The Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds have a long and rich cultural history, and their economic and political significance is increasingly evident. There are 350 million speakers of Spanish and 200 million speakers of Portuguese on both sides of the Atlantic. Furthermore, 40 million Latinos constitute the largest ethnic minority in the United States. A thorough knowledge of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking cultures and societies is therefore invaluable for almost any career in a global era, in which mutual understanding and communication between cultures are paramount.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Cultures offers a liberal arts major in Spanish and/or Portuguese designed to give students a thorough grounding in the language, literature, and cultures. Students are encouraged to complement their courses in Spanish or Portuguese with related and varied courses in other literatures, as well as in art history, anthropology, sociology, comparative literature, and other humanities subjects.

Concentrators in Spanish and/or Portuguese acquire a sophisticated knowledge of the culture, society, and politics of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds, which offers them an array of professional opportunities that can rarely be matched by other disciplines. Recent concentrators have taken up careers in law, government service, business, teaching, medicine, nongovernmental agencies, and international affairs.