Spanish Program Requirements

Faculty

• Deyanira Ariza-Velasco

view Spanish Courses

Program Goals

• To achieve proficiency in the “5 C’s” of language learning: communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and communities.
• 1st Year: Students will master the basic structures of grammar in the target language, demonstrate a “survival” level of written and oral proficiency, and gain a foundation in cultural traditions.
• 2nd Year: Students will achieve standard proficiency in conversation, composition, and the reading of short fiction. They will continue to deepen their knowledge of Spanish culture and history.
• 3rd Year: Students will understand and be understood by native speakers and be knowledgeable about the major aspects of Hispanic literature and cultural history.

Objectives

The Spanish Program offers a minor in Spanish and an interdisciplinary academic major in Spanish-Latin American Studies. Our courses cultivate and deepen a student’s understanding of the communication potential of a world language and its cultural value.

Placement

Only students who have never studied Spanish before may register for SPAN 110. Students with prior study or knowledge of Spanish can consult with program faculty on appropriate course placement through an interview. Students who have completed one or two years of high school Spanish language study are usually eligible for SPAN 111. Students who have completed three or more years of high school Spanish language study are generally not eligible to take SPAN 110 or SPAN 111. Based on their prior study and demonstrated proficiency, faculty may place these students in a 200-level SPAN course. Spanish placement exams, such as the CLEP, can also help determine whether a student should register for SPAN 110, 111, or higher. Please note the language placement at a higher level does not reduce the total number of world language credit hours required for a major or minor.

Program Requirements

Students wishing to major or minor in Spanish are advised that, due to the size and staffing of the Language Department, some Spanish courses have only one section in a given semester or may be offered on a rotating basis. A maximum of 12 external hours (transfer, CLEP, Prior Learning, Challenge exam, or other approved external language exams) may be applied toward the minor (see below under “Additional Requirements and Procedures”). For further information and advising please schedule an appointment with the chair of the Language Department or Spanish faculty.

Students must meet the university-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Spanish major:

• 124 total hours
• 30 upper division hours
• WCore or Honors College requirements

Spanish-Latin American Studies Major

Study Abroad/Internship Abroad/Domestic Internship

Spanish-Latin American Studies majors must complete one of the following:

• A semester of study abroad (12 credits)
• An internship abroad (8 credits)
• A domestic internship (8 credits)
• 12 credit hours of on-campus Spanish courses

One of these options must be completed during the Fall, Spring, or Summer of their junior year or the Fall semester of their senior year. Study or internship abroad should be completed at an international university or organization (internship) and should be decided upon in consultation with their major advisor. A domestic internship should take place in any Hispanic/Latino community throughout the United States.

When a student does not take a study abroad course, an internship abroad, or a domestic internship—usually natives from Spanish-speaking countries and, in some cases, non-natives who have spent a significant amount of time in a Spanish-speaking country (for example, those who have completed one to two years of Spanish-speaking volunteer work abroad)—the student must satisfy the 12 credits by completing upper division Spanish courses on campus, and should consult the program chair or advisor for further clarification.

Recommended Plan of Study for Spanish-Latin American Studies

*Two May Term (SPAN 300) classes worth a total of 4 hours may substitute for Spanish 301.

Spanish Minor

To fulfill the requirements for an academic minor in Spanish, students must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours in Spanish coursework.

Additional Academic Requirements and Procedures

Note: Please consult your individual academic major listings in this catalog for any language requirement under their governance.

Native Fluency—Students demonstrating native fluency in a language other than English may request and receive, upon proper documentation, a waiver for the world language requirement in their major (see Language Department or Registrar’s Office for proper procedure). No credit, however, is awarded for this waiver.

Transfer Credit—A maximum of 12 credit hours of transfer credit or credit by examination may be applied toward the Spanish major or minor. For Spanish majors, the 12 hour maximum does not affect or overlap with their Semester Study Abroad requirement (12 hours). Transfer credit may apply toward the 12 hours world language required for the International Business major. Transfer hours beyond the 12-hour limit may apply toward total hours for graduation.

Examinations

Credit by examination is not counted as in-residence credit. Questions regarding Spanish exams and placement should be directed to a faculty member.

CLEP Exam—The CLEP exam is a national standardized test of listening/reading comprehension in Spanish. Westminster students successfully passing this exam receive up to a maximum of 12 credit hours equivalent to SPAN 110, 111, and 220. Note: Only partial CLEP credit may be applied toward a language major or minor if the student is applying transfer or other exam credit toward the same major or minor.

External World Language Exam—Up to 12 credit hours may be obtained by successfully passing an accredited world language exam administered by another institution, (e.g., University of Utah, Brigham Young University; contact the individual institution directly for world language exam information). It is the student’s responsibility to pre-approve transfer credit with the Registrar’s Office. External tests generally cover the equivalent of the first year and one-half of the second year of a language.

Challenge Examination—Students who have an advanced academic ability in a subject matter may “challenge” a course for credit. See Academic Catalog listing and/or language faculty for details.

Advanced Placement (AP)—Students who received a score of 3 or higher on the Spanish AP exam earn 8 credit hours, distributed as SPAN 110 and 111. Students who received a score of 4 or higher on the Spanish AP exam earn 12 credit hours, distributed as SPAN 110, 111, and 220. Students with AP credit are encouraged to continue their Spanish studies at Westminster; please direct placement questions to program faculty.