Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world. Studying a second language teaches students to communicate with people from other countries and cultures and makes them more competitive in today’s global market. Proficiency in Spanish and an understanding of Latino cultures are increasingly critical and marketable skills. The School of Human Inquiry at UA Little Rock offers a Bachelor of Arts in World Languages with a concentration in Spanish.
In addition to building proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening in Spanish, our coursework cultivates critical thinking and analysis through engagement with a range of cultural products including art, film, music, and literature. Our classes combine proficiency-based instruction with a classic liberal arts education.
An accelerated option is available for students who already have advanced proficiency in Spanish (usually native or heritage learners), which will allow you to progress more rapidly toward degree completion.
Studying Spanish
Spanish is spoken in 31 countries and by almost 400 million people worldwide. In the United States, more than 52 million people speak Spanish. View additional facts about studying Spanish:
- Arkansas has the 2nd fastest growing Latino population in the United States, and 17% of this population lives in Central Arkansas.
- Seven percent of UA Little Rock’s student body is Latino, and the Spanish program has an outstanding accelerated major for heritage speakers
- UA Little Rock is located in the heart of culturally diverse Little Rock, and the Mexican Consulate is located across the street from campus.
- Our Spanish program has a number of community partners who provide our students with opportunities for service learning, volunteering, and internships
- With Spanish, you can easily study, travel, live, and work abroad in Spain and Latin America.
- Hispanic and Latino cultures are among the oldest and most culturally diverse in the world. We think that Hispanic literatures, film, histories, and arts are also among the most beautiful and fascinating!
- UA Little Rock’s Spanish faculty members take great joy in teaching and mentoring our diverse students and work at cultivating a vibrant, supportive learning community.
Degree Requirements
The Spanish concentration requires 30 hours of SPAN courses beyond the 1000-level, completed in three blocks. Blocks must be completed in order and with a grade of C or better in order to proceed to the next block. Courses within blocks may be taken in any order, unless otherwise specified. Please note that the two-semester Elementary Spanish sequence (SPAN 1311 and SPAN 1312) does not count toward the 30-hour requirement but is a prerequisite to SPAN 2311: Intermediate Spanish.
A minor in another discipline is required. This requirement is waived for double majors and for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree.
To declare your major in the Spanish program or to schedule an appointment with a Spanish faculty advisor, contact us at humaninquiry@ualr.edu or 501-916-3173.
Spanish Faculty
Accelerated Option
The accelerated completion of the Spanish major is designed for students (usually heritage speakers or students who grow up speaking Spanish at home but have not studied the language formally) who can demonstrate advanced proficiency on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale through the official Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). For more information on advanced proficiency, please email humaninquiry@ualr.edu or call 501-916-3173.