Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
Beyond creating a pathway to a variety of jobs for Spanish majors, our bachelor’s degree in Spanish will enrich your life and perspective as an individual and a contributing member of a global society. Develop a high level of language proficiency in Spanish, while exploring the historic development and pop culture of Hispanic culture and gaining deeper understanding of the characteristics and behaviors of the Hispanic world.
Our Spanish bachelor’s degree offers programs with or without teacher certification.
- The bachelor’s in Spanish With Teacher Certification program has specialized courses in education for Spanish majors who want to teach Spanish at the secondary level. Our degree program is one of few Texas programs in Spanish that offers a Spanish Language Pedagogy course designed to prepare you for the Pedagogy section of the state teacher certification exam.
- The bachelor’s in Spanish Without Teacher Certification program allows you to choose a variety of electives for flexible options. You can combine your BA degree in Spanish with other majors, such as International Studies or Pre-Law.
What is Spanish?
The Hispanic population in the United States is growing rapidly, and over 600 million people throughout the world speak Spanish as their native or primary language. With effective, bilingual communication skills and analytical skills, your career opportunities will expand significantly. Research has shown that bilingual employees can earn 5 to 20% more than those who are not bilingual. Graduates who are proficient in using both English and Spanish in a professional setting are highly sought after in the current job market.
What Can You Do With Your Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish?
Many of our undergraduate students, especially those with teacher certification, accept job offers before they graduate. They work in a variety of jobs, such as these:
- Spanish Teacher, Bilingual Educator, ESL Instructor or Tutor
- Interpreter or Translator
- Diplomat or International Relations Consultant
- Language Aide or Analyst
- Foreign Exchange Trader
- Diversity Education Coordinator
- Cultural Events Planner
- Travel Guide
- Customer Service Representative
- Writer or Editor
Estimated Completion
120 Credit Hours (4 years)
Application Process
Cost
Locations Available
College
If you’re thinking about continuing your studies with graduate school, you may be interested in a master’s degree program in Spanish linguistics or literature, as well as Tarleton’s MA in English, M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, or MA in Communication Studies. Some of our graduates with dual degrees also get accepted into law school or medical school.
Why Major in Spanish?
Our bachelor’s degree in Spanish provides formal language training, skills development in interpreting and analyzing texts, and deeper awareness of Hispanic language and culture.
The size of our undergraduate degree program in Spanish helps us create a close-knit community and inclusive, interactive classroom environment. You'll have opportunities to reflect on course material and relate it to your personal life and surroundings. Develop connections with your classmates and professors that can turn into valuable networking opportunities throughout your career. Our award-winning faculty have diverse areas of expertise, including poetry, poetic theory, philosophy and poetry, language acquisition and journalistic chronicles of the Colombian Caribbean.
Study abroad in Spain for four weeks of language and culture instruction while living in a university residence hall and visiting nearby cities. With one of the longest running study abroad programs at Tarleton, we offer an immersive cultural experience that allows you to practice your skills while navigating daily situations in a variety of settings. You'll earn six credit hours and Applied Learning Experience credit, as well as international and foreign language experience that's valuable to many employers.
Undergraduate students with four or more years of high school Spanish or native or heritage speakers can receive credit for the first four required Spanish courses, which is the equivalent of fourteen credit hours, as determined by the Language Placement Exam.
What Classes Will You Take as a Spanish Major?
Our program curriculum starts with Spanish language proficiency skills, which are then applied in the upper-level courses while interpreting and analyzing texts. Explore topics such as Hispanic Caribbean culture and literature, historical and sociopolitical realities of Spain and Latin America, and 20th-century short Latin American novels and their historical context. Then choose from a variety of electives, based on whether you’re earning your teacher certification or not, such as Educational Psychology, History of Mexico, Latin America After Independence and Spanish Language Pedagogy.
For Spanish majors with teacher certification, the Spanish Language Pedagogy course helps you prepare for the state certification exam with theories and concepts in current methods of teaching Spanish as a second language.
View all required classes for the Spanish bachelor’s degree with Teacher Certification.
View all required classes for the Spanish bachelor’s degree without Teacher’s Certification.
Accreditations
How Do You Get Started on Your Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish?
Take the next step toward earning your bachelor’s degree in Spanish. We have the resources to help you get started.
Join Sigma Delta Pi, the Hispanic Student Organization, The Modern Language Association or other student and professional organizations. Special events on campus include activities to promote Spanish culture, guest lectures, film screenings and more.
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion and International Programs provides advocacy, training and affirmation to support underrepresented populations on campus and serve our international students.
Language aides in the Writing Center offer help to undergraduate students in Spanish courses of all levels. Texans 4 Texans in the Tutoring and Learning Center is certified by the College Reading and Learning Association and offers free tutoring services to all Tarleton students.
What Bachelor’s Degrees are Related to Spanish?
- BA in English
- BA in International Studies
- BA in Legal Studies
- BA in Communication Studies
- BS in Political Science