Enhance Your Education

Distinctive Programs in Spanish

There are ample opportunities to enhance your studies in Spanish through independent research, off-campus study, and internships. These programs are integral to a Knox education, teaching you how to apply your skills in real world situations.

Student Research and Creative Projects
Knox is a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. In fact, more than 90% of all Knox students complete an independent research or creative project by the time they graduate. Many students' projects are supported by an unusually rich array of Knox College funding programs that together provide students more than $200,000 each year in support of their work. These sources include: Richter Memorial Scholars Program, Ford Foundation Research Fellows Program, Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program, ACM Minority Fellows Program and departmentally supported independent studies. In addition, special fellowships awarded to Knox through national competitions and through the research grants of Knox faculty make Knox a leader in promoting undergraduate research. Examples of some recent student research projects include:

• "Literatura Picaresca," Cody Happ, '06, Spanish and Latin American studies major.
• "Tourism and Maya Identity in Quintana Roo, Mexico," Cody Happ, '06, Spanish major.

College Honors
Outstanding students may elect to undertake College Honors in their senior year, carrying out an advanced research project presented and defended to a faculty committee that includes a distinguished outside examiner. Examples of recent Honors projects include:

• "'Maternal Dramas in the Short Stories of Almudena Grandes:' Translation and Critical study," by Emily Richardson, '06.

Off Campus Programs
Off-campus study is a natural complement to classes in language and literature. Knox offers three off-campus programs of interest to students in Spanish -- Barcelona, Spain; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and San Jose, Costa Rica. The programs in Barcelona and Buenos Aires are operated directly by Knox, and they benefit from Knox's long experience with administering off-campus study.

• Barcelona. Knox, in cooperation with the University of Barcelona, offers academic study in language, the humanities and the social sciences. Students pursue a combination of courses, all taught in Spanish by professors from the University of Barcelona. Some of the courses are fitted to the particular needs of program students; other courses are from the regular University curriculum offered to Spanish students. A seminar in Spanish culture provides a series of lectures by eminent figures in Spanish culture. All students live in the homes of Spanish families in Barcelona.
• Buenos Aires. In cooperation with the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Knox offers a term of accredited academic study specially designed to emphasize the social sciences and language. Distinctive features of the program are its environmental outlook, its concentration on the southern cone of South America, and the possibility of internships. Courses are taught in Spanish by University of Palermo professors. All students take a core course (which includes two educational trips), language, and pursue a combination of electives, mostly chosen from those offered by the program. A series of talks will be given by prominent figures on different aspects of Argentine culture. All students live in the homes of Argentine families in Buenos Aires.
• Costa Rica. Studies in Latin American Culture and Society is an interdisciplinary program for students seeking a comprehensive understanding of life in Latin America and wishing to develop fluency in Spanish. This program, which focuses on the humanities and social sciences, is designed to take full advantage of its Costa Rican setting. Language study is stressed as the key to understanding the culture. Course work in language, literature, geography, anthropology, politics and cultural change enables students to develop insights which are reinforced by field trips and two weeks of field work in rural areas. In San José and its environs, students live with families both to improve their language ability and enjoy personal involvement in the daily life of a Latin American community.
• Africa. Tanzania
• Asia. China, India, Japan
• Europe. Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Scotland
• United States. Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago Arts, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Urban Studies in Chicago, Minnesota Wilderness Field Station, Washington DC

Quick Start Spanish
This program features an intensive, introductory-level language sequence, followed by a two-week trip to a Spanish-speaking country, then another course at Knox that extends language study and uses student journals kept during the trip. The objective is development of language skills and cultural sensitivity valued by corporations in the global economy.

Other Languages
Through the Critical Languages Program, the College offers credit in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Dutch and other languages not commonly available. Interested students study texts independently with the help of conversational practice with a native speaker two to three hours per week. Credit is determined by final written and oral examinations with an expert outside examiner.

Internships
As a student of Spanish at Knox, you'll have the opportunity to expand your education -- to get that valuable experience you hear so much about -- by completing an internship. Internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience. Knox's Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development specializes in helping you find an internship that best matches your goals and interests. Recent internships by Spanish students include:

• Journalism Intern, LaVos, Phoenix, Arizona. Rebecca Halonen, '05, Spanish major.
• Intern, Moon of Hope Publishing, Galesburg, Illinois. Rebecca Halonen, '05, Spanish major.
• Volunteer with Institute for Mexicans Abroad/Consulate of Mexico, Chicago, Illinois. Martha Carmargo, '07, Spanish major.
• Summer Camp Counselor, Girls Scouts of the Mississippi Valley, Rock Island, Illinois. Shannon May, '07, Spanish major.