University of St. Thomas

Welcome to the Spanish facts page, where you’ll be taken beyond the course offerings and program description and deeper into the Spanish major. You’ll learn what St. Thomas students are doing now to enhance their educations and how recent graduates are succeeding in the real world. More importantly, we hope you’ll be able to use this information to decide if this major interests you.

A real student asks:

 

I love learning Spanish, but I don't want to be a translator. Are there other careers to choose from?

A Spanish faculty member responds: Spanish majors may find employment within a variety of work settings: businesses, government agencies, social work organizations, health care administration, education and banking institutions. We recommend that students plan their studies according to their career preferences.

What jobs are possible with a Spanish major?

What are recent graduates doing now?

Nathaniel Peterson ’07, is a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program at Ohio State University. In addition to his graduate studies, Nate is currently an assistant residence hall director and volunteers in Ohio State University’s Hispanic Student Services Department.

Jennifer Lombardi ’06, is enrolled in St. Thomas’ School of Law.

Mikayla T. Althaus ’05 is a district manager with Nacel Open Door in St. Paul, Minn., an organization that brings students from all over the globe to the United States to study English.  Following graduation, Mikayla worked for two years as a social service volunteer in Paraguay with Good Shepherd Volunteers.

Tricia Balazovic ’03, is an analyst for merchandise planning at Target.com. Previously, she worked for Wells Fargo.

What opportunities are there to bolster my resume while I'm in the program?

Internships. Students may participate in field internships both at home and abroad. Students have served with institutions in different fields and have received credit for their work. Students have worked at clinics, community organizations, social work institutions, and immigration agencies.

Study abroad. Students who participate in a study abroad program will experience all the intricacies of the culture firsthand and will develop a deep understanding of other peoples’ values, attitudes and expectations. This is a very exciting way of learning about other countries’ histories, political systems and economies.

Faculty at work

Spanish faculty members engage in various research activities, such as attending and presenting papers at regional, national and international institutions; writing articles for scholarly magazines; and writing books and editing collections of articles on major topics within the field. Many Spanish professors direct intensive short-term study programs in Spain and Latin America.