Department of Modern Languages
Experiences & Opportunities
Study Abroad
Studying abroad is a life-changing educational experience for many of our students, but it is a built-in component of the Spanish major curriculum. We offer traditional semester-long, individual study abroad opportunities in more than 30 countries.
Further, our Office of Global Engagement has developed different kinds of study abroad opportunities, designed to meet varying curricular and economic situations, including short-term study abroad opportunities, such as a May travel course; or a Study Tour, which is a travel experience tied to a regular on-campus course or co-curricular program.
Student Teaching
Many of our majors go on to teach. If this is your goal, you should know that our Spanish Education students have found teaching positions at a 100% rate. Students receive an unparalleled educational experience at Westminster—all graduates in Spanish in the last 10 years have met or exceeded the language skill requirements for teacher certification in Pennsylvania.
The student teaching experience allows you to develop skills in actual classrooms. By the time you graduate from Westminster, you will have already spent literally hundreds of hours in real classrooms as apre-service teachers, which means you will be ready for your own classrooms.
Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research
The Drinko Center supports student research and creative work in all majors and at all academic levels. Drinko provides financial grants that support student projects or travel to national conferences.
The Center also organizes the Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration (URAC), a day-long event showcasing the collaborative work between Westminster faculty and students.
Internships
Professional experiences like internships provide a meaningful real-world component to your education and your resume. Internships can also lead to valuable networking opportunities and can even lead to full-time employment after graduation.
Learn more about internships and the other opportunities available through our Office of Professional Development & Community Engagement .
Honors Program
Westminster College’s Honors Program believes that the life of the mind is best cultivated when students take what they have learned in the classroom and go out into the world. That’s why our program builds international travel into its sequence of interdisciplinary, global honors seminars with a trip to Greece.
The curriculum gives you the opportunity to learn about human history and nature from multiple perspectives, while also supporting the development of strong leadership, communication, and writing skills. It will also connect you to a vibrant community of students from across campus who are excited about learning.
Professional Networking Symposium
Open to all majors, the Professional Networking Symposium is an annual event designed to help students and young alumni better understand potential paths after graduation, including career and graduate school options.
The Symposium includes a career fair, breakout sessions and the opportunity to learn to network. Sessions are designed to address specific topics and interests and are moderated by experienced professionals.
Center for the Environment
The mission of the Center for the Environment is to connect people with each other and the natural world. CfE strives to create an understanding of the dynamic relationships among society, our environment, and the economy. Students from all majors benefit from the Center’s programming and resources, which are designed to foster critical thinking, creative expression, data collection and analysis, ethical judgements, entrepreneurial endeavors, and human wellbeing.
CfE initiatives include the Westminster Bee Company, a student-led business that hand-bottles and sells the honey produced in the almost 30 beehives that make up the Westminster College apiary.
Westminster Entrepreneurship Center (WEC)
WEC offers students in any major the opportunity to be exposed to concept creation, innovation of ideas and business ownership strategies. These activities are nurtured through practiced entrepreneurial exposures, state-of-the-art facilities, leadership collaboration, dynamic entrepreneurial engagements, competitions and events designed to offer students an unparalleled exposure to real world practical experiences.
Student Organizations & Honor Societies
Pi Delta Phi (French)
PI DELTA PHI, the Delta Rho chapter, was established in 1965 to recognize students who have achieved high levels of proficiency in the French language. Prerequisites for membership include a GPA of 3.0 in French, a 2.8 overall average, and eight French semester hours beyond the intermediate level.
Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish)
Honor society for those who seek and attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and in the study of the literature and the culture of Spanish-speaking people. Requirements for membership include an average of 3.0 in all Spanish courses and a ranking in the upper 35 percent of their class. At least two Spanish courses on the 300 or 400 level must be completed; one of these needs to be a course in Hispanic literature or culture.