European Languages and Cultures - Spanish
Would you like to become an expert on the cultures, languages and politics of Europe?
Spanish is the world’s second most spoken native language, after Chinese. Spanish is spoken in most Latin American countries as well as parts of the United States. The specialization in Spanish within European Languages and Cultures at the University of Groningen will give you a very broad knowledge of Spanish language, history, culture and politics in relation to the surrounding world.
By studying the key linguistic, political, cultural and social topics of contemporary Europe, you will learn to understand the mutual relationship, differences and similarities among national and regional cultures. In doing so, you will learn to understand future challenges and inform advanced decision-making in cultural, political and educational institutions.
You may find Spanish a fun school subject, or perhaps you have been to a Spanish speaking country or you like the music from Shakira. There are plenty of reasons why you might choose to take the Spanish specialization within European Languages and Cultures. This is a good choice, as almost half a billion people around the world speak this language. Even in New York you will hear Spanish all around you.
Why Spanish?
By learning Spanish, you will be able to understand and actively participate in Spanish speaking communities, you will learn about the complexity of the Spanish-speaking countries, their history and their societies.
In addition to immersing yourself in the Spanish language, you and your fellow students of European Languages and Cultures in Groningen will learn about social developments and the role language plays in them, about literature and culture, history and European politics. You will learn how these fields have always influenced each other, not stopping at national borders. You will, for example, discuss the legacy of European colonialism in Latin America, the impact that moments of political turmoil have had upon literature and art, as well as examining broader social phenomena such as immigration, gender identity and nationalism in the Spanish-speaking world.
The programme has a flexible structure. From your second year onward, you will specialise in one of the profiles:
- European Language and Society
- European Culture and Literature
- European Politics and Society
- Transcript of Records – If you have not yet completed Secondary School, you must upload a transcript showing your current grades. You can find the transcript template here.
- Secondary School Leaving Certificate – If you have already completed Secondary School, you do not need to upload a separate transcript. Simply upload your Secondary School Leaving Certificate to the application.
An additional documents, Statement of Education / Course description, may be required depending on the programme you apply for at this university.
If any document is required, it will appear in the Documents section of the Kastu application form once you start your application.
Important! View the full requirements on the university’s official website. Requirements may vary depending on your nationality and the country where you completed your previous education.
You may not need to take IELTS or TOEFL. University usually allow you to prove your English proficiency in one of the following ways:
- TOEFL iBT*
- IELTS Academic
- A Cambridge English qualification
- A national English examination listed on your secondary school leaving certificate
- An English subject and grade on your secondary school leaving certificate that meet the university’s requirements
- Secondary education completed in English in a country or school qualification accepted by the university
- An International Baccalaureate (IB) or European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma
- Other
Important: Accepted methods and minimum results depend on study programme, your secondary school qualification and the country where you completed your education. Check the official requirements for your chosen study programme.
*Use the Kastu promo code LTU1000102 when registering for TOEFL iBT and receive a 5% discount.
For Spanish, previous knowledge is necessary or not, depending on your choice.
Job examples
- Policy officer at a municipality, ministry or non-governmental organisation
- Communications consultant
- Lecturer at a university, university of applied sciences, senior secondary vocational education
- Journalist (newspaper, radio/TV, new media)
- Teacher in secondary education
- Manager in the national or international business world
- Staff member at an international organisation such as the European Union
- Staff member at an embassy
- Researcher at a university
- Political advisor
- Publisher or editor at a publishing house
- Translator
