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Major Related Resources Department of Resources Career Resource | Description of MajorA major in Spanish offers students an in depth encounter with the rich and diverse realm of Spanish and Spanish American literature, culture and linguistics through the Spanish language. Students can explore such topics as Hispanic language and society, Hispanic film studies, the novel and short story, theater, poetry, translation, and women in literature.Skills & Knowledge Developed in this Field of StudySpeaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in the Spanish language.Minors and Second Majors that Expand Career Options with this MajorBusiness, criminal justice, economics, journalism, political science, public and environmental affairs, sociology, teacher certification.Career OptionsCareers Specific to the Bachelor's DegreeThe professional career opportunities for Spanish majors are as diverse as each person's individual interests, because Spanish is our country's second most spoken language and is still rapidly growing in numbers of speakers. IU's Spanish majors typically seek and have found jobs in government agencies (FBI, U.N., offices in Washington D.C.), as Foreign Service officers and translators, in social services in the U.S. and abroad, in the Peace Corps, the armed forces, and law enforcement.Other Career Possibilities with a Bachelor's DegreeThere are also professional career opportunities for Spanish majors in private business (international relations, marketing in the U.S. and abroad), teaching in the U.S. and abroad, and paramedical and paralegal professions.Careers that Normally Require a Graduate DegreeTeaching and research at colleges and universities, some language translation positions.Employment OpportunitiesJob OutlookVaries according to the wide choice of career fields, but generally it is quite good. The outlook is best in internationally oriented work, particularly in international business.Salary InformationAccording to the 1996 College Placement Council Salary Survey, the average starting salary received by foreign language majors is $25,166.Potential Career GrowthVaries throughout the possible career fields, but the potential is excellent.Placement Statistics for IU Graduates with this MajorNot available.High School PreparationAlthough prospective Spanish majors can begin studying Spanish in their first university year, they’ll enjoy a distinct advantage if they have had two or more years of Spanish in high school. They can test into a higher level of Spanish at IU and earn credit for certain lower level courses. This also creates more time for strongly recommended opportunities such as overseas study in Chile, Mexico, Spain, or other countries.Special OpportunitiesNumerous excellent opportunities are available to students who choose to major or minor in Spanish. The department’s outstanding faculty and diverse course offerings have helped to make its programs some of the best in the country. A national report recently ranked the undergraduate program in Spanish eleventh in the country. Students are encouraged to take advantage of IU’s wide variety of overseas study programs to spend a summer, a semester, or a year abroad. Our honors program is highly active, and allows students with a GPA of 3.0 or better to take especially challenging and exciting courses. In addition, it is very popular to combine our undergraduate major with work in another major, such as business, psychology, or political science, for students who want to specialize in the Hispanic or Lusophone aspects of another field. Another way to combine Spanish language interests with another field is to take a minor in Spanish. Our department is also one of the few Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE) testing centers for the Spanish Embassy. Students may elect to take an examination that could provide them with a European Community endorsed certificate of language proficiency. This certificate is helpful to many students who seek careers requiring a knowledge of Spanish because it provides an objective measure of language proficiency. Another department sponsored opportunity is the Spanish House, which gives students the opportunity to live in a Spanish speaking environment. The Spanish House has a language assistant who works with the department to develop special programs such as cultural festivals, guest speakers, and movie nights. Certification to teach Spanish in high school is an option students may also choose. To become certified Spanish teachers, students take a number of education courses and acquire substantial practice in teaching. Preparation for high school teaching should start early in one’s college career.Noted AlumniNot Available | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
