In today's job market, the study of Spanish offers some real advantages. There are over 400 million native speakers. It's the second most commonly spoken language in the U.S. and fourth in the world. It's the primary language from Latin America to Spain to the territory of Puerto Rico and the official language of the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization of American States. There's an increasing presence in the demographics and popular culture of the United States, particularly in the fast-growing states of the Sun Belt. Also, it is considered to be the most beneficial second language for a native speaker of English. Consequently, Old Dominion's Spanish program curriculum is designed to appeal to a wide range of interests and to prepare students for a variety of professions. Knowledge of Spanish also complements such fields as economics, government, history, engineering, and computer science. No matter what their future careers students find that Spanish Studies, as part of a liberal arts education, enriches their professional and personal lives.