USC Aiken rolls out new degree for Spanish language

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s National Hispanic Heritage Month, which makes it the perfect time for the University of South Carolina Aiken to roll out a new degree for the Spanish language.

This is the first year the university is offering a Spanish major. There’s also a new program to get more bilinguals out into our workforce.

USC Aiken is expanding its reach by offering a degree in Spanish-English translation and interpretation.

“We thought that this was an important opportunity for Spanish speakers to come to USC Aiken, get credit for a skill they already have and be able to continue on and get a degree in a field that translates directly into the job market,” said Dr. Timothy Ashton, chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

Ashton established the program and says it’s not one you can find at very many universities. He says non-Spanish speakers can enroll, however those who are already familiar with the language can take an oral exam to opt out of a couple required classes at no cost.

“As long as you can demonstrate a high enough level of Spanish and control of the language depends on where you would fall,” he said.

Ashton says anyone interested in learning another language should go for it. He studied Spanish in college and abroad when he went to Spain.

“I guess I’m prove that you can learn a second language in the university and come to control it and it really opened a lot of doors to the world and understanding and seeing the world which is what the university is all about, so it’s been a life-changing experience for me,” he said.

He says through their other programs like studying abroad where more than 90 students have taken part in has shown how important it is to expand their degrees.

“Others have gone on to live in Spain and teach English in Spain, and one was a basketball here in Aiken and got a job playing basketball in Spain, then Mexico and Argentina, so it really opens the doors to a lot opportunities,” he said.

Dr. Ashton says being bilingual is great when it comes to just about any job. If you want to learn more about the new degree programs, visit: https://www.usca.edu/languages-literatures-and-cultures/academics/major-in-spanish.

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