Why Major in Spanish?

As an essential component of the Humanities, languages broaden your intellectual horizon, improve your analytical skills, and sharpen your capacity for critical thinking. Above all, languages provide you with cross-cultural experiences, which are valued more than ever in higher education today. To position themselves in global markets, companies are increasingly demanding employees that can comfortably work with colleagues from different cultures. Many of those colleagues will be of Spanish-speaking backgrounds.

Spanish is the world’s fourth most spoken language, the native communication medium of more than 400 million people, 45 million of whom live in the United States. Indeed, in 2003 the US Census Bureau declared Hispanics to be the largest minority group in the US. Thus, it is increasingly problematic to call Spanish a "foreign" language. A working knowledge of Spanish has therefore become significant for employment in many areas of the country.

Talk with the recruiters on TCU’s Career Night and you'll see that those students with strong language skills jump to the top of their list. Indeed, at the 2007 Major/Minor Fair, Spanish won the Cor Award, which is given to the department that best demonstrates careers associated with its academic discipline.

Here is a sample of the specific career areas for which a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish can prepare you:

Primary Fields

Teaching
Translation
Interpretation

International Sector

United Nations
Diplomatic foreign service
Embassy support staff
Customs and border agencies
International law enforcement

Communication

Travel and tourism
Broadcast journalism
Publishing and editing industry
Advertisement

Business

Business and finance
Banking
Marketing and distribution
Investment and sales
Export-import enterprise

Civil service

Federal and municipal government
Immigration
Paralegal work
City cultural events planner
Foreign policy analyst

Others

University international student services
University multicultural affairs
Language school management
Public health services
Etc.

Here are some examples of what our TCU Spanish graduates became professionally over the past several years:

Policy Analyst, Director of Cultural Affairs, Writer, Daycare Provider, Development Officer, Telecommunications Specialist, Director of Development Operations, Professor, Teacher, Chief Executive Officer, Translator, Director of Intercultural Affairs, Education Administrator, Real Estate Broker, Interpreter, Events Coordinator, Family Success Specialist, Chief Copy Editor/Webmaster, Patient Advocate, Recruiter, Enrichment Learning Center Director, Speech/Language Pathologist, Grants Program Administrator, Educational Testing Consultant, International Collaborations Aid, Training and Retention Coordinator.

Recommended Job & Internship Search Links

• Omniglot.  A Guide to Written Language, Language Learning, and Tips for Learning

• Career Guide for Language Students from the University of Michigan

• University of North Carolina's language career website

(Several of the links are taken from the website of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Career Center.)

Top Language Jobs:
www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk

Hispanic-Jobs:  Jobs for bilingual/Spanish-speaking Professionals:
www.hispanic-jobs.com

Job openings - foreign languages: 
www.tts.uwosh.edu/career/pages/french.htm

Info on jobs in Spanish speaking world:
www.laneta.apc.org

Resources for International Job Opportunities (Riley Guide): 
www.rileyguide.com/internat.html

Bilingual Jobs - Bilingual Professionals & Career Seekers: 
www.bilingual-jobs.com

Overseas Jobs:
www.overseasjobs.com

World Hire Online:
www.hire.com

World Wide Employment Office:
www.employmentoffice.net

MonsterTRAK:
www.monstertrak.com

Footprints Recruiting:
www.footprintsrecruiting.com/index.php

LatPro:
www.latpro.com

Saludos Web (Hispanic Careers and Education):
www.saludos.com

Bilingual Jobs:
www.bilingual-jobs.com/default_new.htm

LatPro: Job Board for Hispanic & Bilingual Professionals:
www.latpro.com

BilingualJobs.net:
http://63.126.124.54/

Multilingual Vacancies:
www.multilingualvacancies.com

Bilingual Career:
www.bilingualcareer.com

For information about other careers -- in the sciences, arts, social sciences, or education -- talk with your advisors in the Spanish and Hispanic Studies Department and in Career Services.

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