Academic Programs Catalog

The Spanish language program fosters the study of the human experience as expressed in the language, dialects, literatures, and cultures of Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Students have the opportunity to take courses across the curriculum or focus on a specific area of interest. Areas of focus are: the Spanish language, the Literature of Spain, the Literature of Latin America and the Caribbean and Spanish Linguistics.  The MSU Spanish program connects the learning of the Spanish language to the acquisition of practical skills that are immediately useful in real-world settings. Its emphasis on interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and immersion education allows students to creatively articulate meaningful links with other specializations and offers them various ways to confidently define their future career paths. Students who major or minor in Spanish are introduced to unique opportunities for self-enrichment, professional growth and academic success through study abroad programs (in Spain, Mexico, Ecuador and Argentina), through undergraduate research opportunities with faculty deeply dedicated to mentoring, teaching and research, and through numerous extra-curricular activities and opportunities for service fostering the development of leadership and organizational skills.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Spanish major is met by completing Spanish 320 and 350. Those courses are referenced in item 3. a. (1) below.
2. The requirements of the College of Arts and Letters for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	The following Spanish courses (36 to 40 credits):
   	(1)	All of the following courses (27 credits):
   		SPN	310	Basic Spanish Grammar			3
   		SPN	320	Cultural Readings  and Composition (W)			3
   		SPN	330	Phonetics and Pronunciation			3
   		SPN	342	Media and Conversation			3
   		SPN	350	Introduction to Reading Hispanic Literature (W)			3
   		SPN	412	Topics in Hispanic Culture			3
   		SPN	420	Spain and its Literature			3
   		SPN	432	Latin America and its Literature			3
   		SPN	440	The Structure of Spanish			3
   		See the Department for an approved list of courses which may be used to substitute for Spanish 412.
   	(2)	Three of the following courses (9 credits):
   		SPN	452	Topics in Spanish Language I			3
   		SPN	462	Topics in Spanish Literature			3
   		SPN	472	Topics in the Literatures of the Americas			3
   		SPN	482	Topics in Spanish Linguistics			3
   		SPN	491	Special Topics in Spanish			3
   		Each course may be repeated for up to 9 credits.
   	(3)	Spanish electives:  Additional credits in 400–level Spanish courses as needed to meet the requirement of at least 36, but not more than 40, credits in the major.
   b.	Intensive contact with Spanish is required in order to learn the language. Students majoring in Spanish are expected to study abroad for at least eight weeks, but should a student be unable to meet that expectation, one  of the following options must be approved:
   	(1)	internship for at least eight weeks in a Spanish-speaking environment.
   	(2)	service learning for at least eight weeks in a Spanish-speaking environment.
   	Majors and teaching minors are strongly encouraged to take their second Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities course in Spanish, if this option is available.
   	Any student who cannot complete the required experiential component must enroll in Spanish 492 Senior Writing Project for 1 credit. The completion of the experiential requirement or Spanish 492 satisfies the capstone course requirement for the Spanish major.