Core Courses

The following courses may be taken to satisfy the Intercultural Competence requirement in the Core Curriculum:

... SPAN 101 — Spanish Beginning Culture and Communication I (3)

Intended for students with no previous experience with the language. Course develops cultural understanding and linguistic proficiency for communication in rudimentary social situations. Activities include engagement with native speakers; in-class conversations; reading, listening, and writing exercises; application of broad cultural definitions to the specifics of Hispanic cultures; discussion (in English) of a problem or concern affecting those cultural groups. Special attention given to developing intercultural competency, with a focus on the ways in which the processes used for understanding Hispanic peoples can be applied to other cultural experiences. Course conducted in Spanish 50% of the time. Offered fall and spring semesters.

... SPAN 102 — Spanish Beginning Culture and Communication II (3)

Course reviews structures and vocabulary for communication in rudimentary social situations. It introduces ways to extend descriptions to communicate in simple settings related to broad social topics such as family, school, etc. Activities include engagement with native speakers; in-class conversations; reading, listening, and writing exercises; application of broad cultural definitions to the specifics of Hispanic cultures; discussion of a problem or concern affecting those cultural groups and analysis (in English) of proposed solutions. Special attention given to developing intercultural competency, with a focus on the ways in which the processes used for understanding of Hispanic peoples can be applied to other cultural experiences. Course conducted in Spanish 50% of the time.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
Prerequisites: SPAN 101 or placement.

... SPAN 103 — Spanish Beginning Culture and Communication III​ (3)

Course reviews and expands on creating descriptions to communicate about current events. Activities include engagement with native speakers; in-class conversations; reading, listening, and writing exercises; application of broad definitions of culture to the specifics of Hispanic cultures; discussion of a problem or concern affecting those cultural groups and analysis of proposed solutions. Special attention given to developing intercultural competency, with a focus on the ways in which the processes used for understanding of Hispanic peoples can be applied to other cultural experiences. Course conducted in Spanish 50 to 75% of the time.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
Prerequisites: SPAN 102 or placement.

... SPAN 104 — Spanish Intermediate Culture and Communication I (3)

Course introduces communicating in various time frames and offering opinions on current events and issues. Activities include engagement with native speakers; in-class conversations; reading, listening, and writing exercises; application of broad cultural definitions to the specifics of Hispanic cultures; discussion of a problem or concern affecting those cultural groups and analysis of proposed solutions. Special attention given to developing intercultural competency, with a focus on the ways in which the processes used for understanding of Hispanic peoples can be applied to other cultural experiences. Course conducted in Spanish 75-90% of the time.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
Prerequisites: SPAN 103 or placement.

... *SPAN 105 — Spanish Intermediate Culture and Communication II​ (3)

Course reviews communicating in various time frames. Develops communication for expressing complex opinions on historical, political, and social concerns. Activities include engagement with native speakers; in-class conversations; reading, listening, and writing exercises; application of broad cultural definitions to the specifics of Hispanic cultures; discussion of a problem or concern affecting those cultural groups and analysis of proposed solutions. Special attention given to developing intercultural competency, with a focus on the ways in which the processes used for understanding of Hispanic peoples can be applied to other cultural experiences. Course conducted in Spanish 90% of the time.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
Prerequisites: SPAN 104 or placement.

... *SPAN 115 — Spanish for Heritage Speakers​ (3)

Designed for heritage speakers who are conversational in Spanish but have little or no formal training in reading or writing the language. Course builds on students’ current linguistic strengths to develop greater grammatical accuracy, expand vocabulary, and adapt voice and tone to a range of contexts. Activities address what it means to be a bi- or multi-cultural individual living in America today; how students connect with their cultural heritage; what challenges students face on our campus, in town, or across the nation; and how students can celebrate the many ways in which their cultural heritage is a source of strength. A community service component through the McGowan Hispanic Outreach Program is an opportunity for students to strengthen relationships with their community. Special attention given to developing intercultural competency by encouraging students to reflect on the duality of the Hispanic-American identity. Course conducted in Spanish 90% of the time.
Offered fall semesters.
Note: Students who are eligible for SPAN 115 may not take a lower-level Spanish course.

*SPAN 105 and SPAN 115 count towards the requirements for a major or minor in Spanish as well as satisfying the Intercultural Competence Core requirement.

Departmental Courses

The following courses may be taken to satisfy the requirements for a Spanish major or minor, and are open to any student who wishes to pursue further studies in Spanish. The prerequisite for all of the following courses is SPAN 105 or SPAN 115.

... SPAN 231 — Advanced Grammar and Composition (3)

Refinement of grammatical principles through traditional exercises and through composition activities designed to develop an ability to address a variety of audiences in both formal and informal contexts.

... SPAN 233 — Advanced Conversation and Phonetics (3)

Development of conversation techniques, vocabulary, use of idiomatic expressions and phonetic accuracy in order to converse on diverse topics in a range of contexts.

... SPAN 235 — Introduction to Reading Literature in Spanish (3)

Selected readings from Spanish and Latin American literature that reflect a variety of genres, serve as the foundation for discussion of literary concepts and terminology in order to enhance reading comprehension, and expand students’ understanding of literature beyond the level of a simple plot summary.

... SPAN 251 — Business Spanish (3)

Introduction to Spanish and Spanish American economic and commercial terminology, institutions, and cultural practices relevant for anyone wishing to conduct business in Latin America.

... SPAN 253 — Medical Spanish (3)

Introduction to basic medical terminology with an emphasis on oral communication and cultural norms in a medical context.

... SPAN 257 — Crossing Borders (3)

Readings and reflections on how and why borders are constructed, why we might choose to cross them, and how to advocate for the fair and just treatment of all human beings.

... SPAN 259 — Spain in a Global Context (3)

An examination of economic, political, social issues, etc. in contemporary Spain as they reflect, affect, and are affected by concerns in other nations and on a broad international scale.

... SPAN 291 — Special Topics in Spanish and Latin American Studies (3)

Study of selected topics in the language, literature, or culture of Spain and/or Spanish America. Topic is announced at preregistration.

... SPAN 331 — Spanish Peninsular Civilization (3)

Study of events, ideas, institutions and major figures in Spain from the Middle Ages to the present.

... SPAN 335 — Latin American Civilization (3)

Study of the politics, history, cultural artifacts, and daily life of the civilizations of Latin America from the pre-conquest to the present.

... SPAN 337 — Latin American Dictators (3)

Study of the rise and fall of Latin American dictators from the 20th and 21st centuries as seen through a broad historical, political and economic context and, specifically, through the lens of the United States between the Great Depression and the Cold War.

... SPAN 341 — Survey of Spanish Peninsular Literature (3)

Peninsular Spanish literature from the Middle Ages to the present. Discussion and analysis of selections from various genres and movements.

... SPAN 345 — Survey of Latin American Literature (3)

Latin American Literature from the pre-Conquest to the present. Discussion and analysis of various genres and movements.

... SPAN 347 — Golden Age Literature (3)

Study of literature and culture of 16th- and 17th-century Spain with emphasis on the thematic, stylistic and aesthetic innovations of the era.

... SPAN 349 — Detective Fiction from Spain and Latin America (3)

Reading and study of the characters, structure, historical implications, and cultural elements of detective fiction from Spain and Latin America.

... SPAN 350 — Practicum for the OPI (1)

A conversation course in which students practice using a variety of time frames, giving opinions, and role-playing complex situations in preparation for taking the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview.
Offered spring semesters.

... SPAN 391 — Selected Topics in Spanish and Spanish American Studies (3)

Study of selected topics in the language, literature, or culture of Spain and/or Spanish America. Topic is announced at preregistration.

... SPAN 480 — Spanish Capstone: Readings in Spanish and Spanish American Literature (3)

A seminar that promotes discussion of texts in historical, political, and cultural contexts; develops an understanding of the basic tools of research in Hispanic studies; and enhances advanced language skills in the areas of speaking, reading, writing, listening, and cultural awareness. Requires a minimum of 12 credits in Spanish at the level of SPAN 105 or above or permission of the Department Chair.
Offered spring semesters.

... SPAN 499 — Spanish Internship (3)

An internship in a Spanish-speaking environment may be taken as an elective in addition to the eight required major courses with the approval of the Department Chairperson. A minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.50 is required and the student must have a G.P.A. of at least a 3.00 in Spanish.