Welcome to Hispanic Studies

Learn more about the Valladolid program in Spain planned for May 20 - June 17, 2023


CSB students near Santiaguito, an active volcano in Guatemala, Spring 2019.

The Department of Hispanic Studies at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University is committed to offering its students an outstanding liberal arts education in the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, based on a solid and thorough knowledge of the Spanish language.

The Hispanic Studies program offers three semesters of language for the Global Language Proficiency common curriculum requirement (Spanish 111, 112, and 211). The common curriculum focuses on learning Spanish as well as understanding Hispanic cultures. For this reason, all language classes give ample attention to the diversity of Spanish, Latin-American, and Latino cultures.

In addition to our program for majors and minors, which offers advanced language courses as well as a wide range of upper level courses in literature, culture and linguistics, we offer a wide spectrum of complementary programs abroad. The College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University has semester-long programs in Segovia, Spain, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and Viña del Mar, Chile, as well as a summer program in Valladolid, Spain.

In accordance with the mission of the colleges, the Department of Hispanic Studies educates students to become better global citizens through instruction in foreign language, literature and culture and fosters integrated learning, exceptional leadership for change, and wisdom for a lifetime.

For more information on our major and minor requirements, follow this link.

Featured Alums

Julia Black '20, Spanish Interpreter

Julia is a CSB graduate with a Hispanic Studies degree who is currently enrolled in the DPT program Briar Cliff University (Iowa). Julia helped to found a pro bono clinic providing physical therapy service to underserved populations, particularly non-English speaking patients, in the Sioux City area.
Read more about Julia.


Shannon McEvoy '12, Artist

Shannon combined her passions of Hispanic Studies and Studio Art to start a bilingual podcast which allows her to record her personal reflecitons as well as focused conversations with other muralists and artists she has met along her journey.
Find her podcast "Beyond the Walls" on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Read more about Shannon.


Colin Hannigan '12, College Professor

"Thanks to the excellent Political Science and Hispanic Studies, faculty, a vague interest in politics grew into a fascination for international relations and a simple enjoyment of speaking Spanish developed into a passion for learning about and experiencing Latin American cultures." Read more about Colin.

Colin