NEW MAJORS

Bethany Lutheran College is adding two new undergraduate majors to the College's academic offerings. Both majors will be implemented with minimal changes to staffing or class offerings.

The new Spanish major will be offered through a strategic partnership with Wisconsin Lutheran

College, Milwaukee. The new arts administration major will be crafted through courses already in place at the College. Both majors will be available for the students entering Bethany in the fall of 2021.

Arts Administration Major

The new arts administration major at Bethany will focus on the administrative or business side of the arts, including the skills necessary to produce artistic endeavors. Areas of expertise will be gleaned from the existing subject areas currently taught at Bethany Lutheran College that are crucial in arts administration; namely business, communication, and creativity outside the primary discipline of the student.

The program is meant to give a value-added experience to students intending to work in non-profit business, specifically in businesses that focus on producing the arts. The wide range of subjects needed for this major encompass the liberal arts ideal of many disciplines making up the whole.

Spanish Major

Photos by David Norris

Bethany's new Spanish major compliments many majors already offered such as business, English, history, legal studies, science, and others. It's also a major that is in demand. One in four U.S. employers lost business due to a language skills "gap" in their workforce in the last three years. 56% say their current demand for foreign language skills will increase in the next five years. In 2017, CNN Money named bilingualism the "hottest skill for job seekers." Bilingual students are more employable and earn higher salaries than their monolingual peers. 90% of U.S. employers rely on employees with language proficiencies other than English.

Bethany's partnership with Wisconsin Lutheran College will see both institutions offering Spanish courses synchronously, online that are mutually beneficial.

Bethany's Spanish major will require students to study abroad for at least six weeks during which time participants will earn six credits toward the major. The experience can be completed in an organized faculty-led study tour or by the students on another approved experience.