University first in state to teach highest degree
¿Necesitas un Ph.D. en Español?
USC now has you covered. This Fall, the university will become the first in South Carolina to offer a doctoral degree in Spanish.
Spanish is already undergraduates’ most popular minor and the largest language program at USC according to a press release. There are currently 200 undergraduates majoring in Spanish, and the new Spanish doctoral candidates will serve as graduate assistants in many of these students’ classes.
Dr. Francisco Sánchez, director of USC’s Spanish program, said in the release that the new interdisciplinary degree will prepare students for teaching and research positions at other universities. It will also enable them to direct high-school language programs and serve consultants and translators, which are particularly needed in medical settings.
“Spanish is an exciting field of study that requires a broader understanding of the language and culture today,” Sánchez said. “As the Latino population in the U.S. has changed, the language also has changed, having developed its own culture, flavor and roots. This emerging culture is influencing — and being influenced by — the main culture of the United States.”