Spanish

Courses and programs in Spanish are offered by the Department of Languages and Cultures.

1. Enrollment in some language courses involves the following formal placement procedures.
   
   All students seeking entry into language courses who have not previously taken a language course at Saint Mary’s University must complete and return the Language Profile Form to the Department of Languages and Cultures.
   
   Based on the information provided in the Language Profile Form, students may receive notification from the Department to appear for an oral interview and/or a written placement test at a designated time.
   
   The Department of Languages and Cultures determines the appropriate course placement for each student
   1. Permission to register or remain in a particular language course can be refused if the Department judges that the student’s knowledge exceeds the level for that course.
   2. Native speakers are not eligible to receive advanced credit for language courses.
   3. Completion of Advanced Standing (transfer) courses does not exempt a student from taking the placement test.
2. The student’s eligibility to enroll in language, culture, and literature courses, and in specific sections of those courses, is determined by the Chairperson in consultation with the instructor in light of the student’s ability level in the language concerned, previous course work completed at university or elsewhere, and overall size of the course or section of a course. In matters of placement, the decision of the Chairperson is final.
3. In order to ensure the academic integrity in language courses, especially at the lower levels of instruction, the Department of Languages and Cultures does not allow native or near-native speakers of a particular target language to enroll in courses at the 2000 level or lower.
   
   Students who misrepresent their knowledge of any given language by providing inaccurate or incomplete information about their linguistic educational history will be subject to disciplinary action as laid out in Academic Regulation 19.
4. The Department of Languages and Cultures supports a policy of regular class attendance by students. Frequent, unexplained absences from class will result in a lowering of the final grade in a manner to be determined by each faculty member.
5. Students should note that courses in literature and/or culture fulfill the BA Humanities requirement 3(c) but do not fulfill the 3(b) requirement. The courses designated with an * in front of the number satisfy the 3(c) requirement.

Programs in Spanish and Hispanic Culture

The following programs are available in the area of Spanish and Hispanic Culture:

• a major,
• a minor,
• a concentration, 
• a Certificate in Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture, and
• a Minor in Latin American Studies.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is a well-established, foundational degree and requires the requirements listed below alongside general graduation requirements.

Major in Spanish and Hispanic Culture

A major in Spanish and Hispanic Culture consists of  thirty-six (36) credit hours:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Select 9 credit hours at any level		9
Select 9 credit hours at the 2000-level and above		9
Select 9 credit hours at the 3000-level and above		9
Select 9 credit hours at 4000 level		9
Total Credit Hours		36

Courses counting towards the major are normally chosen from among the SPAN courses in language, literature, culture. After consultation with the Spanish Advisor or the Chairperson of Languages and Cultures, these can be supplemented [to a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours] by courses from other disciplines whose principal subjects are the arts, history or current reality of Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America.

Concentration in Spanish

To obtain a concentration in Spanish, a student will need a minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours in Spanish with at least 12 credit hours at the 3000 or 4000 level.  At most 6 credit hours can be at the 1000 level.  Also, the minimum grade point average is 2.00.

Minor in Spanish and Hispanic Culture

A minor in Spanish and Hispanic Culture consists of twenty-four (24) credit hours, with at least fifteen (15) credit-hours at the 2000-level or above.  A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 is required for courses in the minor program.

Minor in Latin American Studies

Students majoring in a discipline other than Spanish may obtain a minor in Latin American Studies by completing the equivalent of twenty-four (24) credit hours approved for the program. These must include:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
SPAN 1000	Introduction to Latin American Studies	3
SPAN 1100	Introduction to the Spanish Language	6
HIST 2440	Revolutions in Latin America	3
Select 12 other credits with a focus on Latin America in at least two different disciplines taken of the following:		12
GDST 4463	Latin American: Contemporary Development Issues (formerly IDST 4463)
HIST 2250	Soccer: A History of Brazil
HIST 2251	Pop Culture in Latin America
HIST 2441	Race and Racism in Brazil
HIST 4530	Forced and Free Migration in Latin America
SPAN 3310	Latin America Culture
SPAN 3312	Introduction to Latin American Literature
SPAN 3320	Latin American Travel Literature
SPAN 4400	Postraumatic Literature in Latin America
Other courses approved by the Program Advisor
Total Credit Hours		24

Students without prior knowledge of Spanish will need the prerequisite 6 credit hours of Introduction to the Spanish Language (SPAN 1100), or the equivalent.  Students with beginner-level knowledge of Spanish can receive advanced placement into Intermediate Spanish I (SPAN 2204)/Intermediate Spanish II (SPAN 2205).  Students with intermediate-level knowledge or higher are not eligible to enroll in Intermediate Spanish I (SPAN 2204) or Intermediate Spanish II (SPAN 2205), but will be required to substitute an additional six (6) credits decided in consultation with the program Advisor.

Certificate in Spanish and Hispanic Culture (Cert. H.C.)

The certificate program in Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture is designed to provide linguistic and cultural knowledge to persons interested in studying and/or working in a Spanish-speaking country. It consists of twenty-four (24) credit hours and is intended for undergraduate students and persons already holding degrees in any discipline.

Admission

Admission to the certificate program requires a formal application for admission and the official approval of the Spanish Advisor.  Application forms are available from the Registrar.  Students majoring in Spanish at Saint Mary’s University are not eligible for this program.  Eighteen (18) of the twenty-four (24) credit hours must be completed at Saint Mary’s.

Program Courses

The program consists of twelve (12) required credit hours in language:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Select 12 credits of the following:		12
SPAN 1100	Introduction to the Spanish Language
SPAN 2204	Intermediate Spanish I
SPAN 2205	Intermediate Spanish II
SPAN 2206	Intermediate Spanish Communication Skills
SPAN 3303	Advanced Oral and Written Spanish I
SPAN 3306	Advanced Oral and Written Spanish II
and/or a number of optional credit hours
Total Credit Hours		12

These optional credit hours must be at the 3000 level or above and will be chosen from the following courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
SPAN 3310	Latin America Culture	3
SPAN 3312	Introduction to Latin American Literature	3
SPAN 3313	20th Century Latin American Literature	3
SPAN 3314	Development and Dystopias in Latin America	3
SPAN 3320	Latin American Travel Literature	3
SPAN 4400	Postraumatic Literature in Latin America	3
HIST 4530	Forced and Free Migration in Latin America	3

Other courses are possible, subject to the approval of the Coordinator for Spanish.

Requirements for Graduation

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in this certificate program is required.  Students who have completed all the courses without being officially admitted to the program will not be accredited.