Spanish

Spanish is the primary language of 20 countries. It’s the third most spoken language in the world. Becoming fluent in a second language such as Spanish adds value to your education, broadens your worldview and make you more attractive to employers in today’s global marketplace. And it pays off! Bilingual employees will earn up to four percent more than other graduates.

“Practice makes perfect, and being fluent in Spanish takes more than one semester.”

— Cayla Ostrowski '19

Read Cayla's story

About the Spanish Major

Carroll University’s Spanish program provides you with direct linguistic contact with a culture different from your own. It’s the key to understanding one another—and the world. After all, a culture expresses itself primarily through its language and its literature. In the Spanish program, you’ll acquire indispensable skills in communication, training in problem-solving and the kind of understanding of cultures other than our own that is possible only through language. You’ll learn to speak, read and write Spanish as you study phonetics and Latin American or Hispanic history and culture. As a Spanish major, we encourage you to spend a summer, semester or year abroad, for a truly immersive experience in another culture.

A Spanish major is a natural complement to many other areas such as business, pre-law, pre-medical programs or to such fields as English, fine arts, theater arts, history, political science, communication, psychology, mathematics, sociology or the natural sciences. In our program, you can easily add a second major in Spanish to your studies and still graduate in four years. If you cannot complete a full second major, a minor in another field is very common, as is a language minor to accompany some other primary specialization.

You can also study abroad during a summer, semester or full academic year by applying to the International and Off-Campus Programs Office. Recent graduates have studied in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Spain.

Become a Spanish Teacher

Pairing a Spanish major with a secondary education major prepares you for teaching Spanish. Through the education department, you’ll study educational psychology, literacy, multicultural and intercultural education and instructional design and receive a special focus on the methodology of teaching elementary and secondary subjects. You’ll also spend extensive time in immersive student teaching experiences. Of course, you’ll also learn all about Spanish syntax, phonetics and grammar as you become fluent in reading, writing and speaking Spanish.

Minor

In addition to the major, Carroll offers a minor in Spanish that complements many areas of study. 

Internships

We help you build real world experience, explore careers and network with professionals through internship opportunities. Recent placements include the following companies and organizations:

  • Waukesha's La Casa de Esperanza
  • St. Joseph's Parish Hispanic Ministry
  • St. Joseph’s Medical Clinic
  • Milwaukee's Centro de Comunidad Unida/United Community Center
  • Voces de la Frontera
  • SOPHIA of Waukesha (Stewards of Prophetic, Hopeful, Intentional Actions)
  • Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
  • Safe Babies, Healthy Families of Waukesha
  • The Waukesha Hispanic Resource Center
  • CORE / El Centro
  • Public Health Center of Waukesha
  • School District of Waukesha
  • Food Pantry of Waukesha
  • James Place (Waukesha)
  • YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
  • CentroHispano
  • UW Extension
  • Futura Language Professionals
  • Grassroots Waukesha
  • Citizen Action
  • Quad Graphics
  • Waukesha County Land Conservancy

Careers

College is a big investment in a bright future. Learn more about the industries and careers our majors pursue, and the workplaces and experiences of the alumni from our program. See where yours may take you.

Career Insight

El Coloso

El Coloso is an annual Spanish language magazine with a variety of articles spanning local, national and international issues in the Hispanic world. All articles are researched and written by students in a spring journalism course at Carroll University taught by Dr. Elena De Costa, who is also the editor of the magazine. Layout is done by a student in our Graphic Communication program as a Capstone project. Our annual spring bilingual theatre performance is featured on the cover of each issue.

Latest Program News

Alumnus Declan Boran-Ragotzy '14

Declan Boran-Ragotzy '14 inspires students with disabilities to push through life with no limits

4/2/2021

Alumnus Declan Boran-Ragotzy ‘14 has been inspired by the arts and its ability to take people on a new journey. Now he is using the arts as a means for his own journey to create a more inclusive and integrated experience for those with disabilities.

magazine pages

Spanish Class Publishes Annual Magazine

12/16/2020

El Coloso is an annual Spanish language magazine with a variety of articles spanning local, national and international issues in the Hispanic world. All articles are researched and written by students in a spring journalism course taught by Dr. Elena De Costa, who also serves as the editor of the magazine.

More Resources

“Spanish will open doors for you that not many other fields of study can.”

— Katie Bruckner '19

Read Katie's story

Meet the Faculty

Panoramic View of campus