A working knowledge of Spanish will enable students to communicate with one of America's rapidly growing minority groups, as well as to benefit extensively from travel to foreign countries. Most coursework lends itself to a practical acquisition of the necessary language skills for effective communication.

Coursework at the upper division and graduate level is equally distributed among four areas: linguistics, culture, Peninsular literature, and Hispanic American literature. Students with career plans in teaching, bilingual programs, translation and diplomatic services, as well as careers in public service requiring knowledge of Spanish, will find a balanced curriculum available at Sacramento State. The programs in Spanish also serve those students who plan on continuing their studies at the doctorate level by providing a thorough academic background in the language.