Humanities and Social Sciences

School of Historical and European Studies

Spanish Program (with Portuguese and Catalan)

The Spanish Program, founded in 1968, provides a range of subjects within the general area of Hispanic and Iberian studies, that is, Spanish language, literatures and cultures at a number of different levels, Portuguese language in both its forms (those of Portugal and Brazil, spoken by approximately 200 million people), Catalan, the language of some seven million speakers, primarily in Spain, and Galician, one of the three historic languages of Spain. Latin American literature and culture occupy an equally important place in the Program's offerings.

>>What is Spanish (Portuguese and Catalan)?

In all important senses - in terms of demography, the extent of its administrative use, and its cultural impact - Spanish, spoken by over 400 million people, is one of the world's major languages.

>>Teaching

Units fall into two types: core Spanish language subjects which all students take, where the emphasis is on competence in the language; and elective, specialised subjects which focus on socio-cultural and/or literary topics.

>>Research

Students are encouraged to develop an interest in a specific area of Hispanic studies that falls within the Program, or in related disciplines for example, Latin American Studies, European Studies, Development Studies and Linguistics.

>>Study Abroad

Students may apply to do in-country study programs in Spanish (and in Catalan, Galician and Portuguese), either through intensive language studies or the University's exchange programs in Spain and various Latin American countries. Competitive La Trobe Language Study scholarships may be applied for or students may wish to apply for a grant from The Walter Mangold Trust Fund for scolarships from $5,000 to $20,000 to study abroad (criteria and conditions apply).

>>Career Opportunities

There are many possibilities for developing long-term careers with a Spanish major.

>>Graduate Profiles

See what some of our graduates are doing.