As a global language with nearly a billion native speakers, Spanish can serve as a gateway to synergetic academic learning, meaningful cultural exchange, enhanced employment opportunity, professional development, and transcultural belonging. The College of Wooster’s Spanish program prepares students to live the language by providing them with a supportive space to cultivate and hone their communicative skills, learn about the historical processes and events that have made Spanish a world language, gain deep understanding of Spanish in a variety of its socio-linguistic contexts, practice critical thinking and humanistic inquiry through the examination of art, literature, cinema, journalism, socio-historic artifacts and social media, and engage with the culture in planned social events. Wooster’s commitment to global engagement makes the study of Spanish a truly enriching experience that can include interdisciplinary research, residence in a Spanish-speaking country, and professional internships in nearby cities or in faraway places. Students who choose to study Spanish embark on a journey fueled by curiosity, open-mindedness, and a desire to forge intercultural connections and professional networks. The Department of Spanish offers multiple avenues for students to pursue Spanish, and we will help you tailor an individual course of study that fits the scope of your academic goals.
Spanish majors and minors at Wooster have gone on to pursue successful careers in education, law, library science, counseling, scientific research, technical writing and editing, interpretation and translation, international business, government, the foreign service, and social work.
Numerous graduates from Wooster with majors and minors in Spanish have successfully completed masters or doctoral programs in fields such as medicine, nursing, the life sciences, counseling, social work, business, law, and teaching.
Three recent graduates from Wooster with majors or minors in Spanish have been granted Fulbright teaching scholarships in Spanish-speaking countries after graduation. Others have taught English abroad through non-profit organizations. Still others have begun their teaching career in the United States with Teach for America.
Each year several Spanish majors and minors choose to live in the Spanish Suite in Luce Hall, where they have the opportunity to participate in activities organized in collaboration with the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, who each year comes from a Spanish-speaking country. Recent FLTAs have come from Argentina, Spain, and Mexico. Activities include informal meals, film screenings, social gatherings, and cultural celebrations. The Global Café, located on the garden level of Luce Hall, serves as a gathering place for students interested in creating a global community on campus and can be reserved for cultural events. Since the Spanish program at Wooster is relatively small, students have many opportunities to engage with their professors outside of class during office hours and at informal events. Faculty members serve as academic advisors and mentors to Spanish majors and minors, and they also provide crucial support as students prepare to pursue their professional goals after Wooster. Together professors and students contribute to a close-knit and welcoming community in which all involved gain experiences and perspectives that inspire them as they walk on their own independent paths.
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Academic Administrative Coordinator for Chinese Studies, Classical Studies, English, French & Francophone Studies, German Studies, Russian Studies, and Spanish
Associate Professor of Spanish; Global and International Studies (On Leave for Fall 2024)
Amelia Menk Brown ’96, originally from Poland, Ohio, knew she wanted to attend a small, liberal arts college, but the Independent Study program made […]
Hans Johnson ’92 chose to attend The College of Wooster because the school gave him an opportunity to connect with a diverse student body […]
Maggie Stieby ’25 spent her summer as an APEX fellow with the Viola Startzman Clinic, helping to analyze and strengthen the clinic’s resources for […]
Tomoka Adams ’23, Claudia Partridge ’23, and Zoe Seymore ’23 will represent The College of Wooster when they take their talents overseas as 2023 […]
Eleven courses in Spanish are required to complete a major, and students have a large variety of language, literature, and history courses from which to choose.
A minor in Spanish can serve as a great supplement to almost any major, and can give students an added perspective in the fields of history, political science, economics, sociology, and more. Six department courses are required to complete a minor.
With the support of the faculty, students in Spanish have done research in such wide-ranging fields as theater and dance, bilingual education, social and economic issues, political developments in Spain and Latin America, language-teaching methodology, literature, and intercultural communication. The I.S. program is exciting for both faculty and students because our students are encouraged to explore new fields where they can feel comfortable and committed.
| Student | Year | I.S. Title | Major 1 | Major 2 | Advisor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Please search to view results | |||||
Name: Tomoka Adams Majors: Biology, Spanish Advisors: Ferdinand Nanfack-Minkeu, Hernan Medina Mosquitoes are vectors for diseases that are often implicated in major outbreaks. The […]
Name: Sam L. Belsky Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Minors: Mathematics, Spanish Advisors: Mark Snider, Annastassia Gallo; Sara Martin (second reader) Stereo- and regioselective […]
Name: Morgan Ann Malone Major: Political Science Minor: Spanish Advisor: Michele Leiby, Erum Haider This independent study project examined the following research question: Does the robustness […]
Name: Lucie Fiala Major: Environmental Geoscience Minor: Spanish Advisor: Mark Wilson The Carmel Formation spans across much of the western United States. It is […]
Spanish majors at Wooster have excelled in a variety of fields after graduation. Many choose to enter the field of education, and a number of them hold positions as language teachers at the high school and middle school level.
Other Spanish majors from Wooster have taken such positions as application coordinator with the American Institute for Foreign Study, independent consultant at the Center for Technology Education at Johns Hopkins University, and bilingual educator in the Chicago public school system.
The added dimension of fluency in Spanish provided by the exceptional curricular and creative programs at Wooster has given graduates a decided advantage when entering the fields of business, industry, education, and government.
Amelia Menk Brown ’96, originally from Poland, Ohio, knew she wanted to attend a small, liberal arts college, but the Independent Study program made […]
Hans Johnson ’92 chose to attend The College of Wooster because the school gave him an opportunity to connect with a diverse student body […]
When she first came to The College of Wooster, Charlene D’Cruz ’89 had no idea she would become an attorney, but now she works […]
Working for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as a Spanish-speaking refugee officer, College of Wooster alumna Lauren Hines ’09 interviews people fleeing their countries […]
Established in 1973, the del Mar Prize is given annually at commencement to the graduating senior with highest achievement as a major in Latin-American studies, conducted in the Spanish or Portuguese language.
The Valencia Prize was established in 1974 and is awarded annually to the major in the Department of Spanish who, in the judgment of the department’s staff, has done the best work in the department’s three areas. First preference is given to a junior, and the prize is meant to be used to purchase materials needed for Senior Independent Study.