Spanish

Suffolk’s immersive, integrated approach to Spanish ensures students build a strong foundation in grammar and vocabulary while exploring the complex and culturally diverse landscapes of the Spanish-speaking world and the US Latine community. As your fluency grows, you’ll use your language skills to dive deeper into cross-disciplinary topics—including history, political science, literature, film, theatre, and more—and gain new perspectives on Spanish culture and heritage within a global context.

Professor lectures to a class
Join one of our student groups like our weekly conversation table Tertulias, run by tutors from all regions of the Spanish-speaking world.

Through experiential learning opportunities like study abroad, service-learning trips, and a weekly conversation table, you’ll develop your linguistic and cultural knowledge and apply it in real-world settings to connect and communicate with others. Graduates of our program frequently go on to pursue advanced degrees or work in education, law, business, advocacy, and healthcare.

As a Spanish major, you will:

  • Achieve competency in oral, aural, and written communication
  • Learn how to think critically and apply an interdisciplinary lens to topics
  • Foster a rich understanding of world cultures and the US Latine community
  • Participate in internships, service-learning trips, study abroad, and other immersive experiences to hone your foreign language skills

Experience is Everything

Our program is interdisciplinary in nature. Classes focus on Latin and Hispanic culture, literature and arts alongside history, political science, film, theater, and even film in contemporary Latin America.

Celebrate LatinX people, history, food, and culture in the cultural club LatinX Association (SULXA), or get in step with Suffolk’s Latin dance team Pasión Latina, who perform a variety of styles, including salsa, bachata, merengue kizomba, and more.

Our Spanish studies classes emphasize communicative learning. A cultural methodology forms the base of our language learning, so students actively have fun with the richness of the language and culture.

Study and serve while exploring Hispanic culture. Explore one of our alternative spring break opportunities to Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Costa Rica where students study and speak Spanish all day long.

Program Options

The Major

Our Spanish major blends theory and practice, preparing students to be cultural mediators who can succeed in a rapidly evolving employment landscape and in an increasingly global community. Through interdisciplinary coursework that reflects the diverse perspectives of Spain, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Africa’s Equatorial Guinea, you’ll deepen your understanding of how cultures participate in the global economy while becoming a confident Spanish speaker. Our curriculum also includes a required career-planning course to help you gain the insight and tools you need to find your professional path after graduation.
View the Spanish Major Curriculum

The Minor

In today’s globalized world, foreign language skills are highly valued and sought after by employers. To complete the Spanish minor, you’ll start with Intermediate Spanish I and II. You’ll also take two advanced classes and two electives of your choosing that cover interdisciplinary topics like politics, economics, literature, history, and art.
View the Spanish Minor Curriculum

Customize Your Degree

Spanish students complement their skills with courses, minors, and double majors in areas such as:

“Participating in the Law Immigration Clinic as an interpreter has impacted me a lot. As a first-generation immigrant, I want to connect and help my community. Being able to help people going through the legal process in their native language was a very significant experience to me. Suffolk always accepted me and offered me everything I needed to make my dream of pursuing a degree come true.”

Marcela De Souza, Class of 2027 Spanish & Criminal Justice Double Major

Beyond the Classroom

Flamenco dancing in Madrid

True fluency goes beyond language competency. At Suffolk, you’ll build the confidence to communicate effectively in Spanish while exploring the rich history and culture of the Spanish-speaking world through hands-on learning, travel, and language immersion.

You’ll sharpen your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in class, the Language Lab, and at our weekly conversation table, Tertulia. These experiences will prepare you for transformative opportunities, such as:

  • Study abroad in one of 20 Spanish-speaking countries across six continents, including language immersion programs
  • Academic travel seminars to experience Spanish-speaking cultures and address global issues in places like Madrid and Costa Rica
  • Service-learning courses and alternative spring break trips, including the Suffolk Serves Puerto Rico program, which combine community service with cultural exploration
  • Translation and interpreter opportunities, such as assisting Suffolk Law’s Immigrant Justice Clinic, where students help Spanish-speaking clients navigate legal challenges
  • Volunteering in after-school programs to tutor and mentor kids in Spanish, as well as the Boston Debate League

Campus cultural event

At Suffolk, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in events and activities that will inspire, delight, and challenge you. You’ll grow in cultural competency and develop strong bonds as you:

  • Visit the Language Lab, a dynamic hub staffed by peer tutors fluent in Spanish and stocked with over 500 Spanish, Latin American, and Latinx films and documentaries
  • Join Tertulia, our weekly Spanish conversation table held in the department’s welcoming community space
  • Participate in campus cultural and language affinity groups
  • Attend events like our annual Día de los Muertos celebration, which honors tradition and community
  • Explore global perspectives on religion through Suffolk’s Interfaith Center

If you want to deepen your academic and practical experience, you can collaborate with faculty as a research assistant. Opportunities to serve as a researcher, translator, interpreter, or educator will prepare you for success in further studies or your career.

Students on boat in Boston Harbor

The skills you gain in Suffolk’s Spanish program will open doors in the US and throughout the Spanish-speaking world. You’ll graduate ready to excel in a rapidly evolving global job market.

Our graduates build rewarding careers doing community-based work in Spanish speaking organizations, and as bilingual professionals equipped to use Spanish in diverse fields, including healthcare, law, education, and business.

Whether you want to pursue further study or land your first job, our faculty and staff will help you refine your goals through global travel and hands-on internship experience.

Center for Career Equity, Development & Success

The Career Center will help you explore career options, plan your path, and land your dream internship or job. You’ll find practical help, like how to write an effective résumé or LinkedIn profile, along with valuable connections to leading employers and successful alumni. Our industry-specific Career Community also provides events and information tailored just for our students.

Success after Suffolk


Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.

Curatorial & Program Manager
American Academy in Rome
Spanish Interpreter
International Translation Company (ITC)
Alumni Community Manager
IE Universidad
Paralegal
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges
Director Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Attorney
Morneau Law
Director of the Immigrant Health Care Access Project
Health Care for All
Senior Specialist, Global Mobility & Immigration
Moderna
Inventory Program Manager
MBTA
Patrolman
City of Chelsea Police Department
Accreditation Coordinator
ACCSC
Honors/AP Spanish Teacher
Catholic Memorial High School
Learn more about our Career Community

Continuing Education

Graduates of our program have gone on to pursue advanced degrees in law, education, and Spanish studies at prestigious institutions like Suffolk Law School, Boston College, University of South Carolina, and Harvard University.

Questions? Get in touch!

Iani Moreno

Iani Moreno

Associate Professor, Spanish Program Director

Email [email protected]

Send a Message

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