The program offers students the ability to learn speaking, writing, and analytical skills in Spanish and has been designed to provide students with the cultural understanding and the academic knowledge necessary for future pursuits in various careers, especially in teaching Spanish and Spanish American literature and culture at multiple educational levels.<br><br>Recently Cal State East Bay was declared a Hispanic Serving Institution due to the demographic impact of the Latino/Hispanic population in California, particularly in the East Bay area. With the growing involvement of the United States in international business and the increasingly multicultural character of American society itself within the exponential growth of its Latino, Hispanic population, the importance of Spanish in nearly every kind of occupation is considerable. A major in Spanish, therefore, may lead to teaching careers and represent direct, practical assets in other fields such as business, industry and commerce, civil service, law, library science, media, science, health services, social work, travel, and tourism.