The undergraduate major offers a balanced combination of courses designed to strengthen oral and written Spanish language skills, as well as courses that introduce students to the study of Spanish and Latin American literatures and cultures.

Majors also have the opportunity to enroll in the minor in Portuguese language and Luso-Brazilian cultures, thereby opening channels of communication with millions of people around the world, including Brazil, Latin America’s largest and most heavily populated country.

Students with a more general interest in Latin American languages and cultures can also choose to minor in Hispanic Languages and Literatures. In all cases, we encourage students to include at least one semester of study abroad in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country, and we offer study-abroad programs.

Those students interested in going on to graduate school should strongly consider the honors major. Those who want to teach Spanish at the elementary or secondary school level can obtain Pennsylvania teacher certification through the School of Education. The Department also offers courses taught in English for non-majors interested in Hispanic, Latin American, Luso-Brazilian, or U.S. Latino cultures.