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Spanish Major in Pennsylvania

Immerse yourself in the Spanish language, culture and literature - both at Messiah and abroad - in our Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Spanish! Integrate your Christian faith with your studies in the classroom and immersion experiences abroad.

Study Spanish at a Christian University

"Aquí se habla español!" "Spanish is spoken here!"

Spanish is among the top five languages spoken in the world, with the population of native speakers here in the United States growing rapidly. As a Spanish major at Messiah University, your knowledge of "our global village" will expand as you prepare to engage with people of the Spanish-speaking regions of the world. Messiah's Spanish program encompasses a wide variety of courses in the language proper, as well as in the history, literature, culture and civilization of the Spanish-speaking populations.

You’ll find yourself fully immersed in Spanish language, culture and literature as you learn from faculty who have studied and lived in Spanish-speaking regions of the world. Through challenging coursework and study abroad immersion experiences, you’ll develop linguistic competence and critical thinking skills. Introductory-level Spanish courses focus on grammar, phonetics, conversation and composition. Beyond that, you will divide your studies between Latin American and Peninsular Spanish.

You may wish to pursue teaching certification, grades K–12. In addition to general education and Spanish requirements, you will take a variety of education courses, including two field experiences and the student teaching semester. You can also pair this program with Messiah's Business Administration (B.A.), a secondary major that will allow you to study foundational business principles in accounting, finance, management, economics and marketing.

In the Spanish program, you will take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field. Hands-on experiences and classroom learning within the framework of Christian faith will give you the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals. Our programs offer a wide variety of courses that will not only help you excel in your future career, but challenge you to develop a deeper understanding of your field of study.

Course options for Spanish:

Spanish (B.A.)

 

Spanish with PK-12 Teaching Certification (B.A.)

Spanish Minor

Careers and outcomes

Where our grads work

Graduates of this program work in positions of leadership in their places of employment, using the tools and knowledge a Messiah University education prepared them with. Each year, eager employers and some of the nation's best graduate schools welcome Messiah graduates into their organizations.

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Where they work

  1. Kidspeace
  2. Cumberland High School
  3. Stacy Middle School
  4. Mercersburg Academy
  5. Trinity High School
  6. Springfield School District
  7. Oliver Ames High School
  8. AmeriCorps
  9. Aqua Xtreme Tours
  10. Cumberland Regional High School
  11. The Visitor's Center
  12. Lisbon Central
  13. Mennonite Central Committee
  14. Wilson High School
  15. C.E.I.P. Santa Teresa de Jesus
  16. Nashua Christian Academy
  17. Bethlehem Christian Academy
  18. Middlebury College
  19. Francis Scott Key High School
  20. Loudoun County Public Schools
  21. Keystone Autism Services
  22. Lititz Christian School
  23. UPS
  24. North Carolina’s farm worker unit
  25. Association of International Educators
  26. Church World Service

What they do

  1. Grad Student - Counseling
  2. Childcare Counselor
  3. Grad Student - Spanish
  4. Grad Student - Spanish Ed & TESOL
  5. Grad Student - MSW
  6. Social Worker
  7. Spanish Teacher
  8. Case Manager
  9. Grad Student - Medicine
  10. Rafting Guide
  11. Manager & Owner
  12. Travel Agent
  13. Grad Student - Family Therapy
  14. Legal Case Worker
  15. Grad Student - English and Literature
  16. Spanish Teacher
  17. Language and Culture Assistant
  18. Community Support Professional
  19. Community relations specialist
  20. Latin America sales and marketing specialist
  21. Immigration services worker
  22. Jobs programs supervisor
  23. Community legal facilitator
  24. Immigration caseworker
  25. Student support specialist assistant
  26. International projects supervisor
  27. Paralegal
  28. Resident support coordinator
  29. Youth care worker
  30. Family case manager

Graduate school

  1. Philadelphia Biblical University
  2. Bowling Green State University
  3. NYU-Steinhardt School of Education
  4. University of Delaware
  5. Drexel University
  6. University of Maryland College Park
  7. Middlebury College
  8. Messiah University
  9. Loyola Marymount School of Law
  10. Pennsylvania State University
  11. Rutgers University
  12. University of Pittsburgh
  13. Millersville University
  14. American University
  15. University of Washington

95% of the Class of 2024 respondents were employed or in graduate school within 6-9 months of graduation.

Our Alumni

Regional and national employers seek out Messiah graduates for their academic preparation, work ethic and personal character. The transformation you experience at Messiah readies you to transform the lives of others through your chosen career path.

MEET ALUMNI FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND WRITING

Study abroad requirement

As a Spanish major, you’ll spend at least one semester at the Universidad de Granada, Spain or at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparasío, Chile, through the International Studies Abroad (ISA) program.

In Spain or Chile, you’ll live with a Spanish or Chilean family or in student housing, and have the opportunity to increase your knowledge of the Spanish language and the local culture on a daily basis.

Messiah's unique approach to hands-on learning

Learning in the classroom is important but actually applying that knowledge in a hands-on way can make all the difference. At Messiah University, the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) allows Messiah to take this hands-on learning to a new level by giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to various real world contexts--such as an internship/practica, service learning, off-campus program, holding a student leadership position, or participating in undergraduate research.

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