Program Overview

Spanish Program

The Spanish program is designed to develop advanced Spanish language skills and cultural competence, which are valuable assets in today's global market. With an estimated 450 million Spanish speakers worldwide and growing Latinx populations in every state, this program provides students with a competitive edge in various fields.

Program Overview

The program includes courses in language, literature, film, art, business, philosophy, and more, allowing students to develop communicative and intercultural competency in Spanish. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Spanish language and culture.

World Languages Center

The World Languages Center is a digital language laboratory and multimedia teaching facility that provides students with a state-of-the-art learning environment. The center is used for class activities, presentations, workshops, language and culture club events, and drop-in language practice with native and near-native speakers.

Related Minors

The university offers several minors related to the Spanish program, including:

• Chinese Minor: incorporates aspects of Chinese language, combined with elective coursework in business, contemporary politics, history, philosophy, natural resources, agribusiness, or languages and cultures.
• French Minor: concentrates on building language proficiency at the intermediate and advanced levels, with opportunities to take courses in French and Francophone cultures and literatures.
• German Minor: focuses on the German language, as well as literature, philosophy, music, visual arts, politics, and film.
• Italian Minor: explores how the language and culture of Italy are central to the arts, humanities, and sciences in the Western tradition.
• Spanish Minor: a valuable complement to any Cal Poly major, focusing on advanced Spanish language skills and cultural competence.

About the Program

In this program, students will develop written and spoken fluency in Spanish, as well as gain perspective on the cultural and history of the Spanish-speaking world. The program works closely with students to integrate study abroad experiences, internships, and/or service-learning experiences into their degree. In collaboration with the School of Education, the department can also prepare students for the California single-subject World Languages Teaching Credential.

Learn by Doing

The program provides students with opportunities to engage in real-world situations, such as:

• Study abroad experiences
• Internships
• Service-learning experiences
• Volunteering at a local Spanish-speaking nonprofit
• Teaching kids Spanish at a local bilingual elementary school

Our Graduates

Graduates of the Spanish program have found successful careers in:

• Education
• International business
• Finance
• Nonprofit agencies
• Viticulture
• Government service Others have attended graduate and professional schools in various fields, including languages and literatures, linguistics, speech pathology, law, medicine, and engineering.