B.A. in Spanish
Become a global professional with superior levels of Spanish language skills.
Spanish majors at the University of Mississippi study the language, linguistics, history, and cultures of Spain and Latin America. They gain the cultural awareness and intellectual strategies necessary to navigate the interconnected and multicultural world in which we live.
Key Benefits
Spoken by over 400 million people, Spanish is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world, with 35 million Spanish speakers in the United States. Spanish majors attain strong language competence in listening and reading comprehension, speaking, and writing skills as well as the cultural knowledge for interacting with Hispanic people in professional and informal contexts. The department's Language Resource Center provided critical support for language acquisition.
Graduate Outcomes
A liberal arts education prepares graduates to deal with complexity and change. They gain key skills in communication, problem-solving, and working with diverse groups. People who fluently speak a foreign language have better job opportunities. Related careers to Spanish include education, international business & banking, tourism, journalism, law, translation, foreign service, cultural affairs, military service, and health care.
Experiences Offered
Spanish majors have a wide variety of outside-the-classroom opportunities for language learning including a living learning community; the Language Resource Center, program that provides online and electronic materials for the study of foreign languages; and dozens of study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries.
B.A. in Spanish Faculty
Spanish faculty in the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Mississippi have areas of specialization ranging from Spanish literature and cinema, Hispanic sociolinguistics, colonial Spanish literature, Nahuatl, second language acquisition, Spanish-American literature, and women writers.
Course Requirements
A major in Spanish for the B.A. degree requires 30 semester hours beyond the 200 level. Students will take Span 303, 304, 330, and 331 (or equivalent) plus 18 additional hours. Nine of the 18 additional hours must be at the 500 level and must include at least one literature course and one linguistics course. Students must complete a minimum of 9 upper- division credits in residence on the University of Mississippi campus at Oxford, Tupelo, or Southaven. A maximum of 15 of the 30 upper-division credits for the major may be taken through an approved study abroad program.
Admissions Requirements
Admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish degree program are the same as the general undergraduate admission requirements.
Wilson Helmhout
Wilson (2016), a pre-med student, participated in a medical mission trip to Bolivia where her Spanish helped with community health screenings and shadowing local physicians. To explore her interest in public health, Wilson was a summer researcher with a Center for Population Studies project on improving birth outcomes in the Delta. For an internship in Clarksdale, she compiled and presented community profiles to local leaders and nonprofit organizers. During her first year of medical school at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Wilson noticed a need for Spanish speaking health care providers. She became involved with the Spanish Club at UMMC and interacted with patients in Spanish at community health screenings. She is looking into becoming a certified medical translator soon.
Why study Spanish at UM?
"Study Spanish because it's an invaluable skill that will be useful in any career track! I loved my Spanish classes in literature, culture, and cinema. The classes were smaller, discussions were thought-provoking, and the faculty took the time to get to know and help every student as we grew in our skill and love of the Spanish language."
Student Organizations
Join Sigma Delta Pi (the Spanish honor society), LASO (the Latin American Student Organization), and El cafe de los lunes, a Spanish conversation group.