Spanish, B.A.

Program Description

This major is designed to develop basic skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Spanish. In addition, the program aims to acquaint students with the literature and civilization of the Hispanic world and introduce them to the study of Hispanic linguistics. Enough flexibility is provided to permit a degree of concentration in either Hispanic literature or linguistics. Specialized courses are offered in translation techniques and in the use of Spanish for social services. Courses taken in the University's Education Abroad Program in Spain and Mexico may be applied to the major. In conjunction with the College of Education, students may take work leading to certification as Spanish teachers in the secondary or elementary schools.

Combined with course work in business, social welfare, or bilingual education, the B.A. in Spanish can facilitate entry into a number of professional areas. In addition, it provides the traditional foundation for advanced degree work required for such careers as college teaching and government service. Students are eligible to participate in the University's Education Abroad Programs.

What is Spanish?

Spanish is the native language of nearly 500 million people, making it the second-most widely spoken language in the world. It is an official language in 21 countries, each with a rich history and culture that are reflected in the grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation of this one language in its many dialectal variations. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and is the second most spoken language in the United States, which currently ranks as the third largest Spanish-speaking country in the world (after Mexico and Colombia).

You Might Like this Program If...

• You are passionate about serving others at home and abroad.
• You are fascinated by language, how it works, and how a language changes from one region to another.
• You understand that proficiency in Spanish opens a lot of doors.
• You want to share your passion for the Spanish language and culture with your students, in a career in education.
• You love to travel.
• You are a foodie, a film-buff, a word-gamer, or an adventurer.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

3 of the 24 credits for Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements are included in the Requirements for the Major, General Education, or Electives and 0-12 credits are included in Electives if world language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.

Per Senate Policy 83-80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
SPAN 215	The Science of Spanish: A Beginner's Guide to Hispanic Linguistics	3
SPAN 253W	Introduction to Literary & Cultural Studies en Español	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
SPAN 200	Intensive Grammar and Composition 1	3
or SPAN 200A	Intensive Grammar and Composition for Spanish Bilinguals
Select 3 credits from the following:		3
SPAN 100	Intermediate Grammar and Composition
SPAN 100A	Intermediate Grammar and Composition for Spanish Bilinguals 1
SPAN 100B	Intermediate Grammar and Composition for Students in Medical-Related Fields
SPAN 100C
Select 3 credits of 400-level Hispanic Linguistics:		3
SPAN 411	The ABCs of Bilingualism: Acquisition, Brain, and Community
SPAN 417	How Languages Are Learned
SPAN 418	The Evolution of Spanish
SPAN 497	Special Topics
Select 3 credits of 400-level Hispanic Literature:		3
SPAN 439	Don Quijote
SPAN/LTNST 470	Youth Cultures in Latin(a/o) America
SPAN 472	The Contemporary Spanish American Novel
SPAN 474	Many Mexicos
SPAN 476	Masterpieces of Spanish American Literature
SPAN/LTNST 479	U.S. Latina/o Culture en Espanol
SPAN 488	War, Revolution, and the Struggles for Modernity: Spain 1898-1939
SPAN 490	Masterpieces of Spanish Prose
SPAN 491	Masterpieces of Spanish Drama and Poetry
SPAN 497	Special Topics
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 9 additional credits from the following 200- and 300-level course list:		9
SPAN 210	Readings in Iberian Civilization
SPAN 220	Readings in Ibero-American Civilization
SPAN 297	Special Topics
SPAN 299	Foreign Study--Intermediate Conversational Spanish
SPAN 300	Advanced Grammar and Composition Through Reading
SPAN 300B	Advanced Grammar and composition for Students in Medical-related Fields
SPAN 305	Spanish for Social Services
SPAN 314	Spanish Sounds
SPAN 315N	Spanish and Spanish-speakers in the U.S.
SPAN 316	Building Words and Sentences in Spanish
SPAN 353	Topics in the Cultures of Spain
SPAN 354	Topics in Cultural Contact and Exchange
SPAN 355	Topics in the Cultures of Latin America
SPAN 356	Topics in the Cultures of the Americas
SPAN 397	Special Topics
SPAN 399	Foreign Study--Spanish
Select 9 additional credits from the following 400-level course list: 2		9
SPAN 410	Advanced Oral Expression and Communication 1
SPAN 411	The ABCs of Bilingualism: Acquisition, Brain, and Community
SPAN 412	Translation
SPAN 413	Interpretation
SPAN 417	How Languages Are Learned
SPAN 418	The Evolution of Spanish
SPAN 420	Spanish for Business and International Trade
SPAN 439	Don Quijote
SPAN/LTNST 470	Youth Cultures in Latin(a/o) America
SPAN 472	The Contemporary Spanish American Novel
SPAN 474	Many Mexicos
SPAN 476	Masterpieces of Spanish American Literature
SPAN 479	U.S. Latina/o Culture en Espanol
SPAN 488	War, Revolution, and the Struggles for Modernity: Spain 1898-1939
SPAN 490	Masterpieces of Spanish Prose
SPAN 491	Masterpieces of Spanish Drama and Poetry
SPAN 497	Special Topics
SPAN 499	Foreign Study--Spanish

¹

Heritage speakers (students with Spanish language in family background) and native speakers of Spanish must take SPAN 100A and SPAN 200A instead of SPAN 100 and SPAN 200. May not take SPAN 100, SPAN 200, SPAN 300, or SPAN 410.

²

Courses satisfying this requirement are in addition to the 400-level Hispanic Literature and Hispanic Linguistics requirements. Courses may not count in multiple areas.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

B.A. Degree Requirements

World Language (0-12 credits): Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one world language in addition to English. This proficiency must be demonstrated by either examination or course work. See the Placement Policy for Penn State World Language Courses.

B.A. Fields (9 credits): Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, World Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (may not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; world language credits in this category must be in a second world language in addition to English or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language). Credits must be selected from the list of approved courses.

World Cultures (0-3 credits): Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the University Cultural Diversity (US/IL) requirement.​

Program Learning Objectives

• Students will have developed oral skills in Spanish that allow them to communicate efficiently in a range of settings from informal to professional.
• Students will have developed literacy skills that allow them to read texts written for native speakers of Spanish.  Majors should be able to understand and interpret a variety of media ranging from newspapers to literary texts to formal academic prose.
• Students will have developed control of Spanish grammar and syntax as demonstrated in written work.
• Students will have developed a broad cultural awareness of the Spanish-speaking world.
• Students will be familiar with major authors and literary works from Spain and Latin America.
• Students will have been strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester abroad immersed in the target language and its culture through a study abroad program.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Spanish, B.A. at University Park Campus and Commonwealth Campuses

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

Most students start at level 2 or 3. Students starting at level 1 may accelerate their progress by taking intensive SPAN 10 and 20 instead of the SPAN 1-3 sequence, or by taking 3-9 cr. of SPAN through the summer program in Seville, Spain or Puebla, Mexico.

²

Unless prior course has fulfilled that requirement, then pick an elective

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements:

Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in World Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as World Cultures courses.

Advising Notes:

• All incoming freshmen must take a First-Year Seminar (FYS) during Fall or Spring of their first year. Academic advisers can provide a list of FYS being offered and help the student enroll. Most FYS in the College of the Liberal Arts are worth 3 cr. and count as a General Humanities (GH) or General Social Sciences (GS) course. For this reason, the FYS is not listed separately on this eight-semester plan; most students will be able to fulfill the FYS requirement while also fulfilling a GH or GS requirement.
• Students pursuing this major at a Commonwealth Campus might require summer attendance, study abroad, or additional semesters to complete the major coursework. Students should contact the University Park adviser to plan their major courses accordingly.

Career Paths

A degree in Spanish will prepare you to make a significant impact in the service of the Spanish-speaking community in the United States, as Spanish is increasingly necessary in the professions, business, and government. It will also open opportunities to live and work abroad, whether in vibrant, modern cities or in the service of developing communities. With your enhanced communication skills and global awareness, you will be a strong candidate for almost any job. If teaching is your passion, your Spanish degree will lead to your success in the Spanish language classroom at home, and the English language classroom abroad.

Careers

Your degree in Spanish will be highly prized by employers in business, who value international competence; in government, who need both your Spanish proficiency and the cultural awareness acquired in learning a language; in medicine, where health care practitioners who speak Spanish are in great demand and short supply; in law and law enforcement, where too few are trained to address the needs and interests of Spanish speakers. Research in Spanish Linguistics promises insights into the nature of language learning and processing; Spanish literature and film scholars are dispelling myths and stereotypes toward a more informed view of Hispanic realities.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

A Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish will prepare students for a teaching career and is extremely valuable in many other career paths and choices. It can also lead to advanced degrees in Spanish literature or linguistics, general linguistics, second language acquisition, comparative literature, law, medicine, international business, international relations or politics, education, translation and interpretation, environmental and sustainability studies, and labor and employment relations.

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH, ITALIAN AND PORTUGUESE
442 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-4252
sp-it-port@psu.edu

https://sip.la.psu.edu/