Coastal Carolina University will offer two new majors – Spanish and music – beginning in the fall 2001 semester. The new bachelor of arts degree programs were recently approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and Coastal's Board of Trustees.

"In today's global economy, a major in Spanish is an ideal accompaniment to a wide variety of fields of study," says John Idoux, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Coastal. "Because of the growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S. and the expanding cultural and economic ties to Latin America, the need for Spanish- speaking professionals in many fields is growing."

The need for more Spanish teachers in K-12 education all over the nation – and in Horry County in particular – is also increasing, according to Idoux. As part of the Foreign Languages in Elementary Schools (FLES) program, a Spanish curriculum has been introduced in all 23 elementary schools in Horry County in the past two years.

A bachelor of arts degree in music will strengthen Coastal's role as a major cultural and intellectual center of South Carolina's Waccamaw region, says Idoux. "Adding a degree program in music is a natural extension of the teaching, research and public service mission of the university," he said. Coastal also offers a major in secondary education with a concentration in music and a minor in music.

"With the approaching completion of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts Building, the addition of a full degree program in music enhances Coastal's standing as a mature, competitive academic institution," said Idoux.