Students who study Spanish at Carthage will discover courses and a program that are student-centered and communicative, aimed at helping students achieve a wide range of personal and professional goals. All majors study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country for at least a semester.
Students in the Spanish program at Carthage are immersed in the culture and language from the first day of classes. Led by dedicated professors and native-speaking Target Language Experts, the lively courses stretch beyond vocabulary to explore literature, architecture, business, and everyday life.
Many students combine Spanish with a major or minor in another field, allowing them to combine their interests and prepare for various futures — even some they might not anticipate.
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<img src="/live/image/gid/90/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,140,2133,2272/37385_7219_163701665847155.rev.1679757025.jpg" alt="Connor Wiseman" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/90/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,140,2133,2272/37385_7219_163701665847155.rev.1679757025.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/90/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,140,2133,2272/37385_7219_163701665847155.rev.1679757025.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="2132" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “I chose Carthage because of the homey atmosphere and small class sizes. The professors were so personable and welcoming. Carthage felt like a place where I could succeed and maximize my potential.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/2349-">Connor Wiseman</a> ’24</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/89/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,20,300,320/36785_IMG_1401.rev.1674770877.JPG" alt="Emily Halfmann" width="183" height="183" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="300" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “You are not a number at Carthage. The smaller programs allow you to form relationships with your peers, faculty, and staff that help you to learn and grow in a way that works best for you.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/2244-">Emily Halfmann</a> ’25</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/110/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/997_HaileeSundquist24.rev.1638815714.jpg" alt="Hailee Sundquist ?24" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/110/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/997_HaileeSundquist24.rev.1638815714.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/110/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/997_HaileeSundquist24.rev.1638815714.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2400" data-max-h="3200" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “I chose Carthage for its small class sizes, location, and the feel for a smaller more personable campus atmosphere.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/1224-">Hailee Sundquist</a> ’24</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/118/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1956,1956/34504_Serena_Richardson_24.rev.1651691259.jpg" alt="Serena Richardson ?24" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/118/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1956,1956/34504_Serena_Richardson_24.rev.1651691259.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/118/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1956,1956/34504_Serena_Richardson_24.rev.1651691259.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1956" data-max-h="1956" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “I recently went on a J-Term study tour to Peru called The Role of Tourism and its Effect on Women and the Environment in Peru. We studied the effects of tourism on both the environment and indigenous women. This trip was absolutely phenomenal!”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/1871-serena-richardson">Serena Richardson</a> ’24</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/78/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,377,2400,2777/37071_6795_163701665847155.rev.1678144532.jpg" alt="Abigail Vagnoni" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/78/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,377,2400,2777/37071_6795_163701665847155.rev.1678144532.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/78/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,377,2400,2777/37071_6795_163701665847155.rev.1678144532.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2400" data-max-h="2400" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “I chose Carthage because of the small campus size, affordability, and the opportunities I have to travel.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/2293-">Abigail Vagnoni</a> ’26</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/118/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,854,640/38265_Juan-Alberto-Gomez-Solis-25.rev.1692384716.jpg" alt="Juan Alberto Gomez-Solis ?25" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/118/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,854,640/38265_Juan-Alberto-Gomez-Solis-25.rev.1692384716.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/118/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,854,640/38265_Juan-Alberto-Gomez-Solis-25.rev.1692384716.jpg 3x" data-max-w="854" data-max-h="640" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “The professors have all been very generous and passionate about their teaching. I am very grateful they go above and beyond to ensure their students succeed in class! Many of them make the environment comfortable — where you can be your true self.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/2001-juan-alberto-gomez-solis">Juan Alberto Gómez-Solis</a> ’25</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
Courses you’ll take
All classes in the major are taught in Spanish. Here’s a sampling of required and elective offerings:
Spanish Conversation
Intensive Spanish Encounter
The Spanish-Speaking World: Social, Political, and Economic Issues
The Spanish-Speaking World: Cultural and Intellectual Life
If you test into a course and then earn a “C” or better, you can earn up to 12 free retroactive credits. That’s three times more than you’ll get from any AP or college-level class that offers college credit!
beyond the classroom
Student Organizations
Mesa Española (the Spanish Lunch Table) gives students more chances to build cultural and linguistic fluency, while groups like Mi Gente promote diversity and cultural awareness on campus. Top students can also join Alpha Mu Gamma, a national honor society for foreign languages.
Besides the required semester-long immersion, faculty periodically lead short-term study tours to Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries during the J-Term.
Studying Spanish at Carthage leads to jobs in business, marketing, healthcare, computer science, recruiting, teaching, art, and more. Carthage’s alumni work in a variety of settings and hold positions with employers such as:
Consultant at International Trade Centre in Geneva, Switzerland
Departmental academic advisor at the University of Illinois-Chicago
Business development representative at Salesforce
Spanish teacher at Kenosha Unified School District
Project facilitator at YWCA Southeast Wisconsin
Sustainability, climate, and equity analyst at Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory
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