UAlbany Launches New Program for Spanish/English Bilingualism
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 14, 2025) — The University at Albany’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LLC) has launched a new Spanish/English Bilingualism Certificate of Achievement, giving undergraduate students across all majors the opportunity to formally recognize their language skills and expand their career potential in our increasingly interconnected world.
The certificate offers a credential in Spanish language proficiency—a valuable distinction in a country where more than 42 million people speak Spanish, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Globally, Spanish is spoken by about 600 million people and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Students are excited about this new opportunity too. Spanish minor Shianna Smith shared, “It’s another chance to improve my language skills.”
“We are excited to launch this new certificate, as it acknowledges Spanish-English bilingualism as a skill that is valued across nearly every profession,” said LLC Chair and Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Ilka Kressner. “It is an important step for us to support UAlbany’s mission of fostering student success, internationalization and linguistic diversity.”
The ability to communicate in more than one language is seen as a tremendous asset in a multitude of settings.
"Whether we are focusing on education, research, industry, technology, or community and public engagement, being bilingual affords the opportunity to connect in meaningful ways with many different people across fields,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeanette Altarriba. “The LLC Department is leading the way in providing this kind of educational experience for students at all levels, and the program is being led by a world-class faculty recognized for their expertise in all facets of language learning. Being and becoming bilingual provides a window into new worlds and the ability to transform many fields of learning and inquiry. The College of Arts and Sciences is proud to be part of this new endeavor.”
Open to all UAlbany undergraduate students, the certificate recognizes bilingual competency while helping students connect classroom learning with professional application. By completing a minimum of 10 credits of approved coursework with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the certificate courses and finishing at least the final six credits at UAlbany, students can earn the credential.
The new bilingualism certificate aligns closely with UAlbany’s institutional priorities of fostering student success, diversity and inclusion, as well as international engagement. It provides a clear academic path for students who wish to connect their language skills to future work, particularly in such areas as education, business, health care, government, media, and international service.
For more information contact the department at [email protected]. To apply to the bilingualism certificate students can complete this form.