BA in Spanish in St. Louis United States | Saint Louis University

Pursuing a Spanish major at Saint Louis University equips students with a valuable skill in today's interconnected world. As the need for bilingual professionals grows across the U.S., Spanish fluency provides graduates with advantages in diverse sectors including education, healthcare, business, international relations, government, cultural studies, social services, and law enforcement. This linguistic proficiency also enhances cultural understanding and expands global connections.

Saint Louis University's Spanish program readies students for careers demanding Spanish expertise or advanced academic pursuits in the field.
Guided by passionate faculty and mentors, Spanish majors concentrate on perfecting their language abilities, examining Hispanic cultural contributions through literature and linguistics, applying Spanish in professional settings (like healthcare), and developing intercultural awareness. The program strongly recommends study abroad opportunities, including SLU's Madrid campus.
Spanish has deep roots in the U.S., spanning over 500 years, and ranks as the nation's second most common language, used by approximately 42 million households and eight million students. Globally, nearly 500 million native speakers across four continents and 21 nations communicate in Spanish. It stands as the internet's third most prevalent language, holds official status in the United Nations (alongside Arabic, French, English, Mandarin, and Russian) and the European Union. Projections indicate Spanish speakers will comprise 7.5% of the global population by 2030.
Only Mandarin Chinese surpasses Spanish in native speaker numbers worldwide.
Given the expanding Hispanic demographic and rising Spanish usage globally, English-Spanish bilingualism and cultural competency are increasingly prized across all professions, particularly in business, healthcare, government, education, international studies, social work, and law enforcement. Furthermore, U.S. demand for foreign language educators is expected to grow by 20% within the next decade.