The Spanish program at Oregon State University provides students with the opportunity to learn about and through the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Spanish-speaking world, both locally and globally.
Our classes are student-centered and proficiency-based and they prepare students to live bilingually both in their personal and professional lives.
At the heart of our program lie ACTFL’s five C’s of language learning: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities. Our faculty come from a wide variety of backgrounds and each one brings a unique perspective to the process of language-learning.
In addition to the face-to-face and hybrid classes we offer on our Corvallis campus, students can take advantage of a wide range of offerings on our Ecampus and they can also participate in study abroad programs in places like Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Argentina and many others. For more information about study abroad opportunities visit the Office of Global Opportunities at Oregon State.
To learn more about our programs, enroll in our classes or for information about declaring a major or minor in Spanish, please contact Spanish academic advisor David Trinidad at 541-737-3945.
Learn more about the Spanish placement examination
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE(S) OFFERED:
Bachelor of Arts Major
As a Spanish major, you will learn to:
- Analyze the main ideas of a wide variety of texts and other forms of cultural expression (such as music, film and art) on concrete, abstract and technical topics.
- Interact with Spanish-speaking communities within and beyond the United States in culturally responsible ways.
- Contribute to conversations with sufficient accuracy, clarity and precision to convey their intended message without misrepresentation or confusion.
- Describe aspects of both the cultural and linguistic diversity of Spanish-speaking communities within and beyond the US.
- Produce detailed texts for a variety of audiences on a wide range of subjects with accuracy, clarity and precision.
- Critically reflect on their own identities, cultural heritage and traditions through the study of Spanish.
Bachelor of Arts Minor
Regardless of what your major is at Oregon State, the Spanish minor is a great complement to your chosen field of study. There has never been a better time to be bilingual and for people living in the United States, Spanish is by far the most useful and advantageous second language to learn.
As a Spanish minor, you will learn to:
- Identify the main ideas of a variety of texts and other forms of cultural expression such as music, film and art.
- Interact with Spanish-speaking communities within and beyond the United States in culturally responsible ways.
- Apply skills learned through the study of Spanish in order to solve problems and complete tasks in communities where Spanish is primarily spoken.
- Demonstrate awareness of both the cultural and linguistic diversity of Spanish-speaking communities within and beyond the U.S.
- Produce simple, connected texts that demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe familiar topics in major time frames with level-appropriate precision and accuracy.
- Critically reflect on their own identities, cultural heritage and traditions through the study of Spanish.
DO YOU COME FROM A SPANISH-SPEAKING FAMILY OR COMMUNITY?
The Spanish For Heritage Language Learners (SHLL) program is designed for students who grew up in a Spanish-speaking environment and who have some Spanish language competency as a result of having heard it in the home and community from parents and/or grandparents, extended family, friends and neighbors.
The SHLL program provides heritage learners with a well-structured curriculum to expand their proficiency in Spanish in three communicative areas: interpersonal, interpretative and presentational.
The instructors who facilitate learning in this program promote and support the identity and development of our Latina/o/x students while preparing them with literacy skills and knowledge for future studies in Spanish and to effectively function in professional bilingual environments.
The objectives of the SHLL program are:
- To recover, maintain and expand Spanish as a community language in the United States.
- To validate our heritage speakers’ language use and, by extension their identity.
- To expand students’ ranges to include styles and registers of Spanish appropriate for communicating in academic and professional settings.
ECampus Microcredentials
Oregon State’s microcredentials are high-quality educational opportunities that can help advance your career with less time and financial commitment than a formalized degree or certificate program. All Oregon State microcredentials consist of at least three courses and 8 credits that follow Oregon State’s quarterly term calendar.
For more information about enrolling in our classes or declaring a major or minor in Spanish please contact Spanish academic advisor David Trinidad at 541-737-3945.