Program Overview

Spanish and Portuguese Program

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers majors in Spanish and Spanish and Portuguese, as well as two minors: a minor in Spanish and a minor in Spanish for the Professions. The minor in Spanish studies the language, literature, and culture of Spain and Spanish America, while the minor in Spanish for the Professions offers students a pathway to broaden and develop their Spanish language skills and cultural competencies in the context of their chosen careers and specializations.

Courses

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a wide range of courses in the language, literature, and culture of Spain, Spanish America, Lusophone Africa, and Brazil. Recent courses include:

• Mercado de Maravillas: Foods of Spain and Hispanic America in Today's Global Marketplace
• Spanish in Business and the Global Economy
• Spanish, Health, and Society
• Translation and Interpretation
• Contemporary Mexican Literature and Culture
• Film and Recent Cultural Trends in Spain
• Spanish American Literature from 1900 to the Present
• Literature and Medicine Recent Portuguese courses include:
  • Intensive Elementary Portuguese
  • Intermediate Portuguese
  • Brazilian Pop Culture
  • Literature and Cultures of Lusophone Africa
  • Introduction to Luso-Brazilian Literature
  • Modern Brazilian Literature

Honors Program

Majors can pursue independent study and research through the Honors program in Spanish, which culminates in the writing of a senior Honors thesis under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

Special Opportunities

A high percentage of majors spend some time abroad, with options including Vanderbilt-approved semester-long programs in Sevilla, Granada, Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Rio de Janeiro. There are also Maymester programs available, including Conversation and Culture in Alicante and The Way of Saint James. Two courses within the department, Spanish, Health, and Society, and Nashville en Espa隳l, include a service-learning component, allowing students to engage with Nashville's Hispanic community.

After Vanderbilt

While a language major provides many opportunities for employment, many students in the department are double majors, combining Spanish and Portuguese with another area of interest. Students interested in business, law, medicine, and education, or in majors such as neuroscience, English, economics, political science, communication studies, and human and organizational development, frequently find that courses in Spanish and Portuguese complement their work and help them find career success upon graduation.

Faculty

The department is composed of faculty members with diverse teaching and research interests.

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university offers over 65 undergraduate majors, as well as a range of graduate and professional degrees. The 340-acre campus is home to groundbreaking interdisciplinary research, SEC athletics, and a community dedicated to free expression and civil discourse.