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TCNJ Spanish for Professional Purposes Certificate Program

Spanish is the native language of over 40 million people in the United States and one of the world’s three most commonly used languages. Bilingualism is a valuable credential in today’s labor market. From government agencies to education, psychology and counseling, healthcare, law, and criminal justice, to marketing, international business, and NGOs, building our students’ Spanish language competency and intercultural skills will help them to communicate with future colleagues and clients and provide them a competitive edge in the job market.

TCNJ offers four distinct Spanish certificates:

Each certificate builds students’ Spanish language and intercultural skills and cultural humility so they can interact respectfully and appropriately in Spanish in their chosen professional area.

Program Options

Students in this program may combine the certificate with their major or minor, or they may enroll in the college to pursue this certificate program. 

In the case that such a student then decides to pursue a BA or minor in Spanish, one of the 200-level Spanish courses may then count toward the major or minor. Students who decide to pursue a Spanish major or minor may also decide to drop the certificate and count two of the 200-level Spanish classes toward the major or minor instead of the certificate.

Each of the certificates consists of three courses beyond SPA 103. The first required class in all the certificate programs is SPA 203 (Intermediate Oral Proficiency) or SPA 210 (Spanish for Heritage Speakers), depending on whether the student is a heritage or non-native speaker of Spanish. 

Students will enter the certificate program by completing SPA 103 or by placing into SPA 203 or 210 through the language placement test, or through AP credit. All students enrolled in the certificate program must meet the matriculation standards of the College and must fulfill prerequisites for all required and elective courses.

Add a certificate using the Add or Remove a Minor, Course of Study, or Undergraduate Certificate form from Records and Registration.

Career Pathways

The Spanish for the Professions certificates equips students with language and intercultural competence in preparation for careers in business, counseling, education, interpreting, law and justice, medical professions, and others. 

Each certificate consists of three core courses beyond the elementary Spanish sequence, with at least one core Spanish for the Professions course. Additional specialized training beyond the required SPA 101-103 language sequence will help to linguistically and culturally equip our students to work in professional sectors with a growing number of Spanish speakers. Classes focusing on specialized professional vocabulary will equip heritage speakers (students who speak Spanish at home) with the writing skills and professional vocabulary to help them become bilingual and bicultural professionals. The courses will also help non-native speakers to develop linguistic and intercultural skills to build their language skills and professional vocabulary to become culturally responsive practitioners.

Spanish for Law and Justice Practitioners Spanish for Healthcare Professionals Business Spanish Spanish for Counseling and Human Services
Required Core Classes:
SPA 203 Intermediate Oral Proficiency (Fall & Spring), or SPA 210 Spanish for Heritage Speakers (Fall), or credit by examination by WLC department
SPA 228 Spanish for Law, Justice, and Human Services (Fall)
(SPA 203 is a prerequisite or corequisite)
Satisfies Global requirement
SPA 219 Spanish for Medical Purposes
(Spring)
(SPA 203 is a prerequisite or corequisite)
SPA 211 Intermediate Writing Prof (Fall & Spring)
(SPA 203 is a prerequisite or corequisite)
SPA 219 Spanish for Medical Purposes (Spring)
(SPA 103 is a prerequisite(SPA 203 and SPA 219 can be taken in any order)
WLC 238 (in English) Latin American Cultural Perspectives (Spring)
Satisfies Global requirement and Criminology DEI requirementOr SPA 216 Current Events or SPA 217 Intro to Hispanic Cultures
SPA 319 English/Spanish Medical Interpreting (Fall) SPA 218 Business Spanish (Spring) SPA 228 Spanish for Law, Justice, and Human Services (Fall) (SPA 203 is a prerequisite or corequisite)
Second two classes for the certificate can be taken in any order SPA 219 needs to be taken prior to 319 SPA 211 needs to be taken prior to 218 Second two classes for the certificate can be taken in any order

 

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