand and appreciate culture and literature. We offer small, interactive language classes, conducive to world language learning. A degree in Spanish prepares students to live and work in a competitive, interdependent world. Mount Mary students develop literacy in global matters, multiculturalism and cultural diversity, while developing language proficiency and becoming contributing members of our global society. The program fosters critical thinking and intellectual growth and augments students’ appreciation of varied literature and civilizations. Using a communicative approach to teaching, instructors often use role-playing to place students in real-life situations where they must not only know the language but also understand cultural variables that can impact intercultural communication.
A Bachelor of Arts in Spanish degree requires a minimum of 34 credits and completion of the university’s core curriculum requirements. A Spanish minor is also available, as well as a post-baccalaureate certificate for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree.
View a sample program plan to see what courses you'll take in our Spanish program.
Learn MoreSpanish
Build Bridges Across Cultures. Mount Mary University’s Spanish major creates unique opportunities for you to become lifelong learners of languages and cultures. The ability to bridge cultural barriers in today’s ever-shifting global society begins with learning a world language and then broadens to include a whole world of opportunities.
Mount Mary University’s Spanish program is designed to help you develop your ability to understand, speak, read and write Spanish, as well as to understand and appreciate culture and literature. We offer small, interactive language classes, conducive to world language learning. A degree in Spanish prepares students to live and work in a competitive, interdependent world. Mount Mary students develop literacy in global matters, multiculturalism and cultural diversity, while developing language proficiency and becoming contributing members of our global society. The program fosters critical thinking and intellectual growth and augments students’ appreciation of varied literature and civilizations. Using a communicative approach to teaching, instructors often use role-playing to place students in real-life situations where they must not only know the language but also understand cultural variables that can impact intercultural communication.
A Bachelor of Arts in Spanish degree requires a minimum of 34 credits and completion of the university’s core curriculum requirements. A Spanish minor is also available, as well as a post-baccalaureate certificate for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree.
View a sample program plan to see what courses you'll take in our Spanish program.
As a Spanish major, you can create your own path by studying one of four areas of concentration. All areas of concentration require you to take courses on conversation, composition, Hispanic civilization, phonetics and syntax. All concentrations also require you to complete a senior project. Choose from one of four options:
- Spanish Teacher Education: If you wish to teach Spanish in schools, you must complete requirements for both the Spanish and Education majors. When you complete the program, you will be eligible to teach Spanish from early childhood through adolescence (approximately grades K-12).
- Spanish Literature and Culture: This sequence requires courses on topics such as Hispanic literature, Latin American literature, and Spanish literature and civilization. Courses on translation are not required for this option.
- Spanish for Native/Heritage Speakers: Study abroad is not required but strongly recommended for native speakers pursuing this concentration. Courses required for this sequence cover topics such as Hispanic literature, the Hispanic American experience, Latin American literature, Spanish literature and civilization. This sequence also requires the introduction to translation course.
- Spanish for Professionals: This sequence requires the introduction to translation course, as well as a course called intermediate Spanish for professionals. You also can choose to focus your study on literature or culture through the electives that you select.
All Spanish majors (except in the native/heritage speakers concentration) are required to participate in an immersion experience of at least four weeks in a culture where another language is spoken. Each year, study abroad programs are offered in about three different countries. Study abroad experiences take place over a semester, in the summer or during a school break. This could involve taking courses, performing a paid internship or completing service work abroad. Previous study abroad locations in Spanish-speaking countries have included Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru and Spain.
You can earn college credit (and sometimes pay) for completing an internship using your Spanish-language skills to work during your study abroad experience. Mount Mary students have completed internships abroad in Peru and Spain. For example, students double majoring in Spanish and Fashion Design have interned in the alpaca textile industry in Peru and students double majoring in Spanish and graphic design have interned at the Flamenco Museum in Seville, Spain. If you’re interested in interning abroad, talk with your professors to learn how you can create the internship experience that you want.
You also can participate in a Spanish-related internship in the Milwaukee area. Mount Mary students have interned at schools as translators/interpreters for Spanish-speaking parents. Students who have double majors in Nursing, Dietetics or Occupational Therapy and Global Studies have interned at hospital and clinics and students with double majors in Social Work or Art Therapy and international studies have worked at social services agencies.
The Spanish minor provides you the opportunity to explore culture and history in Spanish-speaking regions, including participating in a study abroad program if you choose. A minor in Spanish will help to open doors for career opportunities in an ever-changing global economy. A minor requires a minimum of 21 credits.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you can complete one of three Spanish post-baccalaureate certificates: bilingual education, Spanish for professionals or Spanish for native/heritage speakers. A pre-baccalaureate certificate in Spanish also is available for undergraduate or non-degree seeking students.
Mount Mary also offers courses in Italian, French and American Sign Language.
Jason Meyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Phone: (414) 930-3341
Email: meylerj@mtmary.edu
Expertise: Latin American and Latinx culture, vocation in higher education, and leadership for social justice
Mary Ellen Kohn-Buday, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Spanish
Phone: (414) 930-3271
Email: kohnbudm@mtmary.edu
Expertise: Civilization, culture and literature of Spain, Linguistics, Translation, Language for Special Purposes / Professions