Spanish, Bachelor of Arts
Department Chair:
Mark Wolff
Faculty:
Karina Walker
Major
Spanish
Minor
Spanish
Spanish for the Professions
About
The Iberian Peninsula and Latin America blend diverse religious, linguistic, and intellectual traditions: from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian influences in Spain to the diversity of indigenous cultures in Latin America and Africa. Students majoring in Spanish at Hartwick will gain an appreciation of the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world through an exploration of literature, film, art, music, and other cultural production. The second most spoken native language worldwide, Spanish is also one of the primary languages spoken in the United States, underscoring the importance of learning about the cultures and literatures of Spanish-speaking countries and regions. Courses offered by the Spanish Program within the Department of Modern Languages are a valuable component of a liberal arts education. The Spanish Program prepares students for an increasingly interconnected world, while fomenting an appreciation of the rising importance of Hispanic communities within the U.S. cultural fabric.
The Spanish major at Hartwick is designed to develop competency in both oral and written language skills as well as broaden each student’s global perspective through a critical understanding of multiculturalism in Hispanic countries and the U.S. In addition to the variety of language, culture, and literature courses offered on the Hartwick campus, the program offers opportunities to prepare for careers in translation and interpretation, as well as practical experience through internships and partnerships with local and foreign organizations.
A traditional minor in Spanish is a valuable complement to any major. Knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultural diversity that is acquired by completing the Spanish minor is vital for business, both foreign and domestic, health care and social services, international relations, politics, government, education, among other fields. Students whose major field orients them toward a career in business, healthcare, law, or social services are encouraged to consider a Spanish for the Professions minor, which focuses more narrowly on the language skills necessary in these contexts. A student interested in completing a minor in Spanish is encouraged to consult with a member of the Spanish faculty in order to pursue a program that best suits their interests and career goals.
Students majoring and minoring in Spanish are encouraged to broaden their understanding in the field by taking related courses in other disciplines and in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program.
Spanish faculty regularly organize off-campus study-abroad and experiential-learning programs. Students minoring in Spanish are encouraged to participate in these January Term or semester-abroad opportunities. Those majoring in Spanish are required to have an immersive domestic or abroad experience in a Spanish-speaking region.
Students interested in earning teacher certification in Spanish may do so by completing the requirements for the major, taking the psychology and education courses required for certification, and student teaching in Spanish. (See Education.)
Spanish majors who have recently graduated from Hartwick have gone on to teach or to graduate schools both here and abroad, and have found employment in banks, insurance companies, social service agencies, healthcare, and many other fields in which knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures is advantageous.
Only SPAN designated courses are used to calculate the average in the major for Departmental Distinction.