Testimonials from 4+1 Students
Jillian Klansky - 2021
I decided to do the Spanish 4+1 Program because I thought it would be a good opportunity to enhance my speaking skills, writing skills, and cultural knowledge. The program is structured so that you only need to take 7 classes over the course of one year which is very manageable. The classes offered were very diverse and covered a broad range of topics. There is so much support from the faculty and they are always willing to work with you to accommodate your needs. There were many native Spanish speakers in my classes which really helped me to gain more confidence in my speaking as well as my comprehension. Overall, the experience really helped me to solidify all aspects of my Spanish capabilities and left me excited for the future. I am looking forward to taking everything that I learned over the year and putting it to good use.
Elizabeth Bobo
I decided to do the Spanish 4+1 Program because I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to grow my career after undergrad, but I knew I wanted to work with Spanish-speaking communities after working abroad and locally with immigrant populations. The MA program was a great opportunity to hone my Spanish language, literary analysis and teaching skills while also building my network with faculty and graduate students, which opened the door to teaching as adjunct faculty in the department not long after graduation. Additionally, what I have found to be even more beneficial from the experience are some of the softer skills that have supported my continued career development. I often implement cultural humility, analytical thinking and the writing skills I developed during the program in my work, from strategic planning with community partners to program management and reporting. Also, pursuing my master's degree in public health felt much more manageable after learning how to effectively study while working. Now, I am able to blend all of my academic training into my career, working with Spanish-speaking and other under-served communities around health improvement strategies. The Spanish 4+1 Program did not give me the exact answers for where to build my career, but, I think more importantly, it gave me the skills and confidence to pursue new opportunities in a much quicker and more accessible format than many traditonal MA programs.
Amy Barney (2006/7):
I began thinking about the 4+1 program while studying in Spain during my junior year. I had heard many good things about the program especially that the seven courses could be completed in one year and it did not require a thesis. When I learned that my first semester of my senior year was going to be cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina, I knew that I would participate in the 4+1 program. Including the hurricane semester and my junior year abroad, I had spent a year and a half of my college career away from New Orleans and I felt that the 4+1 program offered the chance to replace that time. I have never regretted the decision. Since the participants of the 4+1 program do not have to choose a specific area of study, I was able to take classes in many different areas of Spanish studies: everything from Mayan Literature to Medieval Iberia to Methods of Teaching. The Master’s degree in Spanish did not pigeon-hole me into a teaching position like I had originally assumed it would. I am currently being recruited by a restaurant corporation in Los Angeles, a consulting firm in Hartford, Connecticut, and a junior college in Chicago, Illinois. Having a Master’s degree proving the abilities to read and write in the fastest-growing foreign language in the United States can only help when applying to jobs or other graduate schools. I would highly recommend the 4+1 program to anyone who would like to earn his/her M.A. in one year while learning about a wide variety of topics and making himself/herself more marketable in the business and educational world.
Katie Single (2006/7):
I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my extra year here at Tulane. Not only am I studying what I love, I am also living in an incredible city. I applied for the 4+1 program because I knew that I wanted to pursue a career doing something that I loved. Spanish literature and linguistics are my passion and I want to share that passion with others. The 4+1 program reinforced this passion by expanding my horizons and marketability in the professional world. When I first began the program, I made fast friends with all of the other graduate students because it is such a close-knit department. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. There is not a competitive mentality that you often see within other departments. Furthermore, my Spanish language skills greatly improved and I definitely saw an increase in my own personal language acquisition. Throughout this experience, I saw an incredible improvement in both my reading and my speaking skills. This experience gave me the confidence to motivate others to learn Spanish and the inspiration to help rebuild New Orleans. I plan on using my Masters degree to teach Spanish at the high school level in New Orleans. I would certainly recommend the 4+1 program to any student who loves the Spanish language and the multitude of cultures that the Spanish language encompasses. This experience was incredible and I highly recommend it.
Amanda Azon (2006/7):
I wanted to apply to 4+1 Master Program because I really enjoyed my undergraduate experience here at Tulane and I really liked the Spanish faculty in particular. I felt that I still needed to improve my Spanish and I didn't want to take time off and lose all the progress I have made. Having it only be a year long program for a masters was a plus I must admit. I have had a positive experience because there were very interesting course offerings. For me a highlight was being able to take a lighter course load than I did during my undergraduate years. The relationships that you build with the professors was inspirational as well. 4+1 was a very good learning experience. It was a very heavy workload but I learned a lot more than I did in similar classes in undergraduate program. I am currently applying to law schools and I would like to use my Spanish skills in international law or child law in a big city. I would highly recommend the program.