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Spanish Studies B.A.

Information and Policies

Introduction

The interdisciplinary major in Spanish studies is designed to offer students advanced linguistic proficiency in Spanish as well as a broad understanding of the historical and cultural developments of the Spanish-speaking world.

The Spanish studies major at UC Santa Cruz combines the strengths of language and applied linguistics with those of literary and cultural studies. The sequence of courses first exposes students to the academic registers of Spanish, a critical component for both heritage speakers and second language learners. Students then develop academic literacy in the language while gaining familiarity with the methods of analysis in different fields. The configuration of the major affords students flexibility in following their particular interests by choosing one of two tracks: (1) literature and culture or (2) language and linguistics.

These pathways within the major prepare students for a range of career possibilities that involve working with the Spanish-speaking public in a variety of professions (e.g., law, business, public service). Students may also pursue further training in teaching Spanish as a second language at the high school or university level.

Academic Advising for the Program

218 Cowell College
831-459-2054
languages@ucsc.edu

The earlier you declare your major in your academic career, the better you will be able to plan your courses and the fulfillment of the requirements. If you declare your major early, you will receive more guidance, useful advice and close follow-up.

The Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics provides extensive orientation for the undergraduate major in Spanish studies. It is very important you plan the prerequisite and requisite courses in the appropriate sequence so as to complete your studies in the expected time. 

Orientation is provided in two ways: quarterly large-group informational sessions, and small group or individual meetings with a faculty and/or staff advisor.

Transfer students: Please also consult the Transfer Information and Policy section.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the Spanish studies B.A. program should be able to demonstrate:

  • Advanced-level oral proficiency in Spanish. Students will have the ability to use all the major timeframes (past, present, and future) in their speech and will be able to produce connected discourse of paragraph length. They will be able to satisfy the demands of work and/or school situations in Spanish with both accuracy and fluency.
  • Academic language and literacy skills in Spanish. Students will be able to read and understand a wide range of authentic texts (e.g., academic articles, journalistic texts) in Spanish, including those with historical, sociological, and literary content. Students will be able to clearly explain their ideas in writing, demonstrating the ability to summarize, interpret, and substantiate an opinion or argument.
  • Metalinguistic awareness. Students will be able to describe the main features of the Spanish language (e.g., the sound system, the structure of sentences) and will be able to identify the main regional varieties of Spanish. Students will be able to articulate some of the main differences between English and Spanish using precise terminology.
  • Critical analysis. Students will be able to comment with critical insight on a range of topics and cultural productions (e.g., literary texts, film, music) of the U.S., Latin America, and Spain. They will be able to read closely in order to evaluate historical ideas, arguments, and points of view.
  • Cultural and historical competency. Students will be able to compare and contrast multiple interpretations of the same phenomena in different cultures. Students will be able to recognize and reflect on the social, cultural, economic, and political changes that connect Latin America, Spain, and U.S. and Latina/o communities.

Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process

Major Qualification

To declare the major in Spanish studies, students must have completed SPAN 4 or SPHS 4 at UC Santa Cruz with a grade of C or better or demonstration of proficiency at this level, or place into Level 5 or higher via placement exam.

Transfer students: Please also consult the Transfer Information and Policy section.

SPAN 4Second-Year Spanish

5

SPHS 4Spanish for Heritage Speakers

5

Appeal Process

Students notified that they are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision by submitting a letter to the department chair within 15 working days from the date of notification. Within 15 working days of receipt of the student's appeal, the department will notify the student and their college of its decision regarding the appeal.

How to Declare a Major

Students should submit a petition to declare as soon as they complete the major qualification requirements or reach their declaration deadline quarter (whichever comes first).

Students petition when the campus declaration deadline is imminent (i.e., in their sixth quarter, for students admitted as frosh), will either be approved, denied or provided with conditions (e.g., completion of some courses with certain grades) that will be resolved within at most one more enrolled quarter, even if they have not completed major qualification courses.

Students must meet major qualification requirements prior to declaring the major.

To declare the major, students must first meet with the faculty advisor and then with the academic advisor. Please contact languages@ucsc.edu for further information.

Transfer Information and Policy

Transfer Admission Screening Policy

Students planning to apply in this major are not required to complete specific major preparation courses for consideration of admission to UC Santa Cruz.

Transfer students are strongly advised to complete courses that will satisfy the campus general education requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). In addition, transfer students are strongly encouraged to complete two years of Spanish language study at an accredited two- or four-year institution. While two years of prior Spanish language study is strongly advised, transfer students should be able to complete the Spanish studies major in normative time as long as they place into Spanish language Level 4 (Level 5 for students entering UC Santa Cruz in the winter term) upon arrival at UC Santa Cruz.

Getting Started at UCSC as a Transfer Student

Transfer students may declare at any time after completing SPAN 4 or SPHS 4 with a grade of C or better, following the process in "How to Declare a Major." Transfer students who place into Spanish Level 5 or higher when they enter UC Santa Cruz can declare the major immediately.

Transfer students should consult an academic advisor at languages@ucsc.edu as soon as possible to learn about language placement tests and other information about the major.l

Letter Grade Policy

Courses used to satisfy major requirements may be taken for a Pass/No Pass or letter grade, with the exception that the Level 4 Spanish course and senior comprehensive course must be taken for a letter grade.

Study Abroad

Spanish studies encourages students to take advantage of the Division of Global Engagement. Some programs do not require prior language study while others have language prerequisites. Many of these programs provide students with the language skills needed to participate in regular university courses taught in the language of the host country. Study abroad opportunities in Spanish include Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Spain, and Costa Rica.

Students who participate in study abroad may petition to apply up to three courses (up to 15 upper-division credits) from study abroad toward the major.

Honors

Students who wish to be considered for honors should meet the deadline posted by the Office of the Registrar for declaring the intent to graduate. Determination of honors is based on the student’s grades for all courses relevant to the major and other factors relevant to an assessment of academic excellence, such as research papers of professional quality. Generally, honors in the major are awarded only to students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher in relevant coursework. Only those students whose performance in coursework is excellent will qualify. Highest honors are awarded only to students whose performance in relevant coursework is outstanding (GPA of 3.90 and above) and who have completed an outstanding original research paper.

Requirements and Planners

Course Requirements

There are a total of 45 upper-division credits required for the Spanish studies major. See Program Major Requirements below for a breakdown of the credit requirements.

Lower-Division Courses

Either six courses in the regular track
SPAN 1First-Year Spanish

5

SPAN 2First-Year Spanish

5

SPAN 3First-Year Spanish

5

SPAN 4Second-Year Spanish

5

SPAN 5Second-Year Spanish

5

SPAN 6Second-Year Spanish

5

Or equivalent proficiency

Or three courses in the Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SPHS) track
SPHS 4Spanish for Heritage Speakers

5

SPHS 5Spanish for Heritage Speakers

5

SPHS 6Spanish for Heritage Speakers

5

Or equivalent proficiency

Plus the following course:
LING 50Introduction to Linguistics

5

Plus one of the following courses:
HIS 11ALatin America: Colonial Period

5

HIS 11BLatin America: National Period

5

HIS 12Introduction to Latino American History

5

Upper-Division Courses

Four required Spanish studies core courses (20 credits total):

Literature: (5 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:

LIT 189ADe la conquista a Sor Juana

5

LIT 189BEl Siglo XIX en America Latina: cultura, política y sociedad

5

Spanish Studies: (5 credits)*
LIT 189C
/SPAN 105
Introducción a Spanish Studies

5

Linguistics: (5 credits)
SPAN 150Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics

5

Spanish Language: (5 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:

SPAN 114Advanced Conversation and Composition

5

SPHS 115El ensayo lectura, analisis y redaccion

5

*LIT 189C/SPAN 105 and SPAN 150 must be taken prior to enrollment in or in conjunction with concentration courses.

Choice of Concentrations
Languages and Linguistics Track

Three courses from the following list that are not used as an elective or capstone:

SPAN 140Sounds of Spanish

5

SPAN 151Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Varieties of Spanish

5

SPAN 152Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish in the U.S.

5

SPAN 153Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish as a Second Language

5

SPAN 154Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish Pragmatics

5

SPAN 156AThe Language of Latin America Cinema

5

SPAN 156ESpanish Culture

5

SPAN 156FEl Humor en Espanol

5

SPAN 156JContemporary Central America

5

SPAN 156KSpanish Discourse Analysis

5

SPAN 156MMexico and the Southwest

5

SPAN 141Advanced Spanish Grammar

5

Other 5-credit Spanish-language courses numbered SPAN 100-SPAN 189, SPAN 199 (except SPAN 114, SPAN 150, SPHS 115, and LIT 189C/SPAN 105) may be accepted with the permission of the Spanish studies director (or faculty advisor).

Literature and Culture Track

Any three 5-credit literature courses numbered LIT 188-LIT 189, LIT 199. The courses LIT 189C/SPAN 105, LIT 189A, and  LIT 189B may not be taken as a concentration or elective course if used as a core course.

LIT 188ALiteratura medieval

5

LIT 188BLiteratura peninsular: de los orígenes al siglo XVIII

5

LIT 188ETeatro del Siglo de Oro español

5

LIT 188GLiteraturay vida en Don Quijote y otros textos cervantinos

5

LIT 188HErotismo y Mistica

5

LIT 188ILa novela picaresca

5

LIT 188MLiteratura peninsular: siglos XIX y XX

5

LIT 189FLiteraturas Latinas en los Estados Unidos: en inglés, español y Spanglish

5

LIT 189GCine y Literatura

5

LIT 189HLa Globalizacion en/del Cine Latin/o Americano

5

LIT 189ILiteratura e indigeneidad

5

LIT 189LPoesía latinoamericana

5

LIT 189MProsa contemporánea hispanoamericana

5

LIT 189NLatinoamericano testimonio

5

LIT 189OEl Cuento Hispanoamericano: Variedades esteticas de la literatura breve en America Latina

5

LIT 189QFicción y marginalidad

5

LIT 189SLa cultura popular en la narrativa latinoamericana

5

LIT 189THistoria de la lectura y los lectores: Recepcion y consumo cultural en el mundo Latino Americano

5

LIT 189UModernidad y literatura: El Boom de la novela latinoamericana

5

LIT 189VAndean Indigenismo

5

LIT 189XEstudios mediaticos

5

Electives

Electives (one upper-division course, 5 credits total): Choose from related 5-credit courses in Anthropology, Education, Feminist Studies, History, History of Art and Visual Culture, Latin American and Latino Studies, Linguistics, Sociology (see Elective Courses below), or any upper-division Spanish literature and culture or Spanish language and linguistics concentration courses not taken for concentration credit or capstone requirement.

ANTH 130LEthnographies of Latin America

5

ANTH 130MInside Mexico

5

ANTH 176BMeso-American Archaeology

5

FMST 115Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration Across the Americas

5

FMST 175Gender and Sexualities in Latina/o America

5

HAVC 143CLatin American Modern Architecture

5

HAVC 160AIndigenous American Visual Culture Before 1550: Mexico

5

HAVC 160BIndigenous American Visual Culture Before 1550: The Andes

5

HAVC 162AAdvanced Studies in Early Indigenous American Visual Culture: The Ancient Maya

5

HAVC 163The Native in Colonial Spanish America

5

HAVC 162BAdvanced Studies in Early Indigenous American Visual Culture: The Inka

5

HAVC 191BThe Virgin of Guadalupe: Images and Symbolism in Spain, Mexico, and the U.S

5

LALS 100Concepts and Theories in Latin American and Latina/o Studies

5

LALS 100BCultural Theory in the Americas

5

LALS 115Mexico-United States Migration

5

LALS 122Media and Nationalism

5

LALS 127Genero, Nacion Y Modernidad En El Cine

5

LALS 130Expresiones cuirs de Genero y Sexualidad en el cine Latinoamericano

5

LALS 133Latina/o Art and Representation

5

LALS 144Mexicana/Chicana Histories

5

LALS 145Grassroots Social Change in Latin America

5

LALS 152Consumer Cultures Between the Americas

5

LALS 155Latin American and Latino Youth Movements

5

LALS 157Revoluciones Sociales

5

LALS 155Latin American and Latino Youth Movements

5

LALS 165Contemporary Peru

5

LALS 172Visualizing Human Rights

5

LALS 175Migration, Gender, and Health

5

LING 182Structure of Spanish

5

LIT 155ECinema and Social Change in Latin America

5

POLI 140CLatin American Politics

5

SOCY 156U.S. Latinx Identities: Centers and Margins

5

SOCY 177ALatinos/as and the American Global City

5

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

The Disciplinary Communication requirement (DC requirement) is satisfied by successfully completing one of the following courses:

SPAN 114Advanced Conversation and Composition

5

SPHS 115El ensayo lectura, analisis y redaccion

5

Comprehensive Requirement

In their senior year, Spanish studies majors must satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement as described below:

Successful completion of a capstone course (a designated upper-division course taught in Spanish, 5 credits total). in the student's chosen concentration:  language and linguistics, or literature and culture.

Students must have senior standing and have completed at least three out of four core courses. The comprehensive course requirement is in addition to the three upper-division concentration courses; the same course cannot be used for both.

Languages and Linguistics Capstone Courses
SPAN 151Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Varieties of Spanish

5

SPAN 152Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish in the U.S.

5

SPAN 153Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish as a Second Language

5

SPAN 154Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish Pragmatics

5

Literature and Culture Capstone Course
LIT 190X
/SPAN 190A
Temas de la literatura y cultura espanolas y latinoamericanas

5

Planners

Four-Year Planner for Non-Spanish Heritage Speakers

  Fall Winter Spring
1st (frosh) SPAN 1 SPAN 2 SPAN 3
     
     
2nd (soph) SPAN 4 SPAN 5 SPAN 6
LING 50 HIS 12  
     
3rd (junior) SPAN 105/LIT 189C SPAN 150 LIT 189A or 189B
SPAN 114 or SPHS 115 Elective  
     
4th (senior) Concentration 1 Concentration 3  
Concentration 2  Capstone*  
     

*Depending on the student’s choice of concentration and capstone course, the term in which the course is taught will vary.

Four-Year Planner for Spanish Heritage Speakers

  Fall Winter Spring
1st (frosh) SPHS 4  SPHS 5  SPHS 6 
     
     
2nd (soph) LING 50 HIS 12 SPAN 114 or SPHS 115
     
     
3rd (junior) SPAN 105/LIT 189C SPAN 150 LIT 189A or LIT 189B
  Elective  
     
4th (senior) Concentration 1 Concentration 3  
Concentration 2  Capstone*  
     

*Depending on the student’s choice of concentration and capstone course, the term in which the course is taught will vary.

Transfer Planner

  Fall Winter Spring
1st (junior) SPHS 4/SPAN 4 SPHS 5/SPAN 5 SPHS 6/SPAN 6
LING 50  HIS 12  
     
2nd (senior) SPAN 105/LIT 189C LIT 189A or LIT 189B Elective
SPAN 114 or SPHS 115 Concentration 1  Concentration 3 
SPAN 150 Concentration 2  Capstone

This planner assumes that a student places into Level 4 or higher of the language they are studying when they enter UCSC.