Welcome to the EHE World Language Education & Spanish Double Major at OSU!
The EHE World Language - Spanish Double Major at Ohio State combines two strong programs, one in the Humanities (Spanish) and the other in Education (Education & Human Ecology), to prepare the best candidates for teaching in the public school system or for competitive programs at the graduate and professional level. During completion of the undergraduate Spanish Major and EHE required coursework, OSU students will develop substantial language proficiency and knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures through campus-based coursework, immersion abroad experience, and local community involvement.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese provides these valuable learning opportunities to undergraduates through collaboration with OSU partners, such as the Office of International Affairs, the Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures (CLLC), the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), and L.A.S.E.R, as well as with Central Ohio-based community partners. Our department actively promotes these opportunities through Facebook and Twitter, as well as through postings on the Spanish & Portuguese Events web calendar.
Student Resources
I have seen the double major pathway in World Languages & Spanish. I am interested, but can I graduate in 4 years?
The program is tightly organized to allow students to move through both their Education and Spanish courses in timely fashion. We do recommend that students plan carefully and discuss their course of study with their advisors on a regular basis.
- Students who enter the BSEd in World Languages and Spanish and follow the 4-year pathway can complete the degree within that time frame.
- Students who switch majors while at Ohio State will be able to do so; however, it should be noted that the longer a student waits to switch majors, the more time it may take to complete the degree.
- Students who transfer to Ohio State from another institution will need to work closely with advisers to structure their course of study as efficiently as possible.
If you are an incoming student who has achieved credit through the IB, AP, CCP or CLEP, you will be able to move more quickly through the GE courses and the Spanish major.
Are the requirements for the Spanish Major different when paired with the World Languages Major?
Yes. The Spanish major allows students to follow different concentrations (Hispanic Linguistics, Iberian or Latin American Cultures and Literatures) according to their interests. Students interested in the double major pathway can still follow one of those concentrations, but must complete certain courses to fulfill licensure requirements for teaching in the State of Ohio:
- All students must take SPAN 4430 (Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics)
- All students must take SPAN 5689S (Spanish in Ohio), or complete a pre-approved study abroad program at the 3000+ level to satisfy the Spanish Immersion component for the Spanish and the culture/languages component of the World Languages major.
- Students in this program of study will receive a BSEd and must complete the GE requirements of the College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE). These are outlined in the Four-Year Pathway sheet.
Can I study abroad? And what are the benefits of study abroad?
Yes! Absolutely.
We want future teachers to have the highest level of proficiency in Spanish and the greatest level of cultural competency as possible. Studying abroad is the best guarantee for acquiring these necessary skills. The longer the immersion, the better! Indeed, numerous students have such a fabulous experience studying abroad that they want to continue to travel and immerse themselves in Spanish-speaking countries.
The Spanish major requires students to complete an Immersion component by either completing a pre-approved study abroad program at the 3000+ level or SPAN 5689S (Spanish in Ohio). Indeed, many students do both because they offer different experiential opportunities to understand Spanish speaking communities –one at “home” in Columbus; and one abroad. For students interested in teaching in Ohio, SPAN 5689S provides a wonderful chance to learn from and collaborate with the Latinx community here in Columbus and to understand more about the historical trajectory and current situation of Latinx/Hispanic populations in the State.
As students are completing a double major, the course plan is tightly organized. We recommend that students speak with their advisor as soon as possible to identify study abroad programming options that fit into their course of study.
What else can I do with these programs of study besides teaching Spanish in the Ohio school system?
There are a variety of possibilities. If you decide along the way that teaching in schools is not for you, you can leverage the skills and knowledges that you acquire in this course of study to move in new directions –from other forms of teaching (e.g. in museums) to other professional fields -- alums from the Spanish major have worked in Business, Health Care, and in branches of the U.S. Government.