Languages: Spanish

Overview

Spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide, about 6.5% of the world’s GDP is produced in Spanish-speaking countries, which makes Spanish the third language most commonly used for business. With more than 41 million speakers, the United States has recently become the country with the second-largest Spanish-speaking population after Mexico, and it is predicted to be the first by 2050 if current demographic trends continue.

The Spanish program at Georgia Tech is designed to develop the 21st-century skills student will need to succeed in today’s world economy. Applicable to almost any career choice, our interdisciplinary curriculum will provide students with the linguistic, content areas and research skills they will need to achieve their professional goals.

The Spanish Program offers a Bachelor of Science degree in three areas, Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (ALIS), International Affairs and Modern Language (IAML), and Global Economics and Modern Language (GEML). In addition, a minor and certificate in Spanish are available to all Georgia Tech students, and we have a number of study abroad programs available in Spanish-speaking countries.

We offer introductory and high-beginner courses online; however, due to the intensive nature of our programs and our desire to help students maximize their language proficiency and cultural knowledge of the Hispanic world, we strongly encourage students intending to study Spanish at Georgia Tech to complete at least four years of high-school study of Spanish prior to enrolling and to attempt the AP Spanish test if possible.

This preparation will allow students to begin at least in SPAN 2001, the intermediate-level; students who received a 4 or higher on the AP test in Spanish automatically receive six credit hours for SPAN 2001 and 2002, thus allowing them to begin in SPAN 3000- or 4000-level classes immediately during their freshman year.