A Language That Will Take You Places
Whether you’re looking to become more marketable in business or broaden your cultural horizons, learning Spanish will be a rewarding experience. It’s America’s second most spoken and fastest growing language. With more than 350 million speakers it’s also the fourth most commonly spoken language worldwide.
Our Spanish bachelor’s degree program will prepare you to communicate in Spanish while providing a rich understanding of the literature and culture of Latin America, Mexico and Spain. Even more, you’ll benefit from the unique opportunities you’ll find at UNC:
- Learn from native speakers, working in small classes with valuable one-on-one interaction with award-winning faculty.
- Embark on a life-changing study abroad adventure in Spain, Mexico or Latin America.
- Participate in poetry readings and competitions, Latin dance lessons, cultural presentations, movies and many other activities outside the classroom.
- Gain leadership and critical thinking skills you can apply directly to your career through diverse internship and research opportunities.
- Join our Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Language honorary, which has been named a national "Honor Chapter" for thirteen years in a row.
Degree Options
Choose a Spanish program option that best meets your professional goals and personal interests. You can also add endorsements in teaching Spanish, English as a Second Language and Bilingual Bicultural Education.
Liberal Arts
Gain a broad understanding of the Spanish language, culture and history. As a liberal arts major you’ll gain the skills to listen, speak, read and write in Spanish as well as a deeper understanding of the civilization and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
K-12 Teaching Concentration
Develop the skills to teach Spanish in grades K-12. In addition to learning Spanish language skills and gaining an understanding of the civilization and culture of the Hispanic world, you’ll also learn to be an effective educator.
Minor Option
Spanish Minor
As well as being culturally enriching, familiarity with the Spanish language can be a major advantage in the job market. Our Spanish minor offers an excellent complement to almost any major and requires 24 credits to complete.
Endorsement Options
Bilingual Bicultural Education Endorsement
Designed for elementary, secondary and K-12 education licensure students and students earning a K-12 ESL endorsement, the Bilingual Bicultural Education Endorsement teaches Spanish language skills, children’s literature in Spanish and K-12 curriculum in Spanish.
Spanish Endorsement
If you’re a non-Spanish major but would like to develop the skills and background to teach Spanish in secondary schools, we offer a 24-credit Spanish Endorsement. This endorsement must be attached to an Elementary, Secondary or K-12 Teaching License.
Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement
Learn the theory and practice you need to teach English as a second language. When you successfully complete the ESL Endorsement you’ll be recommended for the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse K-12 endorsement.
Related Programs
Your Future in Spanish Language Study
In the Spanish program, you’ll not only experience another culture through its language, you’ll also gain new perspectives on your own culture and your own identity in the world.
Consider UNC’s B.A. in Spanish if you want to:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and culture
- Pursue a career in teaching, business or graduate study
- Work closely with faculty in small classes
You’ll learn:
- Listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish
- Literature and culture of Latin America, Mexico and Spain
- Spanish language pedagogy (K-12 Teaching Concentration)
Sample courses:
- Spanish Conversation and Film Studies
- Masterpieces of Spanish Literature
- Latin American Civilization and Culture
- Spanish for Oral Proficiency
- Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers (K-12 Teaching Concentration)
- Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages (K-12 Teaching Concentration)
Explore Diverse Places and Cultures
Few experiences are as enriching and rewarding as a journey abroad where you can experience a different culture first hand. There are more than 20 countries in the world where Spanish is the first language, and in UNC’s Spanish program you’ll have opportunities to travel to places like Chile, Peru, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica and more.
Beyond the Classroom
When you complete your bachelor’s degree in the Spanish program at UNC, you’ll excel in communicating in verbal and written Spanish and have far-reaching knowledge of Latin America, Mexico, Spain and U.S. Hispanic literature and culture.
Where can your degree take you?
Whether you plan to pursue a career at home or abroad, learning Spanish will open the door to a wide range of professional opportunities, including:
- Teaching
- Government
- Social work
- Criminal justice
- International studies
- Advertising and marketing
- Translation and interpreting
- Tourism
- Banking
Current Research in Spanish Language Study
In addition to being caring, dedicated educators who work closely with students, our professors are noted researchers in their fields of study. Our current research projects include:
The Early Verb Project
Dr. John Ryan, Associate Professor of Spanish Linguistics
Dr. Ryan’s primary area of research has to do with the emergence of verbs in both first and second language learners of Spanish and other languages. His most recent work, the Early Verb Project, is the first comprehensive cross-linguistic study of early verb emergence in children. Dr. Ryan published the results of his work in his first book, The Genesis of Argument Structure: Observations of a Child’s Early Speech Production in Spanish.
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