Major and Minor Programs

Overview

The Major and Minor programs in Spanish advance a liberal arts education through the development of communication, critical thinking, and intercultural awareness and support the University’s mission of Pro Humanitate.  Our small classes promote faculty-student engagement while our faculty expertise in fields of Spanish linguistics, Spanish and Latin-American cultures, and Spanish for Special Purposes supports a rigorous, stimulating environment for students’ intellectual and intercultural growth.

The Spanish section focuses on helping students advance in language proficiency and acquire an abiding knowledge of the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Hispanic world.

Spanish Major Requirements

The major in Spanish requires a minimum of 28 hours of Spanish courses numbered 280 and above, including:

I. SPA 280: The Spanish-Speaking World: Portals and Perspectives

II. SPA 309 or 309 L: Grammar and Composition or Grammar and Composition for Heritage Speakers of Spanish

III. One of the following Genre courses:

  • SPA 310: Anecdotes, Bestsellers, Cuentos: The ABCs of Storytelling in the Spanish-Speaking World
  • SPA 311: Bard, Ballad, Bolero: Poetry, and Song in the Spanish-Speaking World
  • SPA 312: Page, Stage, and Performance: Theater and Drama of the Spanish-Speaking World
  • SPA 313: Lights, Camera, ¡Acción!: Cinema and Culture in the Spanish-Speaking World

IV. One of the following Regions courses:

  • SPA 315: The Making of Spain: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Cultures of Spain
  • SPA 316: Paradise in Perspective: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Wider Caribbean
  • SPA 317: Distant Neighbors: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Mexico and Central America
  • SPA 318: The Andes to Patagonia: Interdisciplinary Approaches to South American Culture
  • SPA 319: Literary and Cultural Studies of Spanish America

V. 2 courses / 6 credit hours between SPA 330-395

VI. 3 additional courses / 9 additional credits in SPA electives above 280

Please note that no more than 10 credit hours may be counted from courses numbered 280-309. Students must achieve at least a C grade in 309 or 309L and a GPA of 2.0 in the major.

“My favorite part of studying Spanish has probably been the geographic diversity. I’ve been able to take classes on medieval Spain and also take classes on the Southern Cone. The major just gives you such a variety of options to choose from. And really, you can learn about so many different aspects of the Spanish language and the people who speak it.”

Savarni Sanka (’21)

Spanish Minor Requirements

The minor in Spanish requires a minimum of 19 hours in Spanish courses numbered 280 and above, including:

I. SPA 280: The Spanish-Speaking World: Portals and Perspectives

II. SPA 309 or 309L: Grammar and Composition or Grammar and Composition for Heritage Speakers of Spanish

III. One of the following Genre courses:

  • SPA 310: Anecdotes, Bestsellers, Cuentos: The ABCs of Storytelling in the Spanish-Speaking World
  • SPA 311: Bard, Ballad, Bolero: Poetry, and Song in the Spanish-Speaking World
  • SPA 312: Page, Stage, and Performance: Theater and Drama of the Spanish-Speaking World
  • SPA 313: Lights, Camera, ¡Acción!: Cinema and Culture in the Spanish-Speaking World

IV. One of the following Regions courses:

  • SPA 315: The Making of Spain: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Cultures of Spain
  • SPA 316: Paradise in Perspective: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Wider Caribbean
  • SPA 317: Distant Neighbors: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Mexico and Central America
  • SPA 318: The Andes to Patagonia: Interdisciplinary Approaches to South American Culture
  • SPA 319: Literary and Cultural Studies of Spanish America

V. 1 course / 3 credit hours between SPA 330-395

VI. 1 additional course / 3 additional credits in SPA electives above 280

Please note that no more than 10 credit hours may be counted from courses numbered 280-309. Students must achieve at least a C grade in 309 or 309L and a GPA of 2.0 in the minor.

Sample Electives

  • SPA 338: Fashioning Class, Gender, and National Identity in 18th/19th Century Spain
  • SPA 347: Contemporary Theater in Spain and Spanish America
  • SPA 351: Cinema and Society
  • SPA 356: Transgressing Borders: Identity in Latin-American and U.S. Latino Cultures
  • SPA 368: Afro Cuban Cultural Expression
  • SPA 370: History of the Spanish Language
  • SPA 382: Spanish/English Interpreting
  • SPA 383: Medical and Scientific Translation