majoring in spanish demonstrates to future employers and/or graduate schools that students have achieved a certain level of linguistic ability and understanding of hispanic cultures. this major is designed to help students hone their oral and written language skills and to learn about spanish and spanish american cultures through literature and cultural studies. this knowledge is highly beneficial for people planning to go into academic and international careers, especially those planning to work with predominantly latino/a populations in the united states. spanish and portuguese degrees are useful in such diverse careers as advertising, marketing, journalism, health services, government, social welfare, and public administration, among others. 

although students may choose a single major, they may find that double majoring in spanish and another discipline makes them particularly attractive to employers. for example, students who combine spanish with journalism can work for newspapers, radio and television stations, and advertising agencies that serve urban and rural iberian, latin american, and u.s. latino/a communities. likewise, a double major with business or social welfare can prepare students to work with companies or social service agencies that serve diverse customers or clients. other students complement their spanish major with a second major in fields such as law, medicine, environmental studies, geography, sociology history, political science, latin american and caribbean studies, economics, or anthropology.