Academic Minor in Spanish

Why do you want a minor in Spanish?

You have your own personal reasons for wanting to learn Spanish. Each person's motivations are different. They may include:

  • Business
  • Heritage
  • Friendship
  • Service to Others
  • Travel
  • Participating in American Diversity
  • Communications Media
  • Art and Music

For most people, career opportunity enhancement is a particularly important reason to study Spanish. Career-oriented programs at UW-Stout that relate particularly to Spanish include:

  • International Business
  • International Studies Specialization
  • Education Degree Programs
  • Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
  • Dietetics
  • Technical Communication

Your program adviser can offer you additional advice on the importance of Spanish in your chosen career.

Academic Requirements

Basic Goals The study of Spanish involves developing skills in speaking, understanding spoken Spanish, writing clearly and correctly, understanding material that you read, and interpreting cultural characteristics found in many countries. To earn a minor in Spanish requires that your skills in these five areas reach a significant level, so that you will be able to use Spanish effectively in a variety of practical settings.

The Need for Fluency As the Spanish-speaking population of the United States and the world grows, Spanish will become an increasingly useful tool in the workplace and in social settings. The more fluent you become, the more effectively you will be able to use your Spanish.

Upper Level Courses Upper level courses of the Spanish minor will help you attain a good level of proficiency in conversational Spanish as well as develop your ability to comprehend the written Spanish you may encounter in work related correspondence or information sources such as newspapers or the Internet. You are encouraged to take a literature course and a cinema course to become more sensitive to cultural issues, and to develop the ability to interpret the nuances of language, whether spoken or written.

Study Abroad Although study abroad is not required for the non-teaching Spanish minor at UW-Stout, it is strongly encouraged. UW-Stout currently has programs in Mexico (Cuernavaca and Monterrey) and Spain, in which you may enroll directly. The Office of International Education can also help you find a program through another university. Some scholarship money for study abroad is available through the Stout University Foundation.

Transfer Credits and Independent Study Many of the courses required for the minor may be taken during a study abroad experience or transferred from another university. Students with specific interests may be able to count an independent study course toward the minor.

  • Minor Requirements [PDF]

    from the Undergraduate Bulletin

  • Electives
    4-6 credits must be earned in courses that correspond to two areas from the following list:
    • SPAN-3XX Business Spanish, 2-3 cr.
    • SPAN-3XX Spanish Phonetics, 2-3 cr.
    • SPAN-3XX Studies in Spanish Culture, 2-3 cr.
    • SPAN-3XX Studies in Latin American Culture, 2-3 cr.
    • SPAN-3XX Studies in Spanish Literature, 2-3 cr.
    • SPAN-3XX Studies in Latin American Literature, 2-3 cr.
    • SPAN-3XX Advanced Conversation and Composition, 2-3 cr.

On campus electives include:

  • SPAN-304 Latin American Short Story
    (equivalent to studies in Latin American Literature) 2 cr.
  • SPAN-318 Cinema for Spanish Proficiency
    (equivalent to Advanced Conversation and Composition) 2 cr.

Strongly Encouraged

A number of study abroad opportunities are available for those studying the Spanish language. Visit the study abroad website and consult with the Spanish minor adviser to determine which program is best suited to your individual goals.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Martha Wallen, Minor Adviser
428E Harvey Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751-0790

Phone: 715-232-1257
Email: wallenm@uwstout.edu
FAX: 715-232-1468

or write:

Foreign Language Office
428E Harvey Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751