Spanish
About Spanish
Our Program and Courses
By the time you graduate, you will have:
- Proficiency in Spanish and the ability to communicate effectively and cohesively verbally and in writing
- An appreciation and understanding of the richness, diversity, and complexity of the Spanish-speaking world
- The ability to reflect upon your own culture through comparisons with Spanish-speaking cultures
- Familiarity with relevant historical periods, cultural traditions, social issues, artistic movements, major authors, representative texts and works, and figures of the Spanish-speaking world
- A foundation in modes of critical analysis, including close reading, socio-historical contextualization, literary analysis, scholarly research, and more.
Spanish Language Placement Exam
If you’re admitted to F&M and plan to study Spanish, you must complete a language placement exam. You’ll complete this test the summer before you arrive on campus. This will allow us to place you in the class that best aligns with your skill level.Wondering what a Spanish course is like? Take a look at our course catalog to explore what’s available to you.
Learning Outside the Classroom
Off-Campus Study
As a speaker of the second-most spoken language in the U.S., you will have opportunities to apply what you learn outside the classroom. Our students have studied in Spain, Mexico, and many other Spanish-speaking countries. There are summer travel awards available to help you finance your efforts to study abroad.Explore off-campus study at F&M
Community-Based Learning
Spanish-speaking communities make up a large portion of Lancaster City, offering opportunities to practice your language skills through class projects, internships, and at cultural and social events. Our students have collaborated with the Latin American Alliance, the Literacy Council of Lancaster, the Festival Latinoamericano, Latino Health Summit, and more.Research Opportunities
Every student at F&M has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led research. With faculty guidance, you can do a more in-depth dive into the topics related to the Spanish-speaking world that interest you most.Explore research at F&M
Spanish Tutoring
As you begin learning Spanish at F&M, you can work one-on-one with a peer language tutor. Our tutors can guide you through Spanish homework, share Spanish-specific study skills, help you prepare for exams, and more.Learn more about academic support at F&M
The Spanish Language Center
The language experts at our Spanish Language Center (SLC) are available to help with the complex process of learning to communicate in another language. You can turn to the SLC for individual, collaborative support to develop your Spanish written and oral expression, from essays and theses to presentations, slide design, podcast, etc. The center can also help you prepare for internships and job interviews in which Spanish is required. Whether Spanish is your heritage language or a second language, SLC staff are here to help.Learn more about academic support at F&M
Honors in Spanish
Completing an independent study can lead to honors in Spanish. To be considered for honors, you must first be nominated based on the results of your independent study, after which you will continue to research, defend, and refine results.Success Beyond F&M
Graduate School and Fellowships
It’s not uncommon for Spanish graduates to be awarded prestigious fellowships and continue their academic and professional development abroad. Alumni enroll in law, business, and medical school, have been awarded Fulbright teaching assistantships, or go on to work as English language teaching assistantships in Spain.Learn more about fellowships
Career Paths
Recent graduates of Spanish at F&M have pursued careers in law, medicine, business, and non-profit organizations. They hold positions such as:- Attorney
- Teaching Fellow
- Translator
- Doctor
Video by Max Escobar-Raulli '24Alumni Spotlight
“Your other classes and experiences on- and off-campus have prepared you more than
you think to explore things outside your academic comfort zone.”
How did a math and Spanish double major end up pursuing a doctorate in history? Matt
Turetsky ’21 said venturing outside his academic comfort zone and exploring subjects
outside his major at F&M was instrumental in his academic and personal growth. “Your
other classes and experiences on- and off-campus have prepared you more than you think
to explore things outside your academic comfort zone,” he said. Turetsky took a course
in science writing, became a Writing Center tutor, traveled to Peru to study local
perceptions of environmental and economic change in the Andes, and completed a thesis
studying Latin American historical fiction’s intersection with themes of health and
agriculture. “The thesis project ultimately led to where I am now, a doctoral student
in history at Carnegie Mellon University studying the history of agriculture, environment,
and food in Latin America. My dissertation investigates the history of quinoa and
other Andean crops in the twentieth century,” Turetsky said.
Read More »Alumni Spotlight
F&M in Harrisburg Offers Firsthand Look at Careers in Government
Marisol Rivera-Esquivias ’24 was already seeking opportunities to gain experience
with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture when she learned about the F&M in
Harrisburg Practicum, a course that matches students with internship opportunities
and provides a deeper understanding of the complexities of government bureaucracy.
“Last semester, I testified on a panel of food-chain workers at the state capital
as part of a campaign for Driving PA Forward,” Rivera-Esquivias, a government and
Spanish double major, said. “I spoke about my life experiences as the daughter of
Mexican immigrant farmworkers.” Through this experience, Rivera-Esquivias met F&M
alumnus Stephen Rudman ’05, director of legislative affairs at the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture. The F&M in Harrisburg Practicum made it possible for Rivera-Esquivias
to turn this connection into an internship with the department — and then a full-time
job after graduation. “As a native Pennsylvanian, my previous visits to Harrisburg
were accompanying my parents to meet with their immigration attorney,” which was often
stressful, she said. “Having the opportunity to be in these spaces of public service
and power has been very reaffirming and healing for me.”
Read More »Alumni Spotlight
“Being bilingual is an essential tool, and I wanted to provide my knowledge of English
to help Mexican students broaden their communication and professional skills.”
Lisbeth Marquez-Delgado '21 didn’t waste any time putting her degree in Spanish and
government to work. Now living in Mexico, Marquez-Delgado was awarded a Fulbright
English Teaching Assistant (ETA). “Being bilingual is an essential tool, and I wanted
to provide my knowledge of English to help Mexican students broaden their communication
and professional skills,” she said. “Throughout these past few months, I have instilled
a classroom culture of self-empowerment while working with high school youth. Fulbright
has been a transformational experience for me because I get to collaborate with youth
while also empowering myself to be proud of my dual identity.”
Read More »
Related Fields of Study
Latin American and Latinx Studies
The peoples of Latin America and the diaspora embody diverse cultures, experiences, art, and history. As a student of Latin American and Latinx Studies at F&M, you will gain a deep understanding of key themes relating to the study of Latin America and Latinx cultures.
Linguistics
Language is what sets humans apart from other species, but how well do we understand it? By studying linguistics at F&M, you will learn about the roots of language, and why it’s so important in understanding humankind.
Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Engage with a program that is a true representation of the liberal arts. Established as a major in 2015, the innovative women’s, gender and sexuality studies at F&M blends several academic disciplines to explore diverse perspectives of feminist theory.
Spanish at F&M in Action
March 24, 2025
Sara Beqiraj ’25 Pursues Passion for Medicine
“Given my early passion in medicine, I knew F&M would be the right place for me,” says Sara Beqiraj, a biochemistry and molecular biology major and Spanish minor. See what she learned in the science lab and beyond at F&M.
February 3, 2025
Stepping Beyond Your Academic Comfort Zone
For two Franklin & Marshall College alumni, a science writing course was a preamble to postgraduate success. “You'll never have a life-changing moment unless you try something new,” said Elizabeth Heppenheimer ’14.
August 21, 2024
Beyond the Mat: James Conway ’25 Balances Academics & Athletics
This past spring, senior James Conway became the first F&M student to earn the NCAA Elite 90 Award in any sport. Months later, the varsity wrestler is busy at work in the laboratory as a summer Hackman Scholar.