Spanish Degree for Transfer

Description

The Associate in Arts in Spanish degree for Transfer (AA-T) is designed to prepare students to transfer to a California State University (CSU) as a junior with a degree in Spanish. This Program provides students with the foundation classes to support ongoing interest in the field of Spanish. It offers a clear and direct route for transfer to upper division work in the Spanish major through structured and semi-structured opportunities and an in-depth study of the Hispanic Culture, to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to transfer to a university and/or to prepare them for a career pathway or occupation where speaking Spanish is required.

See Taft College’s Transfer Center. Our Transfer Admission Guarantees include many other schools. Check with your Counselor to see if this degree can transfer to other four-year schools.

Earnings Potential

An associate degree in Spanish for transfer offers you the salary potential of $21,990 two years after graduation from Taft College, with expected increases to $31,111 at five years, based on five-year studies of graduates by California Community Colleges. These do not reflect salaries with a four-year degree.1

Career options are extensive, and the top categories include entertainment and media; hospitality and tourism; Spanish television and radio networks; teaching; and translating. Options are with cruise ships; cultural exchange agencies; resorts and spas; restaurants; Spanish literature companies; Spanish magazines; import and export businesses; schools and universities; translating and interpreting companies; and nonprofits, among others. Many careers typically require a minimum of a four-year degree. Some examples of careers with wages are provided below.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage is $61,820 for high school teachers; $79,810 for foreign language and literature postsecondary teachers; $49,110 for interpreters and translators; $48,370 for news analysts, reporters, and journalists; $62,340 for media and communications occupations; $38,540 for travel arrangement and reservation services; and $49,470 for meeting, convention, and event planners, including cultural events coordinators.2

1 California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Salary Surfer. 2021. https://salarysurfer.cccco.edu. Accessed 19 April 2023.

2 “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 Sept. 2022. www.bls.gov/ooh. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Program Requirements

To earn an Associate in Arts in Spanish degree for Transfer (AA-T), students must complete all course requirements with a minimum grade of “C” in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis; and must complete the General Education Breadth pattern for California State Universities (CSUs) with an overall GPA of 2.0. There are no local graduation requirements associated with this degree.

Additionally, students shall be deemed eligible for transfer into a California State University baccalaureate program when the student meets both of the following requirements:

  1. Complete a minimum of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:
    1. The California State University General Education Breadth Requirements.
    2. A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
  2. Obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

Program Learning Outcomes 

After completing the Spanish for Transfer major, a student will be able to:

  1. Create and give a clear presentation in Spanish.
  2. Speak with others in Spanish at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Intermediate Level.
  3. Create compositions in Spanish at the ACTFL Intermediate Level.
  4. Create and give a presentation about the different music types and foods from Spanish-speaking countries.
  5. Be able to summarize the main historical events that shaped Latin American culture and civilization from the precolonial period to the present time.

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