Spanish is spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide and is, according to Ethnologue, the language with the second-highest number of native speakers in the world (Chinese is number one). Spanish is, as well, an official language in more than 20 countries and a number of international organizations. In the U.S., Spanish is rapidly growing as a first or second language for many individuals, and the U.S. Census Bureau reports that, in the U.S., more than 37.5 million people speak Spanish at home. In addition, it is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The Hispanic cultures have had quite an impact on the arts, literature, philosophy, and architecture over time. And it is for all these reasons that a Spanish major is a great preparation for employment opportunities in business, social services, government, health care, communication, teaching, or any another profession that requires bilingual written or oral communication skills and cultural understanding.
We here in the Spanish section of the Foreign Languages Department at Midwestern State University are excited about your interest in our program. When you enroll in our courses, we believe you’ll find that we care about our students. We want you to learn, grow, and develop to your maximum potential, and our classes are such that students get to know their professors and each other—you definitely will not be just a number, or just another student. You are special and will receive individual attention both in and out of class.
The Spanish program offers an undergraduate minor and major. The minor requires eighteen hours (six courses) of advanced work beyond the initial fourteen hours (four courses) of language instruction, and the major requires twenty-four hours (eight courses) of advanced work. While there are electives, there are certain required courses (within the previously mentioned requirements) that you must take in order to obtain a major or minor, so be sure to keep that in mind.
The Spanish section sponsors a local chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish National Honor Society, as well as a Spanish club which is open to all students.
Students can earn six credit hours in a four-week immersion program in Granada, Spain, from late May to late June. These courses range from the second-year level to more advanced courses which can count toward the minor or major, and we strongly urge everyone to have an overseas experience. It will change your life, and improve your Spanish, in ways you can’t begin to imagine!
Finally, we highly recommend that, if you have knowledge or studies in Spanish prior to coming to MSU, you take the departmental proficiency exams. Please see the link to such in the left-hand column of our departmental website, but this is an easy way to get credit for knowledge that you may already have… and, it’s cheaper than tuition!
Of course, if you have any questions, want to learn more about the program, or just want to find out more about us, feel free to stop by at any time!