Spanish BA
Total Units Required: 120
The Bachelor of Arts in Spanish engages students in the study of Spanish language, literature, and cultures. Students develop advanced proficiency in written and spoken Spanish, which they can apply in a variety of practical and professional settings. Students also deepen their understanding of their own culture and develop a greater appreciation of cultural differences, particularly in and among the Spanish-speaking world, both at home and abroad.
The major is especially useful for students pursuing careers in healthcare, social work, law enforcement and legal services, agriculture, business, or education.
Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in Spain or Latin America.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 35-43 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
Spanish Language Placement
Students with proficiency and/or prior coursework in Spanish should consult the department for course placement. Students who have equivalent knowledge in Spanish may challenge intermediate-level language courses for credit by enrolling in the class and taking the challenge exam. All students challenging a course must submit an official letter requesting to challenge the course to the department chair by the end of the second week of the semester. See Course Credit Policy for more information.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning Language Proficiency | ||
| Select 0-8 units from the following: | 0-8 | |
| Beginning Spanish I | ||
| Beginning Spanish II | ||
| Intermediate Language Proficiency | ||
| Select eight units from the following: | 8 | |
| Intermediate Spanish I | ||
or SPAN 201C | Intermediate Spanish for Healthcare | |
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
or SPAN 202N | Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers | |
| Upper-Division Requirements | ||
| SPAN 301 | Advanced Spanish | 3 |
| SPAN 302 | Written Spanish in Context | 3 |
| SPAN 303 | Spoken Spanish in Context | 3 |
| or SPAN 303C | Spoken Spanish in Professional Contexts | |
| SPAN 341 | Literary Explorations of the Hispanic World | 3 |
| SPAN 497W | Spanish Exam and GWAR (W) | 3 |
| Select 12 units from the following (at least six units must be at the 400 level): | 12 | |
| Introduction to Spanish Linguistics | ||
| Spanish Phonetics and Phonology | ||
| Exploring Modern Spain | ||
| Cultures of Latin America | ||
| Spanish Teaching | ||
| Creative Writing in Spanish | ||
| Hispanic Novel | ||
| Literature of Mexico | ||
| Indigenous Literature and Translation | ||
| Don Quixote | ||
| Women and Literature in the Hispanic World | ||
| Film and Literature in the Hispanic World | ||
| Direct Field Exper in Spanish 1 | ||
Any other upper-division Spanish (SPAN) courses not taken previously | ||
| Total Units | 35-43 | |
- 1
A maximum of three units allowed.
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- HIST 382W/LAST 382W Modern Mexico (W)
- LAST 495W Seminar in Selected Topics (W)
- LANC 340W World Literature in Translation (W)
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.