The Penn State College of the Liberal Arts seeks to offer students a transformative educational experience that combines core liberal arts values—communication, analytic thinking, ethical decision-making, and appreciation for other cultures and other times—with internships, research opportunities, and global experiences that allow students to apply their skills in real-world contexts and grow personally and professionally. That educational experience also includes providing students opportunities to learn from, and work with, the leading liberal arts scholars within their respective disciplines; and connecting students with the vast network of college and University alumni who can serve as mentors and otherwise assist students as they begin building their professional networks.
Get Started
We are offering on-campus visits on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Please note, these visits do not include a campus tour. For those who are not able to visit Penn State University Park in person, please register for a virtual meeting, which will be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Our on-campus and virtual appointments give students and families a better understanding of our programs and the resources and opportunities available to Liberal Arts students. Use the buttons below to schedule an appointment.
If you have any questions, please contact Recruitment Manager Chantel Harley at 814-865-7141 or cuharley@psu.edu.
Schedule a Virtual One-on-One Meeting
Attend an On-Campus Accepted Student Program
- Cinco de Mayo
-
Spanish Major
Program Spotlight
The Spanish major at Penn State provides students with both linguistic proficiency and familiarity with the cultures and literatures of the Spanish-speaking world. In an increasingly global society, the Spanish program offered by Penn State helps students participate in today's interconnected world. Students also have the option to select a business or applied Spanish option to help them prepare even more for a career in which fluency in Spanish is seen as a major asset.
-
Latin American Studies Major
Program Spotlight
Latin American Studies covers numerous disciplines such as history, politics, art, geography, gender studies, and sociology and uses them to critically examine and analyze the experiences of Latin Americans in Latin America and elsewhere. The program can easily be combined with a second major or a minor.
-
Latina and Latino Studies Minor
Program Spotlight
Penn State students can minor in Latina and Latino Studies to learn about the diverse histories, cultures, politics, migration patterns, and other aspects of Latina/o populations in the United States.
-
Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree
Program Spotlight
The integrated bachelor of science in Spanish and master of science in Human Resources and Employment Relations is a five-year program designed for students seeking employment within a culturally diverse workplace. Students develop basic skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Spanish. Students also gain familiarity with Hispanic cultures through literature and global experiences.
-
Spanish Immersion Club
Student Organization Spotlight
The Spanish Immersion Club is dedicated to Spanish culture, language, and cuisine. After the University's first-ever education abroad trip to Ronda, Spain, the pilot program's alumni formed the organization to serve as a way to bring other passionate students together. The club holds weekly events—tapas, book talks, culture nights, and more—for all levels of Spanish speakers.
-
Faculty-Led Global Experiences
Out-of-Classroom Experience Spotlight
Students interested in Spanish can participate in three faculty-led summer education abroad programs to Cádiz, Spain; Ronda, Spain; and Puebla, Mexico. Students live with a host family, go on excursions to important cultural sites, and learn from Penn State faculty and local professors.
-
Explore Your Interests
Program Spotlight
Choose your courses based on your interests! Spanish courses at Penn State fit into four themes—history and transformation, language at work and at play, borders and contact, and identities and communities—so that students can focus on the topics that interest them the most.
-
Heritage Spanish Program
Program Spotlight
The Penn State Heritage Spanish Program offers two courses specifically for students who grew up speaking Spanish in their homes or communities. SPAN 100A focuses on intermediate grammar and composition, and SPAN 301 focuses on advanced writing and stylistics in Spanish. Both courses are conducted online and count towards the major and minor in Spanish.
- Liberal Arts by the numbers
Social Sciences
The social sciences examine the relationships between individuals and societies, as well as the development and operation of societies. The critical thinking, research, and analytical skills gained in a social science major help prepare graduates for diverse job titles, including economist, psychologist, political scientist, and historian, postsecondary teachers, museum curators, and social workers.
Languages
Intercultural communication, critical thinking and reasoning, cultural adaptability, information and trend analysis, and the other skills that drive the global economy, are in high demand today. Language graduates find jobs in tourism, international development, marketing, policy making, journalism, government, and more.
Humanities
Students in the humanities study how people process and document the human experience. Most majors in the humanities build widely transferable skills that employers appreciate and go on to be writers, counselors, event organizers, social media managers, fundraisers, travel bloggers, and more.
- African American Studies
- African Studies
- Asian Studies
- Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
- Communication Arts and Sciences
- Comparative Literature
- English
- French and Francophone Studies
- German
- Global and International Studies
- History
- Italian and Portuguese
- Jewish Studies
- Medieval Studies
- Philosophy
- Russian
- Spanish
- Women’s Studies