Spanish

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.

Create Your Path to Career Success

As a Spanish major, you can create your own career 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.

The four concentrations are:

1. 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).
2. 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 sequence. 
3. 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. 
4. 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.

Experience the World by Studying Abroad

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 occur for a semester, in the summer or during a school break. Study abroad could involve taking courses, performing a paid internship or completing service work abroad.

Previous study abroad locations in Spanish-speaking countries include:

• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Guatemala
• Nicaragua
• Peru
• Spain

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

A Bachelor of Arts in Spanish degree requires a minimum of 34 credits. You also must complete the university’s core curriculum requirements located in the Spanish curriculum sheet. 

Complete degree requirements and a listing of courses are available in the Undergraduate Bulletin (PDF). 

Spanish Minor Requirements

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. Consult the Undergraduate Bulletin (PDF) for more details on requirements and courses for this minor.

Undergraduate & Post-baccalaureate Spanish Certificate Requirements

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. Learn more about Spanish pre- and post-baccalaureate certificate requirements.

Faculty

The School of Arts and Sciences at Mount Mary is rich with talented faculty who care about their students.

A Spanish major provides you with a global perspective and prepares you for careers in a variety of fields, including:

• Educational administration
• Government service
• Immigration services
• International education
• Spanish education or English as a Second Language Education
• Translation/interpretation services
• Travel industry

Salaries vary greatly, depending on the industry you’re employed in and experience. Translators and interpreters earn a median annual salary of $43,300, while postsecondary Spanish teachers earn a median annual salary of about $66,730, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Work Abroad During College

You can earn college credit (and sometimes pay) for completing an internship using your Spanish-language skills. 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 you desire.

You also can participate in an 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 pre-nursing, dietetics or occupational therapy and international 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.

Mount Mary University encourages international studies majors to participate in student clubs and organizations, such as the Alpha Mu Gamma honor society and the International Student Club.

Alpha Mu Gamma Honor Society

Alpha Mu Gamma is the national collegiate honor society for foreign language students. Unlike other national language honor societies, Alpha Mu Gamma represents students studying all world languages. To qualify for membership in Mount Mary’s Alpha Omega chapter, you must hold an A or A/B average in at least two college-level courses in the same language and have an overall GPA of 3.0.

For more information on Alpha Mu Gamma, contact Mary Ellen Kohn-Buday, faculty adviser for the society.

This club welcomes international students and students from the United States. The club promotes understanding of languages and various cultures of the world. Activities include enrichment trips, social gatherings and orientation for new international students.

Contact Antje Streckel, staff adviser, at streckea@mtmary.edu for more information on joining this club.

Students Achieving Leadership through Spanish Activities (SALSA)

SALSA’s purpose is to serve as a support group for Latina and non-Latina students and to promote cross-cultural understanding of the Latino culture. Group members also take on leadership roles to coordinate field trips or raise fund for local Hispanic organizations.

Contact Maribel Rivera, staff adviser, at riveram@mtmary.edu for more information on joining this club.