Program Description
Knowledge of languages other than English is vital in the increasingly interconnected world of the twenty-first century. Learning another language has a dramatic impact on one’s understanding of how languages and cultures differ, and it even increases one’s skill in using one’s first language. Studying a foreign language is an excellent choice for students who want to broaden their cultural and critical competence at the same time that they make themselves more competitive in a global job market. Majoring in Spanish, one of the world’s five most widely spoken languages, gives students access to careers in diplomacy, international business, the military, technology, medical fields, law, education, and many other fields which require varied and excellent communication skills.
The undergraduate major program in Spanish is designed to accomplish four objectives:
- To develop proficiency in the fundamental language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing.
- To provide an in-depth study in the language, literature, culture, and civilization of Spanish-speaking peoples.
- To prepare majors to do research and study at the graduate level.
- To prepare majors for a variety of careers and professions that require knowledge of and fluency in Spanish.
Students who major in Spanish learn to speak and write well. They read literature and learn about its cultural context so as to better understand both literature and culture, and they become skilled in analyzing, evaluating, and responding to a wide range of texts composed in Spanish. In completing the required minimum of 30 semester hours of course work beyond the intermediate level, Spanish majors take advanced courses in Hispanic literature, civilization, conversation, linguistics, and composition, and they consolidate and extend their study of Spanish in a three-hour senior-level capstone course.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture in Spanish.
- Students will be able to apply critical thinking and analytical reasoning to the linguistic, literary, historical and cultural components of the language.
- Students will demonstrate mastery of the five goals of foreign language study: communication, cultures, connection, comparisons, and communities.
Major Requirements
Students who want to major in Spanish must have completed SPA 2311-2312 or shown evidence that they have achieved an equal level of proficiency in Spanish. They will normally have earned a grade of B or higher in any Spanish courses taken during the first two years at WSSU.
The core courses for the Spanish major include six hours of composition and linguistics, three hours of advanced conversation, and six hours of literature and culture. Twelve hours of Spanish electives allow students to pursue special interests, benefit from internships or study abroad, and deepen their knowledge of Hispanic literature and culture. During the senior year, students complete the major with a seminar which serves as a capstone course.
All courses taken for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better.
Students majoring in Spanish must also complete a minor. A minor in another modern foreign language will be very useful, but students may choose any minor that fits their interests, aptitudes, and plans for future education or employment.
Upon completion of all major requirements, students majoring in Spanish must pass a standardized oral proficiency test.
Transfer credit may be accepted if the courses taken fit satisfactorily into the plan for the major outlined at WSSU and if students meet all other requirements for transfer students, including the residency requirement.
Courses
Major Courses
Spanish Core (Eighteen semester hours; all are required.)
- SPA 3309 - Advanced Spanish Conversation
- SPA 3311 - Hispanic Civilization
- SPA 3312 - Spanish Phonetics
- SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature
- SPA 4310 - Advanced Spanish Composition
- SPA 4391 - Senior Seminar in Spanish
Spanish Major Electives (Twelve semester hours are required.)
Students may choose from the following courses:
- SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature (The course not counted in the core may be taken as a major elective.)
- SPA 3382 – Hispanic Literature in Translation
- SPA 4301 - History of the Spanish Language
- SPA 4333 – Masterpieces of Hispanic Fiction
- SPA 4334 – Masterpieces of Hispanic Drama
- SPA 4335 – Masterpieces of Hispanic Poetry
- SPA 4336 – Independent Study
- SPA 4340 – Cervantes
- SPA 4390 – Special Topics or Readings in Hispanic Culture
- SPA 4093 – Spanish Internship
- HIS 4372 – Latin America Since 1824
Course Notes
SPA 4391 - Senior Seminar in Spanish is a capstone course and should be taken in the senior year.
Major Course Sequence
SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature should be taken during the junior year because a number of the senior-level courses (SPA 4301, 4333, 4334, 4335, 4340, and 4390) have SPA 3333 or SPA 3335 as a prerequisite.
Return to: