Spanish (B.A.)

In addition to the major in Spanish, BU offers language instruction in Chinese, German, Italian, Latin, Russian and French. A student interested in a teaching career may elect French as an area of specialization leading to a Bachelor of Science in Education.

The languages and cultures curriculum serves to enhance the quality of the students' liberal arts education with an international and multicultural perspective. In addition to developing proficiency for communication with speakers of other languages, the program also offers courses in culture and civilization taught in English to support the goals of global/cultural awareness and international education.

As a Spanish major, you'll study advanced levels of the language, structure of the Spanish language, conversation and composition, spanish for heritage speakers, Hispanic culture and civilization, applied phonetics and pronounciation, advanced conversation, advanced structure and composition, and Spanish and Spanish-American literature.

Then you'll work with your adviser to organize general education requirements and electives to meet your interests and career goals. Among Spanish electives to choose from are Spanish for health professions and social services, Spanish culture and civilization, Spanish American Culture and Civilizaiton, Hispanic culture and literature, commercial spanish, literary analysis of Hispanic texts, Spanish for educators, communicative spanish for teachers, Hispanic theater and poetry, Hispanic short stories, independent study, and an intership in Spanish.

Study Abroad Opportunities: The department offers an exchange program with the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus and with the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico. Exchange programs are open to all university students who have had at least two years of college Spanish.

If your goal is to teach Spanish in secondary schools, you would enroll as a education major with a specialization in Spanish to obtain the necessary professional education classes plus the full major sequence in Spanish.

Studying another language helps students become more competitive after graduation. Employers and graduate schools are receiving an ever-increasing number of applications from qualified students and are looking for something special. A foreign language may be the ticket to a rewarding career in the areas of international business, education, health care, tourism, foreign service, management and social service, to mention just a few. No matter what field you specialize in today, you stand to benefit from the study of another language and culture because it provides you with a broader view of the world and an additional marketable skill.

Additionally, knowledge of another language fosters greater awareness of cultural diversity among the peoples of the world and allows greater appreciation of other people's values and ways of life.

Those who learn a second or third language also gain greater insight into their native language and culture. Knowledge of a second language, therefore, not only allows you to learn about others, you also learn more about yourself. Not only that, study of another language helps students comprehend the intricate connections between language and thought and thereby enhances higher-order thinking skills.

Study Abroad Programs are available.

Individual Practice - Audio tapes, videotapes and compact disks for language courses are available for individual practice in the language laboratory, located in 238 Old Science Hall. The language laboratory is equipped with the latest computer technology.