Requirements for a Major in Spanish
Bachelor of Arts
The program for a major in Spanish consists of 11 courses of at least 3 hours beyond SPAN 211, planned in consultation with an adviser in the department. The core of the major including a course in Grammar, Reading, and Conversation must be completed as soon as possible. All majors must take any tests related to departmental assessment activities. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, which is the preferred means of completing the Cultural Enrichment Requirement; however, additional options for fulfilling the Cultural Enrichment Requirement are available. The capstone experience will be fulfilled in the junior or senior year with SPAN 400 or SPAN 401. Heritage-speaking students and those whose initial language placements are higher than SPAN 215 may substitute any SPAN course for SPAN 212/215 on the major; please consult with the department chair if you believe your language skills may meet proficiency standards of the core requirements (language, reading, writing, etc.).
Requirements consist of a minimum of 33 semester hours beyond SPAN 211 and must include:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Language | ||
| SPAN 212 | Intermediate Spanish | 3-4 |
| or SPAN 215 | Intensive Intermediate Spanish | |
| Writing | ||
| SPAN 232 | Advanced Grammar and Composition | 3 |
| or SPAN 233 | Spanish Academic & Creative Writing | |
| Reading | ||
| SPAN 241 | Reading in Spanish | 3 |
| or SPAN 242 | Spanish for Social Justice | |
| Oral Production | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Conversation | ||
| Perfecting your Accent | ||
| Spanish Service Learning: Latinos in the U.S. | ||
| Literature or Linguistics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Structure & Symbols of Spanish | ||
| Introduction to Literature of Spain | ||
| Introduction to Latin-American Literature | ||
| Regional Approaches to Topics in Modern Latin American Lit & Film | ||
| Culture | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Spain's Civilization | ||
| The Two Spains | ||
| Contemporary Spanish Culture through Film and Music | ||
| Latin-American Civilization | ||
| Spanish for the Professions | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Spanish for Business | ||
| Spanish for the Medical and Healthcare Professions | ||
| Learning & Teaching of Spanish | ||
| Internship in Spanish | ||
| The Community Interpreter | ||
| Teaching Methodology for Foreign Languages | ||
| Internship in Interpreting | ||
| Cultural Enrichment Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
A course completed in semester-long study abroad experience in a Spanish-speaking country (Course may not also be used to fill another major requirement.) | ||
A Spanish J-Term travel course (Course must have a SPAN prefix and may not also be used to fill another major requirement.) | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Capstone (Appl Cult or Ling) | ||
| Capstone (Literature) | ||
| Select two additional Spanish courses from above one of which must be at or above the 300-level. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 33-34 | |
Students matriculating prior to fall 2022 should attempt to complete the Cultural Enrichment requirement but may contact the department chair about alternative options. Field studies and internships may be able to apply with prior approval of the department chair.
Students are allowed to substitute courses taken abroad if they have been pre-approved.
Students may only take one course offered in English to count towards the major or minor (this includes FLET courses, approved honors courses, LANG 345, or LANG 349). Students may not count both SPAN 450 and LANG 450 on the major or minor.
Requirements for Foreign Language PreK-12 Endorsement in Education
To meet the Virginia Department of Education's competency requirements, Spanish-Education students must complete the Education minor, maintain at least a 2.80 major GPA, and complete the following courses while completing their major requirements. In completing the major, education students must include the following: