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.
As a Spanish major or minor at Messiah University, you’ll be able to:
- Participate in cross-cultural trips to Spain, or spend a semester abroad in Spain or Chile
- Choose a secondary major or two minors in various disciplines, particularly in the humanities (the Spanish major at Messiah is a 45-credit program)
- Take advanced courses dealing intensively with individual authors or periods of special significance or considering the political, social and cultural histories of the Spanish-speaking people
- Pursue a teaching certification for grades K–12
- Immerse yourself in our state-of-the-art, Beatriz Howe Language Laboratory where you can improve your listening comprehension, speaking and pronunciation skills in Spanish
- Apply for a yearlong senior honors project and work one-on-one with a Spanish professor to write your senior thesis.
- Study in a program that fosters a culture of community, language, development and leadership that extends beyond the classroom
- Join the Spanish Club, a student-led group that meets regularly to go on field trips, serve in the community and practice Spanish together
The world has grown closer and smaller, making learning languages imperative. Mastery of Spanish as a second language will better equip you with the tools necessary to further understanding between diverse populations in the United States and beyond. Opportunities are available in the political arena, economics, military, medicine, science, education, marketing, accounting, banking, international and domestic business, and human services. Because of the growing number of Spanish-speaking households in the United States, many different types of businesses aim to reach this bilingual population.
As a graduate of the Spanish program, you will be equipped to secure positions such as:
- Teacher
- Translator
- Interpreter
- TESOL teacher
- International field worker
- Immigration services employee
For more information on career planning for the Spanish program, visit the Messiah University Career and Professional Development Center.
Messiah’s nationally recognized internship program places students in a variety of Spanish internships. A few examples include:
- Health care, education and social work internships during semester abroad
- Governor's Advisory Committee on Latino Affairs
- Institute for Hispanic Family
- Catholic Family Services
- Immigration and Refugee Services
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.)
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.
Where they work
- Kidspeace
- Cumberland High School
- Stacy Middle School
- Mercersburg Academy
- Trinity High School
- Springfield School District
- Oliver Ames High School
- AmeriCorps
- Aqua Xtreme Tours
- Cumberland Regional High School
- The Visitor's Center
- Lisbon Central
- Mennonite Central Committee
- Wilson High School
- C.E.I.P. Santa Teresa de Jesus
- Nashua Christian Academy
- Bethlehem Christian Academy
- Middlebury College
- Francis Scott Key High School
- Loudoun County Public Schools
- Keystone Autism Services
- Lititz Christian School
- UPS
- North Carolina’s farm worker unit
- Association of International Educators
- Church World Service
What they do
- Grad Student - Counseling
- Childcare Counselor
- Grad Student - Spanish
- Grad Student - Spanish Ed & TESOL
- Grad Student - MSW
- Social Worker
- Spanish Teacher
- Case Manager
- Grad Student - Medicine
- Rafting Guide
- Manager & Owner
- Travel Agent
- Grad Student - Family Therapy
- Legal Case Worker
- Grad Student - English and Literature
- Spanish Teacher
- Language and Culture Assistant
- Community Support Professional
- Community relations specialist
- Latin America sales and marketing specialist
- Immigration services worker
- Jobs programs supervisor
- Community legal facilitator
- Immigration caseworker
- Student support specialist assistant
- International projects supervisor
- Paralegal
- Resident support coordinator
- Youth care worker
- Family case manager
Graduate school
- Philadelphia Biblical University
- Bowling Green State University
- NYU-Steinhardt School of Education
- University of Delaware
- Drexel University
- University of Maryland College Park
- Middlebury College
- Messiah University
- Loyola Marymount School of Law
- Pennsylvania State University
- Rutgers University
- University of Pittsburgh
- Millersville University
- American University
- 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.