Within the Spanish major, there are many beneficial certifications that can be achieved by a few minor tweaks and additions to the baseline major requirements.  Personally, I have received the Undergraduate Translation and Interpreting Studies Certificate,  which was only two extra courses on top of the major requirements I was already completing. This certification opened doors for me to apply for several internships and gave me a higher level of confidence surrounding my grasp of the Spanish language. In writing this blog post, I knew that I wanted to express my gratitude and excitement over this certification offering. Through more research, I found that there are many more certifications available to Spanish majors. I did not know about these certifications  up until a few weeks ago when I did research more – I think that these are really important tools to share with those who are coming in as a Spanish major to show that you can individualize your journey within this concentration in alignment with your interests and can gain unique experiences that will help build upon a resume. 

 I had been interested in working as a translator or interpreter for some time before coming to UMass and this goal was finally realized through my completion of the Translation and Interpreting Studies Certificate. This is an interest that may not appeal to all Spanish majors,  but luckily there are many more certifications that students can lean into to personalize their experience. For instance,  those who are looking to go into the field of teaching in the future could find interest in the STEP certification offered, which prepares students for the Initial Teacher Licensure and Massachusetts State Teaching Exams. Students must complete two education courses, EDUC 524 and EDUC 513, as well as SPAN 575, PSYCH 305, and three SPANIED practicum courses. Though the requirements for the certification are a bit heavier than the one that I completed,  it may be worth the extra credits if someone is very passionate about teaching as a future profession,  as it is a quick route to receive an impressive achievement on the resume. 

Another certification that I explored was the Certificate in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, Which is something that my partner  for this project, Christina, had expressed interest in.  There are two different tracks that the student interested in completing the certificate can take:  Track A, with an emphasis on language  that simply adds on two beginning semesters of Portuguese,  or Track B, with successful completion of four courses with Latin American,  Caribbean,  or Latino studies content listed on the available course selection.  So many Spanish Majors choose to study abroad in Europe and concentrate on Spain style Spanish during their time at UMass.  This certification is a great way to expand horizons of Spanish use and learn more about the language within different cultures. 

 The last undergraduate certification that I looked into was one that I definitely would have taken advantage of had I known that it existed: Spanish & Health Certificate. This certification prepares individuals to work within the healthcare field as a bilingual individual. This definitely could have worked well with my Translation and Interpretation Studies Certificate,  as many interpretation jobs are in high demand at hospitals. The Spanish & Health Certificate requires all of the base requirements from the major. Add-ons include SPAN 356, one course from a selection under both the Cultural Diversity in Healthcare concentration and the Culture and Society of the Hispanic World concentration, as well as 2 to 3 credits of a practicum experiential component.  All in all, this is a very achievable certificate given the small number of additional courses that are required alongside the major,  and it is also a certificate that offers skills that are in high demand. 

 Overall, my main goal of sharing this with the future Spanish Majors coming into UMass is to remind individuals that they can make this experience their own unique journey  with certifications that cater to special interests. UMass has a lot to offer, and though I am glad I completed the Translation and Interpretation Studies Certificate, I wish I had known what more I could have added to my plate when coming in in the beginning. Hopefully this helps to share more about the wide variety of offerings within the Spanish language Department so that new students can make the most of them! 

By Livia Iwanicki