Benedictine University at Mesa is offering academic degrees for students eager to be part of an increasingly bilingual workforce. The university will begin offering a Spanish major and minor beginning this fall.
[quote_box_right]
Spanish at Benedictine University
About the academic degree
Apply for Fall 2015 enrollment
More: mesa@ben.edu or (602) 888-5533
[/quote_box_right]
There is also a new concentration in Medical Spanish designed to serve the nation’s growing Latino population. A language barrier is one of the main reasons Hispanic adults in the United States have difficulty accessing health care services. Students who complete the concentration will also be prepared to take the Certified Medical Interpreter exam.
By providing students a foundation in Spanish with an emphasis on medical terminology, vocabulary and cultural proficiency, students will be able to successfully address the needs of Latinos in various health care settings and emergency situations. The Medical Spanish concentration includes 36 semester credit hours of Spanish plus a related internship or service learning experience in a medical setting stateside or abroad. Covered topics include:
- cultural and racial diversity in the Spanish-speaking world
- the challenges faced by Latinos in the United States
- the traditional Hispanic diet
- traditional medicine and remedies in the Hispanic world
- health care systems in some major Spanish-speaking countries
- cultural and religious sensitivities that can affect the quality of health care Latinos receive in the United States
- the impact on health care of the socioeconomic challenges faced by the U.S. Hispanic population
Benedictine’s Spanish major emphasizes cultural and communicative competence that enables graduates to use their Spanish in a professional environment. Knowledge of another language and culture is an increasingly valuable asset for people entering the job market.
Students can pursue career paths in a variety of areas such as government, business, advertising, law, journalism, the sciences, the arts, education and health care. The program includes a required study abroad experience in a native Spanish-speaking country.
