Why Iowa?

Renowned faculty, wide-ranging courses, and real-world skills that open doors on campus and beyond. Whether you’re exploring culture, honing your writing, or preparing for your career, Iowa will equip you to succeed.

Start your language journey

Advance with global insight

Experts who inspire learning

See yourself here

Are you drawn to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking cultures? Want to build your language skills? Join a community where you’ll explore language, culture, and global perspectives—on campus and beyond.

Write your story

Build knowledge. Explore ideas. Create original work. Distinguish yourself through research and expression. You’re going places—and your story starts here.

A UIowa student in front of a castle

# 1

Language studied

Spanish is the most-studied non-English language in the U.S.

A group of students at the Plaza de España in Seville

480M +

Spanish speakers worldwide
picture of a woman walking up stairs painted to look like piano keys

230M +

Portuguese speakers worldwide

News and announcements

Una entrevista con Álvaro Folgueiras

Monday, May 18, 2026
In this stand-alone podcast interview, Professor Ana Fernández Bravo sits down with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball standout, Álvaro Folguerias, who captured the hearts of Hawkeye fans everywhere this past March. A native of Málaga, Spain, Álvaro speaks candidly about his beach-side upbringing, tight-knit family, and how he fell in love with basketball at age four. He traces his path from Unicaja's youth academy in Málaga to crossing the Atlantic at 16, arriving in the United States with little English and an unwavering dream of playing at the highest collegiate level.

Spanish Major Lucia Rongerude Receives Fulbright to Colombia

Thursday, May 7, 2026
Lucia Rongerude (BA linguistics and Spanish ’26) is the recipient of a 2026–27 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award to Colombia. To ready more about her achievement, click the title above.

Aquí y Allá Latin American Film Festival

Friday, April 17, 2026
The inaugural Aquí y Allá film festival is scheduled for May 1-3, and includes six new works from Latin American filmmakers plus in-person guests, conversations, parties, and more! Click the title for more information!

Events

Student Employment Job Fair

Wednesday, August 26, 2026 11:00am to 2:00pm
Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

This is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the variety of student hourly and Work-Study jobs available on the UI campus & at qualified off-campus nonprofit Work-Study sites.

The University is excited to have students consider campus employment. Research shows that students who are connected to campus are more successful and more likely to continue enrollment and do well academically. Many first-year students choose student employment as their Pick One.

Typically more than 30...

All Majors Career Fair

Thursday, September 24, 2026 11:00am to 4:00pm
Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

This job and internship fair will focus on recruiting students in ALL MAJORS! Typically about 100+ employers attend and 1,000+ students attend!

Visit careers.uiowa.edu/all-majors-career-fair for more details.

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