Academic Program in Hispanic Studies
Program Requirements
Overview
The curriculum for Hispanic studies consists of three tiers:
- Spanish language and understanding Hispanic cultures
- Introductory courses in folklore, film, history, literature, and linguistics
- Upper-level seminars exploring specific trends and topics in Latin American, Spanish, and Latinx literatures and cultures
Our majors and minors have many opportunities to enhance their coursework: study abroad, an Honors Program, living in La Casa Hispánica (a residence hall for Spanish speakers and majors), student organizations, as well as internships, teaching apprenticeships, and tutoring positions in the department and beyond. Students with advanced Spanish who take EDUA 301 can work in the Oberlin community teaching Spanish in the local elementary school through the SITES program.
We offer a major in Hispanic studies and two different minors. The minor in Hispanic studies focuses on developing advanced linguistic and cultural proficiency, with an emphasis on written and oral expression developed through literary and cultural analysis. The minor in Spanish focuses on attaining advanced proficiency in Spanish, plus a historical and linguistic understanding of the language in context.
Oberlin‘s Paul and Edith Cooper International Learning Center offers high-tech tools to master a variety of world languages.
Finally, we urge all students to spend at least a semester abroad, through one of many affiliated programs in Spain and Latin America, and on the United States-Mexican border. Oberlin also sponsors several winter-term opportunities in areas where Spanish is spoken, including our program in Guadalajara, México.
While Hispanic studies graduates often go on to graduate school, those who enter the workforce have careers in multifarious fields, including business, nonprofit organizations, management, immigration law, politics, education, publishing, and translation.