Program Overview
The Spanish Department at High Point University helps students develop the skills needed for a successful professional career, both domestic and abroad. The program provides students an in-depth look into the Spanish-speaking cultures of Spain, Latin America and the United States.
A Focused Curriculum
The Spanish program at High Point University is committed to helping students develop the skills needed for effective communication in Spanish. The faculty uses Spanish in class, creating a natural environment in which students hear, speak, read and write Spanish. The faculty has been intentional in creating an up-to-date curriculum. Students move from language courses that help them develop the skills needed for effective communication to content-based courses.
Our professors strive to prepare students to be effective members of the global community by helping them develop an international outlook. Therefore, the study of culture is emphasized throughout the curriculum. Once the students have acquired their language skills, the curriculum moves to preparing students for careers in the international arena, while giving them a solid foundation in the cultures of the Hispanic world.
In addition to traditional courses in literature, conversation, grammar, reading, composition and civilization, students can take courses in film, current events, business Spanish and Spanish for the medical professions. In all of the courses, instructors incorporate a wide variety of technologies.
The majority of the students in our program combine their Spanish major with other disciplines, the most popular being Spanish Education. One hundred percent of our graduates with a Spanish Education certificate are working in the high school system. For example, Katelyn Rhodes, a 2011 graduate in Spanish and Education, is currently teaching Spanish at Southern Guilford High School. Brooke Hayworth, who graduated in 2007 with a degree in Spanish with K-12 certification, is now teaching Spanish at Ledford High School in Davidson County. And Jairo López, a 2008 graduate, is currently teaching at The Middle College at Guilford Technical Community College.
Other students go directly into the workforce. Eric Fortin, a 2011 graduate with majors in Spanish and Finance, is currently working at Emerging Global Advisors, where he uses his Spanish to advise investors in the Latin American market. Rachel Davis, who graduated in 2009 with degrees in Spanish and International Studies, joined the AmeriCorps NCCC program where she was able to travel on the East and Gulf coasts doing relief work and teaching ESL. Currently she is back in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she works for the city’s Parks and Recreation and ESL Departments.
Another route for our graduates is to work abroad using their cultural and language expertise. For example, Gabriel Alison, a 2006 graduate with degrees in Spanish and Human Relations, traveled to Spain, Korea, Argentina, and Brazil, where he taught English. He is currently working in Seoul as Writer, Editor & Global ELT Marketing Assistant at e-future. Seon McLaughlin completed her master’s degree in Teaching Elementary Education in December 2011 and now she will be going to China for 15 months to teach English for the Disney English company.
Finally, some of our graduates choose to pursue graduate work in their second area of expertise. For example, KiYonna Brown, a 2009 graduate with majors in Spanish and Human Relations, just finished an MBA and MA program in Healthcare Administration at Pfeiffer University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kara Williams, who graduated in 2008 with a major in Spanish and the prerequisites for Nursing School, is currently completing a BSN Program at Duke University School of Nursing.
Featured Graduate Profiles:
Taylor McAuliffe, ’15 – Pursuing Juris Doctor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
“In my Spanish seminar course with Dr. Adam Winkel this year, I studied the portrayal of the Spanish Civil War using the movie Pan’s Labyrinth as a representation. I had the unique opportunity to present my research at High-PURCS this year, HPU’s Research and Creativity Symposium. While the process of doing research is not always fun, I was incredibly proud of the work I did. There were only about ten students in my class and throughout our research and writing processes, we encouraged and gave each other useful advice and constructive criticism leading up to our High-PURCS presentations. This collaboration and sharing of ideas was very beneficial and helped make our presentations the best they could be. When I started college I never thought I would be capable of doing research, writing and presenting in Spanish. When I presented at High-PURCS in Spanish it felt great to experience the results of all the hard work and time I had dedicated both to my Spanish major and to my research.”
Morgan Falls, ’14 – Pursuing a master’s in Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia
“At HPU, I had the opportunity to explore my interests beyond the classroom. I went to Guatemala for an alternative fall break, and I returned for a Maymester. While studying for a semester abroad in Ecuador, I completed an internship with an NGO in Quito. With the support of my advisors, I was able to graduate with three majors. This allowed me to recognize my interest in exploring public policy at various levels, which is what I hope to do through the MPP program at UVA.”
Ben Satterthwaite, ’14 – Digital Media Analyst for the W2O Group in Austin, Texas
“Dr. Hayden Carron made it possible for me to study abroad in Havana, Cuba for 5 months last year. I’ll be forever indebted to him for making this work. Furthermore, he was the perfect professor. He challenged me in the classroom, but always rewarded hard work. Even though his expectations in class were clear and I was often challenged by him, he was still very approachable. I came to HPU so that I could be mentored by some of the brightest minds this country has to offer, and I got everything I was looking for with Dr. Carron.”
The Department of Modern Foreign Languages offers the B.A. degree in Spanish. To graduate from High Point University with this degree, students must complete the following:
B.A. in Spanish
| Major Requirements |
39 credits |
| University Core Requirements |
50 credits |
| Electives |
39 credits |
TOTAL
|
128 credits
|
Requirements for a B.A. in Spanish (39 credits):
- SPN 2020 – Intermediate Spanish II (4)
- SPN 2090 – Pronunciation (1)
- SPN 2130 – Hispanic Cultures: Intermediate Readings and Conversation (4)
- SPN 2140 – Grammar Review (2)
- SPN 3000 – Advanced Conversation (4)
- SPN 3930 – Spanish Culture and Civilization or SPN/GBS 3940 Spanish-American Culture and Civilization (4)
- SPN 4010 – Advanced Grammar and Composition (4)
One course selected from:
- SPN 4444 – Independent Study (4)
- SPN 4810 – 4815 – Student Internship (4)
- SPN 4020 – Seminar in Hispanic Topics (4)
- One other 4000-level Spanish course (4)
One course selected from:
- SPN 3050 – Hispanic World Today (4)
- SPN 3140 – The Caribbean Mix: People, Music, and Folklore (4)
- SPN 3150 – Hispanic Culture through Film (4)
- SPN 2881 – Special Topics in Culture and Language (4)
One course selected from:
- SPN 3020 – Contemporary Hispanic Literatures (4)
- SPN 3060 – Hispanic Short Story (4)
- SPN 3230 – Literary Genre in Latin American Literature (4)
- SPN/WGS/GBS 3280 – Latin American Women Writers (4)
- SPN 3881 – Special Topics in Literature (4)
One course selected from:
- SPN 3210 – Spanish Literature I: The Birth of the Spanish Nation (4)
- SPN 3220 – Spanish Literature II: Centrism and Diversity in Contemporary Writers (4)
- SPN 3240 – Spanish-American Literature I: In Search of an Identity (4)
- SPN 3250 – Spanish-American Literature II: Voices of the Writers (4)
- SPN 3260 – Caribbean Literature: Images of a Region (4)
Note: The major requires 35 credits if a student begins at a level higher than SPN 2020.
Students will be advised in electing additional courses that will complement their career goals.
Students are encouraged to continue their study of foreign language through a semester or a year abroad. Home-stay options are available for an intensive language study. Students should begin planning with their academic advisor early in their sophomore year. Additionally some short-term faculty-led programs (Maymesters) are available.
