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Studies & Degrees in Hispanic Philology

Choose where you would like to study Hispanic Philology:

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Hispanic philology relates to the study of language through the application of classic and historical texts. The origin of the word comes from ancient Greek, and can be translated as love of words. Therefore, the subject of Hispanic philology concentrates on the learning of the historical language and tradition of Hispanic countries. These are considered to be modern countries which can trace their history back to Spain, and include Mexico, Central America, and most of South America, where Spanish is the primary language. The only exception to these is Brazil.

Philology professional explore ancient written documents and texts, as these may include everyday writings as well as famous pieces. They largely focus on the historical development and the origins of the language, tracing the roots of a specific language (in this case Spanish), while also determining how it spread to different regions and countries, Furthermore, philologists strive to find out how language within a specific historical period relates to events taking place at that time. Finally, philologists try to analyze what kind of information the language can provide about the people who speak it.

Personal Qualities

Studying Hispanic Philology would certainly mean you are truly drawn both to the Spanish language and Hispanic history. Here are some other qualities to consider:

  • Good at learning languages
  • Excellent analytical skills
  • Very good at research
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Good at memorizing facts

Study Options

Hispanic Philology can be studied at various universities around the world at the bachelor’s, master’s, and even doctoral levels. The discipline should aim to equip students with the practical as well as theoretical knowledge in the fields of Spanish language and Hispanic literature and language history. By completing such a degree, you should be expecting to be able to comment and explain texts from a philological viewpoint, draw up literary judgments on literary texts, analyze texts by bearing in mind the interrelation of genres, identify the main descriptive aspects of the Spanish language, relate authors and movements of Hispanic literature to the European traditions, and so on.

As you can see, a degree in Hispanic Philology would require real commitment to the language and its history, for which reason you can start preparing early in high school by taking up humanities like history, literature, and languages. Furthermore, it would be a good idea for you to check what opportunities of research and field work your chosen university would provide, as this might be critical for your future career choice.

Career Options

As a Hispanic Philology graduate, you would be prepared to embark on various professions – you could decide to go into teaching, and this includes all levels of study; cultural management; language industries, including proofreading, editing, compilation of dictionaries. With relation to this, you could easily work for a publishing company, or a language center. Philology graduates are also very popular candidates for the advertising and communication media, as they are equipped both with the analytical and language skills to create texts that would appeal to a certain audience. This is especially relevant when they are this familiar with the historical and cultural background of their audience. Translating novels and other texts is another option too, and finally – going into academia and research is an opportunity you might wish to consider.