Our mission is to help students achieve a global perspective that enhances their ability to think critically, reason logically, and communicate clearly in more than one language in a global environment. We contribute to the study of the Liberal Arts through a curriculum of courses taught in Spanish, a transnational and global language, the third most spoken language in the world. As the second language of the United States, and the first language of over 400 million people in Latin America, Europe, and Africa, Spanish is central to a major or minor in Hispanic Studies (HS) that encompasses Spain, Latin America and Latinos in the US and important to the hemispheric, interdisciplinary Latin American & Latino Studies (LALS) major or minor. The study of Spanish prepares students to acquire a broad understanding of the cultures of the Hispanic world with the communicative abilities, critical skills and literacy needed to thrive. Through our distinctive curriculum, learning is integrated with a particular focus on the vibrancy of Hispanic communities and issues of social justice and human rights engaged locally and abroad. The Hispanic Studies department gives life to Connecticut College’s mission of educating students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society. From beginning language students to advanced thinkers and problem solvers, students learn to accomplish tasks, identify concepts, generalize ideas, express and develop opinions, create, evaluate and negotiate viewpoints rooted in their abilities and the cultures and language of the Spanish-speaking world.
Academic Excellence
Rigorous academic standards articulated on all levels and a diverse classroom curriculum for the educated mind challenge students in the Hispanic Studies department to reach their full intellectual potential and goals for lifelong learning. Opportunities afforded for research (writing across our curriculum, Senior research requirement, Individual Study, Honors Thesis), travel (Study Away, SATA, TRIP, Community Partnerships, international grants), and internships (in person, online, international and community-based), enrich their course of study. The Hispanic Studies department expects and strongly supports student research and innovative work that advances the construction of knowledge and encourages students to reach their potential.
Diversity, Equity and Shared Governance
The Hispanic Studies department seeks to fulfill the promise of diversity, equity and inclusion, striving to be a community where all members feel comfortable, respect each other's differences, and seek common ground. The department offers a variety of academic opportunities in innovative courses reflecting student interests expressed in student groups (majors, minors, case studies, SAB) and through Centers, Pathways, FLAC courses and affiliated departments. It encourages understanding of social experiences in the Hispanic world through panels, workshops, talks, and films that center Hispanic awareness throughout the year. In our department, students and faculty engage with questions of identity and difference, exploring the histories and contexts in which language and culture exist and change throughout time. The department is committed to building greater access, opportunity, and equity by inserting culture, literacy and literature into all of its modes of inquiry as windows onto a global world.
Education of the Entire Person, Community Service and Global Citizenship
The department encourages extensive interests in academic pursuits, intellectual and innovative expression, and community service. The department prepares students to be responsible citizens, creative problem-solvers, and thoughtful leaders in a global society by respecting the value of communication, culture, connections to others, communities of thought and comparative world models. Student-centered, task or communicative competency-based courses that enhance social interactions with clear goals and objectives inspire both sets of majors and minors. They implement both linguistic and cognitive skills from basic descriptions to advanced thesis statements that defend points of view in a variety of social, intellectual and professional settings, addressing issues of social justice and the environment that are paramount to Connecticut College’s pioneering tradition.
The Hispanic Studies department has a dynamic faculty who work closely with students to nurture their intellectual and creative growth and create individualized learning experiences for them. Outside the classroom, students can participate in community building and service learning in New London, where they apply language skills and enhance cultural understanding within the Hispanic community. They are encouraged also to study, volunteer or complete internships abroad in Spain; Mexico; Chile; Costa Rica; Puerto Rico; Peru; Argentina (or a variety of other countries in Latin America) in department and college-approved programs, SATAs or TRIPS that engage student research, personal development, language and career goals.
Many graduates go on to M.A. and Ph.D. programs, and many enter careers in business, education, public health, or nongovernmental organizations at local, regional and international levels. If you are interested in taking courses in Spanish, transferring credits from another institution or study away, we welcome you into our department. Please complete this form (with link for the required Placement exam) before registering for a course or contacting us to receive department recommendations. ¡Bienvenidos!
