Spanish Major, BA

B.A. in Spanish

Number of Semester Hours Required for the Major

123 – 126 semester hours are required for the major in Spanish.

Program Description

There are many reasons to study Spanish at Winston-Salem State University. The university’s location in North Carolina, a state that has become an important location for Latino immigration in the southern United States, makes learning Spanish a good choice for careers in education, health professions, and law. Students at WSSU may earn the degree in Spanish, or pursue a Spanish minor. Combining a Spanish minor with any degree plan will make students more marketable in the job market. Students who successfully complete the Spanish major or minor programs will possess knowledge of the historical, literary, and sociopolitical components of the Spanish-speaking world as well as develop functional language, sociolinguistic, and intercultural skills to make them more competitive in the globally interconnected twenty-first century workforce.

Program Objectives

The Spanish Program objectives include the following:

1. To develop standard-based competencies in foreign language learning in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
2. To provide an in-depth study in the language, literature, culture, and civilization of Spanish-speaking peoples.
3. To prepare majors to do research, and study at the graduate level.
4. To prepare majors for careers that require knowledge of, and fluency in Spanish.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will: Demonstrate advanced level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Demonstrate the ability to apply Spanish language use in real-life situations. Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between language learning and culture. Demonstrate understanding of the connections between Spanish and other disciplines after an extensive capstone research project. Develop cross-cultural understanding and intercultural skills. Demonstrate the ability to use knowledge of Spanish to participate in diverse, multicultural settings, and live in a global society.

General Major Requirements

Students majoring in Spanish must satisfy the general education course requirements, complete SPA 2311 and SPA 2312*, complete the required major courses outlined, and take electives for a minimum total of 120 semester hours in order to graduate. Upon completion of all major requirements students must pass a standardized oral proficiency test (Exit Interview.)  A grade of C or better is required in each major course.

 

Major Curriculum

 Spanish Major Core (24 Semester Hours)

The core courses for the Spanish major include nine (9) hours of composition and linguistics, six (6) hours of advanced conversation, six (6) hours of literature and culture, and three (3) hours of the senior capstone course.

SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar (3SH)

            (Pre-requisite:  SPA 2312 – Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3311 - Hispanic Civilization (3SH)

            (Pre-requisite:  SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3312 - Spanish Phonetics (3SH)

            (Pre-requisite:  SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3316 - Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation (3SH)

            (Pre-requisite:  SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature (3SH), or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature (3SH), or

SPA 4309 - Advanced Spanish Conversation (3SH)

            (Pre-requisite:  SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 4350 - Senior Composition in Spanish (3SH)

            (Pre-requisite: SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 4391 - Senior Seminar in Spanish (3SH)

            (Prerequisites: senior status and a 2.5 grade point average in Spanish major core courses)

 

Spanish Major Electives (12 Semester Hours)

Major electives allow students to pursue special interests, benefit from internships or study abroad, and deepen their knowledge of Hispanic culture.

 

Students may choose major elective courses from the following courses:

 

*SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature (3SH)

*SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish American Literature (3SH)

*SPA 3339 - Survey of Latino Literature (3SH)

SPA 4333 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Fiction (3SH)

SPA 4334 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Drama (3SH)

SPA 4335 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Poetry (3SH)

SPA 4336 - Independent Study (3SH)

SPA 4338 – Masterpieces of Afro-Hispanic Literature (3SH)

SPA 4340 - Cervantes (3SH)

SPA 4390 - Special Topics or Readings in Hispanic Culture (3SH)

SPA 4093 - Spanish Internship

*Any of the survey literature courses may count as electives if not already counted in the core.

Related/Suggested Electives

Students may also choose major electives from the following list of courses in consultation with their academic advisors and approval of the department.

AAS 3306 - Negritude and Afrocentricity (3SH)

HIS 3352 - The African Presence in Mexico (3SH)

HIS 3353 - The African Presence in the Americas (3SH)

ENG 3301 - Introduction to Linguistics (3SH)

ENG 3334 - Literature of the African Diaspora (3SH)

ENG 4355 - Literary Criticism (3SH)

 

Notes:

Study Abroad for Spanish Majors

With the approval of the department, and in conjunction with the Office of International Programs, students may earn transferable credits from study abroad programs. Courses must have content related to the Spanish language or the Spanish-speaking world to transfer. Students may include up to fifteen (15) hours of study abroad transfer credits:

SPA 3020 - Study Abroad in Spanish (SH 1 - 6)

SPA 4020 - Study Abroad in Spanish (SH 1 - 6)