Hispanic and Latino Studies – Major/Minor
For information, contact Dr. Carrie Prettiman.
Requirements for the Hispanic and Latino Studies Major
Students who have had four years of successful language study in high school
should be placed at the 300-level. (See the “Spanish Courses” section of the catalog for further information on placement policy.) A minimum
of ten courses (30 credits) beyond SPA 202 is required for the Hispanic and
Latino Studies major. Required courses include two courses in conversation and
composition (SPA 301 and 302) and a capstone experience (SPA 395).
The requirements for the major are as follows:
Required courses (9 credits):
SPA 301 Conversation and Composition
SPA 302 Advanced Conversation and Composition
SPA 395 Capstone Experience
One of the following: CIS 101 or EDU 306
One of the following: SPA 300, SPA 310, or SPA 311
One of the following: MAT 102 or MAT 110
Students must also select an additional seven courses
(21 credits) from among the following:
SPA 203 Spanish in the Workplace 3 credits
SPA 205 Spanish for Health Professionals 3 credits
SPA 300 Linguistics and Translation 3 credits
SPA 303 Survey of Spanish Literature 3 credits
SPA 304 Survey of Spanish Literature II 3 credits
SPA 305 Survey of Latin-American Literature 3 credits
SPA 306 Seventeenth-Century Spanish Literature: The Golden Age 3 credits
SPA 310 Hispanic Women Writers 3 credits
SPA 311 Hispanic Culture and Civilization 3 credits
SPA 312 Hispanic Popular Culture in the United States 3 credits
SPA 313 Caribbean Literature 3 credits
SPA 315 Topics in Hispanic Literature and Culture 3 credits
SPA 360 Special Topics in Hispanic Studies 3 credits
SPA 391/392 Independent Study 3 credits
(ANT 230: Cultures of the Caribbean, may also count as 3 credits toward
completion of the major or minor.)
Students planning to study abroad are advised to take SPA 301 Conversation and
Composition prior to departure. All courses must be completed with a grade of C
or higher.
Requirements for the Hispanic and Latino Studies Major with Education
(Elementary or Secondary)
Students intending to combine their Hispanic and Latino Studies major with an
elementary education major or a secondary education co-major must take the
following 300-level courses in the process of satisfying the requirements for
the Hispanic and Latino Studies Major:
SPA 300 Linguistics and Translation
Choose one of the following:
SPA 311 Hispanic Culture and Civilization
SPA 312 Hispanic Popular Culture in the United States
SPA 313 Caribbean Literature
Education co-majors are strongly encouraged to plan their selection of elective
courses for the Hispanic and Latino Studies major in consultation with their
Hispanic and Latino Studies advisor to ensure appropriate preparation for
teaching.
Note: Education co-majors and/or Spanish certification candidates who are
scheduled to student-teach must take SPA 302 and be formally evaluated in oral
proficiency BEFORE their student-teaching semester.
The Capstone Experience (Spanish 395)
As SPA 395 is the capstone course for the Hispanic and Latino Studies major; it
is intended to provide students with the opportunity for extended study of the
major developments of a selected Spanish-speaking country, as well as immersion
in the Spanish language itself. Required cultural study must include the
following subjects: 1) geography, history, and economics; 2) religious and
political systems; and 3) literature, fine arts, and other cultural symbols.
The capstone experience may be satisfied in one of two ways, provided that the
language immersion and cultural study requirements are met: A) significant
immersion in a target language country by virtue of study abroad, or B)
Independent Study entailing both practical experience and significant
Spanish-language academic research, writing, and presentation. Evidence of
fulfillment of the requirements will be provided via portfolio, work samples
and/or interview, to be determined by the Hispanic and Latino Studies faculty
in consultation with the student at the time of registration for SPA 395.
(A) The study-abroad option requires a minimum of four consecutive weeks of
study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, and completion of both a journal
and a 12-20 page paper in the language detailing the student’s experiences, their relevance to our institutional outcomes, and the relevance
of the language to the larger issues of society. The student’s language advisor assigns a letter grade for these projects. Credit will be
awarded on the basis of the length of the student’s stay and will take into consideration any formal language study the student
completes at a foreign institution; a minimum of three credits will be awarded.
All institutional rules of transference of credit apply.
(B) The independent research option involves the completion of a project
involving Spanish under the supervision of the Spanish faculty or a supervisor
approved by the faculty. Some examples of these projects include work in area
hospitals with Latino patients or tutorials to non-Spanish-speaking medical
staff; creating detailed lesson plans and support material to be used in the
teaching of a work of literature in a high school language classroom,
interviews at the local Spanish-speaking social service centers, teaching
Spanish to children in child-care situations, etc. The student must complete a final report in Spanish addressing issues of the
utility of the assignment in meeting institutional objectives (such as her
awareness of global issues, her social awareness, and confidence). She also
will be required to address the relevance of Spanish to the larger issues of
society. (3 credits)
Students who are not Education co-majors or Spanish certification candidates may choose the following third option to fulfill their Capstone requirement:
Students who are not Education co-majors or Spanish certification candidates may choose the following third option to fulfill their Capstone requirement:
(C) A literary or journalistic translation project of poetry or prose, to be
chosen by the student with guidance from her advisor. This project requires a
translation of a work or works of at least 2500 words total (ten pages) in
length and completion of revisions as needed, with the ultimate goal of
producing a portfolio that indicates and showcases the student’s written abilities in Spanish. This portfolio can be used by the student to
demonstrate her language skills to a potential employer or graduate school. It
must include a written introduction to the translation that will address the
institutional outcomes and the relevance of the major to the larger issues of
society, or a written reflection on the project after the completion of the
translation. (3 credits)
Requirements for the Hispanic and Latino Studies Minor (18 credits)
Students choose 18 credits at any level. Minors are required to take SPA 301 and
SPA 302. 100- and 200-level classes are as follows:
SPA 101 Introduction to Spanish I 3 credits
SPA 102 Introduction to Spanish II 3 credits
SPA 120 Conversational Spanish for Business
SPA 201 Intermediate Spanish I 3 credits
SPA 202 Intermediate Spanish II 3 credits
(see 300-level courses above)