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.
While completing your Spanish minor, you will gain a high-intermediate level of acquisition in Spanish and greater confidence in communicating across languages.
Our courses in practical Spanish, Spanish literature and cinema, and conversation and composition courses, aim to provide you with the tools necessary to excel in multilingual and multicultural workplaces. You will develop the ability to interpret the nuances of Spanish, whether spoken or written.
With your Spanish minor, you may enhance your career by communicating more freely with your Spanish-speaking customers, clients, colleagues, or students. Your program adviser can offer you additional advice on the importance of Spanish in your chosen career.
Particular programs that relate to Spanish, include Dietetics, Education, Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, Human Development and Family Studies, International Studies Specialization, Professional Communication and Emerging Media, and Psychology.
Minor Requirements
The Spanish minor calls for 22 credits to be completed. If you have previous experience in Spanish, you should take a placement test or talk to our Spanish faculty to find out about skipping beginning courses. You may garner retro-credits for previous coursework completed in Spanish.
We encourage you to take the opportunity to study abroad. The Office of International Education and our Spanish faculty will help you find a program with courses that correspond to your level of progress.
Student & Alumni Testimonials
Kia Hamland
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Kia, and I am a senior at UW-Stout. Throughout my years at Stout, my experience has been great! The professors genuinely care about their students and want them to succeed.
Why did you choose to become a Spanish Minor?
I chose to become a Spanish Minor for several reasons. I have always had an interest in Latin culture and thought Spanish was such a beautiful language. It is also one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. As a retail major, being bilingual is super beneficial and can open many doors for you.
Did you travel abroad during your years at UW-Stout?
I chose to study abroad for an academic year in Puebla, Mexico to improve my Spanish speaking skills. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made! Mexico is a gorgeous, geographically diverse country with a rich history. While I was there, I traveled throughout the country – from the desert in the north to the rainforest in the south. I was lucky enough to experience the culture outside of the tourist traps and I got to meet some great people along the way.
What has learning a language deeply meant to you? What are some soft skills that you gained from learning Spanish?
I learned a lot about myself and developed new skills through my Spanish language journey and study abroad. The best skills that I have gained from my experience is my ability to push myself out of my comfort zone and adapt to new environments. In my opinion, having the ability to push yourself out of your comfort zone is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I feel that it prepares you to be more resilient when faced with adversity.
What are your plans for the future?
My hope for my future is to move abroad for a while and gain experience in a foreign retail setting. I think it would be fun to experience a new culture outside of a university and to be able to live abroad for longer than an academic year. It is nerve-racking to think about, but I am confident that my foreign language experience and study abroad has prepared me for this new journey!
Austin Miller
Tell us a little about yourself.
I graduated from UW-Stout in the Spring of 2020, with a degree in Business Administration and minors in Project Management and Spanish. I recently moved to Northern MN, a big change from my hometown, St. Paul, MN, to start my career as a business consultant for a non-profit economic development corporation.
Tell us about your experience at UW-Stout.
My experience was something I will always remember. I was involved in Greek life, worked on campus, volunteered and did fundraisers. I was fortunate enough to keep my schooling to a 4-year timeline and graduated accordingly. I learned a lot about being yourself and not shying away from new adventures.
Why did you choose to become a Spanish Minor?
I have been learning Spanish since I was 6 years old. I have always had a drive and passion to learn more about the culture the language flourishes in. Additionally, it has been something that has challenged me as well as helped me open my eyes. It is customary in many countries to learn a second language with proficiency, so why not ours? Finally, the professors in the program at UW-Stout have been nothing short of great in the way they teach and care for students' progression.
Did you travel abroad during your years at UW-Stout?
In the Summer of 2018, I traveled alone to San Isidrol, Costa Rica for a month to volunteer doing project management. In the Summer of 2019, I traveled with Kevin Anzzolin and a handful of other students to Oaxaca, Mexico to learn about business and Spanish.
What has learning a language deeply meant to you? What are some soft skills that you gained from learning Spanish?
Learning a language means understanding a whole new demographic of people. We are limited to what we know and the knowledge to communicate in another language opens many doors. It is about humanity, understanding, empathy, and of course, new adventures. I have learned how to effectively communicate with other cultures, my emotional intelligence has progressed, and my confidence has been nothing short of what I want it to be.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Spanish is a language that can open doors in many ways. There is a lot to gain from not only the language, but those who speak it. I was fortunate enough to have a solid core at UW-Stout in the Spanish. If you want to learn another language, I would recommend taking Spanish courses at Stout.
Natalie Bonilla
Tell us a little about yourself.
I graduated in the three-year program from UW-Stout in the Spring of 2020, with a degree in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish. I am currently getting my M.A in School Counseling at UW-Stout.
Tell us about your experience at UW-Stout.
I was very involved during my Undergraduate career. I was in Stoutward Bound as a Mentee and Mentor, Latinos Unidos, Psychology Club, Psi Chi, MSS, McNair Program, HSSO, and Winter in the Midwest Program. Since I was involved in various groups, I really enjoyed making connections with students and faculty of different cultural backgrounds.
Why did you choose to become a Spanish Minor?
I am a native Spanish speaker, but since I was born and grew up in the U.S, I wanted to expand my Spanish professionally and academically. I struggled with the language grammar and speaking it professionally, so I wanted to work in my native language.
Did you travel abroad during your years at UW-Stout?
In the Summer of 2019, I traveled alone to Zacatecas, Mexico. I had an internship as a Solving Learning Problems Teacher. I got to practice my Spanish and my vocabulary expanded.
What has learning a language deeply meant to you? What are some soft skills that you gained from learning Spanish?
Learning new words and working on my grammar in another language has helped me develop professionally. It honestly has opened doors for me since there are various jobs that need Spanish-speakers. I have gained to not only speak the language but to be able to communicate with others professionally.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Getting my minor in Spanish was one of the best decisions I did as a college student. It will open so many opportunities.