Major in Spanish

Become fluent in a language where over 400 million speak Spanish world-wide. With more than 33 million speakers, Spanish is the second largest language in the United States.

Being able to speak Spanish greatly enhances your resume. If you are bilingual you are more competitive in the workplace.

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Spanish requires satisfactory completion of the following:

  • A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a B.A. degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts.
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required for graduation.
  • A minimum of 21 credit hours of major coursework must be completed in residence in the IU School of Liberal Arts. Coursework completed on an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program counts as residential credit.
  • A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each major course (C- will not qualify).
  • Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise. Except in cases of variable title courses, internships, and other special courses, no course will be counted more than once toward graduation.
  • The required distribution of courses may NOT be waived or substituted, but equivalent courses from study abroad programs and/or transferred from other universities may be accepted with consent of the advisor.

Course Requirements

Introductory and intermediate course series are designed to provide non-majors with an exploration into Spanish language and Hispanic culture as an essential component of a liberal arts education. These courses aim to develop an interest in the language and the people who speak it, as well as to prepare students for a variety of careers with international dimensions.

The advanced curriculum prepares students to communicate orally and in writing on the different content areas that comprise the study of Spanish, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve success in their future careers, to meet their academic and personal goals, and to prepare them for graduate work.

Required courses at the 300 level (15 credits)

  • SPAN-S 313: Writing Spanish (3 cr.) or S318 for Native & Heritage Speakers
  • SPAN-S 323: Introduction to Translating Spanish and English (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 326: Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 360: Introduction to Hispanic Literature (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 363: Introduction to Hispanic Culture (3 cr.)

Required courses at the 400 level (15 credits)
Choose one course (3 cr.) from each category.

Literature

Choose one (3 cr.) course.

  • SPAN-S 407: Survey of Spanish Literature I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 408: Survey of Spanish Literature II (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 431: Survey of Spanish Poetry I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 432: Survey of Spanish Poetry II (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 445: Major Dramatists of the Golden Age I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 450: Cervantes’ Don Quixote I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 455: Modern Spanish Drama I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 457: Modern Spanish Novel I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 461: Contemporary Spanish Literature I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 470: Women and Hispanic Literature (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 471: Spanish-American Literature I (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 472: Spanish-American Literature II (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 477: 20th-Century Spanish-American Prose Fiction (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 495: Hispanic Colloquium (3 cr.)

Culture and Civilization

Choose one (3 cr.) course.

  • SPAN-S 411: Spanish Culture and Civilization (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 412: Latin American Culture and Civilization (3 cr.)

Linguistics

Choose one (3 cr.) course.

  • SPAN-S 425: Spanish Phonetics (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 427: The Structure of Spanish (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 428: Applied Spanish Linguistics (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 440: Hispanic Sociolinguistics (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 441: The Acquisition of Spanish (3 cr.)
  • SPAN-S 468: Varieties of Spanish (3 cr.)

Elective Courses

Choose one (3 cr.) course Elective at the 400 level.

Capstone Courses

Choose one (3 cr.) course

  • SPAN-S 487: Capstone Internship in Spanish (3 cr.) OR
  • SPAN-S 498: Capstone Seminar in Spanish (3 cr.)

Only majors with senior standing may register for Capstone Courses with authorization.

Recommended Curriculum

To provide students with guidance that will both enhance their academic experience and avoid problems meeting requirements, the program in Spanish has developed the following suggested curriculum for fulfilling major requirements.

Four-year Plan

Freshman Year

SPAN-S 131: First Year Spanish I

SPAN-S 132: First Year Spanish II

Sophomore Year

SPAN-S 203: Second Year Spanish 1

SPAN-S 204: Second Year Spanish 2

300/400 Level Elective

Note: Begin Exploring Study Abroad Opportunities

Junior Year

SPAN-S 313: Writing Spanish

SPAN-S 326: Introduction to Spanish Linguistics

SPAN-S 360: Introduction to Hispanic Literature

SPAN-S 363: Introduction to Hispanic Culture

Senior Year

SPAN-S 323: Introduction to Translating Spanish and English

Spanish 400 Level Literature

Spanish 400 Level Culture

Spanish Capstone

Degree Map

To help you guide your four-year college journey, consult your degree map for a snapshot of the classes you will be taking to finish your degree.

Accelerated Second Degree

Through the Dual Degree Program, the Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are waived for undergraduate students whose first major is outside the School of Liberal Arts and whose second major is a Bachelor of Arts degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts.

Teacher Certification in Spanish

Students with a B.A. in Spanish, who have completed their teaching major requirements in Spanish, can earn an accelerated Teacher Certification with the School of Education.

More Info

Contact Rosa Tezanos-Pinto, Director of Program in Spanish.