With 41 million native speakers and another 11.6 million who are bilingual, the United States is ahead of Colombia (48 million) and Spain (46 million) and second only to Mexico (121 million). Spanish is a major international language of banking, commerce, cultural production, diplomacy, and science. Fluency in Spanish opens up a wide range of service and employment opportunities at home and abroad.

RLL's Spanish program introduces students to a wide range of disciplines within the area of Hispanic language and civilization. Its goal is to build students' proficiency in the Spanish language. Students may take coursework in literature, linguistics, language teaching, or other related areas. The program offers a broad selection of classes, as well as opportunity for independent study or directed work in allied fields. Spanish students are strongly encouraged to study abroad for a summer, a semester, or a full year. There are quality affordable SUNY programs in Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain, among other destinations.