Should You Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish?

It is quite common to hear of college students pursuing a minor in Spanish, but what about a major? Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish is extremely beneficial, even more than you may think. 

With a degree in Spanish, you become eligible for a wide array of jobs and having learned another language fluently, you gain a valuable life skill. Read on to learn more about what job opportunities await you with a degree in Spanish and where you can find the best program to learn this foreign language. 

Top Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Programs

Ferrum College

Ferrum College, located in Virginia, offers an on-campus Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish program. In this program, students are allowed to study the Spanish language on the campus in Virginia or abroad in one of many Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico, Spain, or Peru. 

Courses include Spanish language and culture classes, including Latin American arts, history, and culture. This gives students a more well-rounded education that, in turn, makes finding employment much easier after graduation.

Universidad de León

At the Universidad de León in León, Spain, an on-campus Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Language and Literature is available. By studying Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country, students pick up on the language much quicker. 

This program is designed to help immigrants and foreign students learn the Spanish language easier and is well-staffed with knowledgeable and experienced faculty to help along the way. The Universidad de León also offers many national and international mobility programs to better aid students. 

University of Westminster

At the University of Westminster in London, United Kingdom, students can enroll in a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Spanish. This program conducts placement tests to ensure students are enrolling in the right courses for their level of proficiency in Spanish.

Depending on your prior knowledge of the language, you will be placed in either a beginner or intermediate program. Students take an average of three to four years to graduate from this on-campus program.

Macalester College

Macalester College, located in Minnesota, offers an on-campus BA in Spanish program. Students enrolled in this program are encouraged to immerse themselves in the Hispanic culture by staying in the Casa Hispana and participating in study-abroad opportunities in countries such as Bolivia. While beginning the program, students will meet with the faculty and advisors in the Spanish and Portuguese Department to curate a degree plan that is right for them and their career goals.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor offers a bachelor of Spanish program at its campus in Michigan. This program is designed to expand students’ fluency of the Spanish language as well as their understanding of Hispanic culture. 

Students enrolled in this program can meet with advisors and are encouraged to curate a more customized degree program by choosing to minor in different subjects or even double major in programs along the lines of political sciences or pre-medical studies to advance their future careers.

What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish?

Before deciding to pursue a degree in Spanish, it is important to know what you can do after completing a Spanish degree program.

For many, earning a Spanish degree is part of the bigger picture for their education goals, but for some, this is the only degree they plan to earn. If that sounds like you, you should consider one of these following career paths.

Translator

There are opportunities for translators in many different industries. Work can easily be found as a translator in government, medical, and international business settings. Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages and is actually in the top three of those most studied. This means Spanish translators are in-demand. As a Spanish translator, you will likely earn around $50,000 to $70,000 per year.

Teacher

Becoming a teacher may not seem like the most appealing path for those uninterested in working with kids, but the beauty of having a Spanish degree is that you can teach English or Spanish as a second language. This means you would spend most of your time teaching immigrants or refugees rather than a classroom full of children. Working as a teacher in this sense, you can earn around $50,000 to $60,000 per year.

Travel and Hospitality Work

Travel and hospitality work is a career path that many people overlook. However, working as a tour guide, hotel concierge, or even on a cruise ship can be a great way for extroverts to interact with all sorts of different people daily. 

For those who like to travel, working on a cruise ship provides the opportunity to make money while travelling and meeting new people. These are especially good options for those who have majored or minored in hospitality. Working one of these jobs results in an annual salary of around $41,000 to $51,000, though this can increase to over $70,000 per year with experience.

Is a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Worth It?

If you plan to work any job that involves speaking Spanish, choosing to major in Spanish is one of the best decisions you can make. By attending one of the top universities listed above, you can earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish easily by studying abroad and with well-experienced faculty. 

For anyone who is still unsure of the decision to major in Spanish, there is always the option to minor in the language. Many students choose to major in fields like business, hospitality, or nursing and then minor in Spanish as a way to improve their employability.

Whichever path you take, earning a degree in Spanish is a decision you won’t regret. Having mastered a second language is something that will benefit you in your personal life and your career.