Spanish, B.A.

Major in Spanish

Consists of eleven courses:

• Five Spanish courses at the 200-level or above in addition to the following required courses:

•  

• SPAN 22300 - Readings in Spanish Peninsular Cultures

• or

• SPAN 22400 - Readings in Latin American Cultures

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• SPAN 27000 - Spanish Phonology

• or

• SPAN 31000 - Structure Modern of Spanish

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• Two of the following Literature courses:

• SPAN 30100 - Cervantes: Don Quixote
• SPAN 30500 - The Contemporary Latin American Novel
• SPAN 30900 - Trends in Spanish American Literature

• or

• SPAN 31100 - Adv Seminar in Hispanic Language

•  

• Junior Independent Study (see Special Notes below)
• SPAN 45100 - Independent Study Thesis
• SPAN 45200 - Independent Study Thesis

Special Notes

Special Notes: majors and minors

• Junior Independent Study: At least one 300-level course that is not SPAN 31900  must be completed before Senior Independent Study in order for the student to acquire practice with the research methodologies required for the successful completion of Senior Independent Study. The College requirement of a unit of Independent Study in the junior year is therefore satisfied by completing one 300-level course that is not 31900 prior to Senior Independent Study. Students may take SPAN 31000  in lieu of one of the required 300-level literature courses if they have fulfilled, or are planning to fulfill, the Spanish Linguistics requirement by taking SPAN 27000 .
• Senior Independent Study: Spanish majors are encouraged to discuss their ideas for Senior I.S. with the department chairperson during their junior year. While students are given significant latitude in designing their project and are encouraged to exercise intellectual creativity, all projects must adhere to the methodological conventions and practices specific to Hispanic Studies or Spanish Linguistics. This includes combined projects for double majors. More information on disciplinary methodologies can be found in the Majors’ Handbook, which can be downloaded from the department website.
• SPAN 22300 , SPAN 22400 , SPAN 27000 , SPAN 30100 , 30200, SPAN 30500 , SPAN 30900 , SPAN 31000  and SPAN 31100  may not be completed through transfer credit.
• No more than one Spanish course taught in English may count toward the major; on a similar note, one Spanish course taught in English may count toward the minor with permission of the Chair.
• Only grades of C- or better are accepted for the major or minor.
• Courses taken S/NC are not permitted in either the major or the minor.
• It is strongly recommended that one 300-level literature course be taken as one of the six required courses for the minor. Whenever possible, the department strongly encourages students to take more than the required minimum number of courses for the major or minor.
• Double majors: The department supports double majors and will work closely with students to design an appropriate program of study and I.S. project. Students in recent years have combined their Spanish major with majors in Comparative Literature, English, French, German, Theatre, Psychology, History, Neuroscience, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, and Archaeology.

Special Notes: general

• Study Abroad: All majors and minors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester in a Spanish-speaking country. Up to three courses may be transferred from an OCS-endorsed study abroad program in a Spanish-speaking country toward fulfillment of the major or minor in Spanish. Spanish majors should plan to consult with the chairperson regularly during the process of selecting an appropriate program.
• Spanish House: Students with a strong interest in Spanish are encouraged to apply to live in the Spanish Suite. The Spanish Suite offers a convivial, stimulating atmosphere with weekly cultural and social events that allow students to improve their Spanish and broaden their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world. A language assistant from a Spanish-speaking country lives on campus and helps organize the student-led activities. Applications for residency in the Spanish Suite are normally due in late February.
• Advanced Placement: Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam may count this credit toward a major or minor in Spanish. Students who have taken the Advanced Placement Exam are still required, regardless of the score received, to take the placement exam at the College to determine the next appropriate course.

Special Notes: the foreign language requirement

• Successful completion of SPAN 10100  and SPAN 10200  satisfies the College’s Foreign Language Graduation Requirement.
• The Spanish Placement Exam is administered each year to incoming students during ARCH. Every student who has taken Spanish previously and who wishes to enroll in a Spanish course must first take the placement exam. Students can only enroll in courses that correspond to their level of proficiency as determined by the Placement Exam. Any student who registers and completes a Spanish course that is below his or her level of proficiency as determined by the Placement Exam will not receive credit toward graduation for that course, unless permission was granted by the Department Chair, which is highly unusual. Permission to enroll in a course below the student’s placement for the purpose of review will not be granted.
• By placing into SPAN 20100 or above, a student automatically fulfills the College’s Foreign Language Graduation Requirement.
• In order to fulfill the College’s Foreign Language Graduation Requirement through transfer credits for courses equivalent to SPAN 10100 - Beginning Spanish Level I  and/or SPAN 10200 - Beginning Spanish Level II , the following requirements must be met: (1) The course must be taken at an accredited institution (consult with the Office of the Registrar for this information); (2) If the institution is on a semester system, the course must be worth at least four semester-hours credit; (3) If the institution is on a quarter system, the course must be worth at least six quarter-hours credit; (4) The student must receive a grade of C- or higher in requirements in the major or the minor. A student who seeks to fulfill the College’s foreign language requirement for graduation based on work completed through a dual enrollment program must take the Spanish Placement Exam.  Students who wish to meet the College’s foreign language requirement in Spanish through transfer credit for courses that do not meet the minimum requirements above must consult with the chairperson prior to such study, and will be required to take the departmental placement exam to demonstrate proficiency through the SPAN 10200 level.