Languages and Culture

Highlands offers a bachelor’s degree in Spanish in the rich multicultural setting of Northern New Mexico. Our program is committed to preserving this multicultural heritage and offers two tracks.

The Spanish for Heritage Speakers Program is for students who grew up speaking Spanish but never formally studied it. The other track is the Spanish as a Second Language Program. Our Spanish program is popular as a double major and also as a minor. Some courses are offered online.

Our Spanish majors master the four language competencies of fluency in speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Our program also gives students a  strong understanding of the culture, literature, and linguistics of the Spanish-speaking world. Our Language Learning Center provides invaluable support resources like conversational Spanish groups, onsite and online tutoring, workshops and a Spanish writing lab.

Job Prospects
Spanish is the official language of 21 countries, with more than 400 million Spanish speakers worldwide. The global demand for bilingual Spanish speakers is growing quickly across all job sectors, including business, government, education and nonprofit. A Spanish degree is versatile and can be a gateway to a wide range of rewarding careers such as bilingual educator, law enforcement agent, Spanish teacher, translator/interpreter,  foreign service officer, immigration officer, bilingual medical professional, international relations consultant, foreign correspondent, cultural events coordinator, and cultural attaché. Our graduates go on to excel at their chosen careers.

Faculty
Our dedicated Spanish faculty has diverse expertise in Hispanic literature, Spanish linguistics, teaching Spanish as a heritage language and as a second language, and more.