Spanish, Language and Culture Concentration, B.A.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish will:

1. Recognize Spanish as a global language with regional and social varieties and registers that both unify and differentiate the Spanish-speaking world; in particular, they will recognize the cultural and linguistic roots and features of the Spanish language as spoken in California, elsewhere in the U.S., and throughout the world;
2. Be able to carry out a range of communicative functions in Spanish, such as engaging in oral conversation modes with sufficient accuracy so as to be easily understood by a native Spanish speaker, reading and listening to authentic texts and materials, producing written discourse and composing academic texts, and giving public oral presentations and readings;
3. Have the demonstrated ability to carry out several aspects of collaborative learning tasks, including group communication, and peer review;
4. Use technological tools and Spanish language resources available through electronic means, such as chat rooms, email, and the Internet for research and classroom purposes; and demonstrate ability to compare information available only in Spanish with information on the same topics available in English to analyze the different perspectives and/or biases shown in the sources;
5. Have the capacity to confront and consider issues of social justice relevant to local and global Hispanic communities;
6. Formulate research questions and identify and use appropriate methodology to answer them, applying appropriate guidelines for the ethical treatment of human and non-human research participants to the various phases of research;
7. Appreciate the diversity and richness of the Hispanic world’s multiple forms of literary and artistic expression, and relate the patterns of behavior and values integral to Hispanic cultures to their own culture, aspirations, and identity;
8. Identify, critically analyze and interpret language data and literary texts in Spanish;
9. Identify the distinguishing characteristics and aesthetic registers of the major literary genres and periods of Hispanic literature;
10. Recognize the existence of a variety of literary, linguistic, and cultural perspectives and meanings; and
11. Identify the grammatical and discursive functions of Spanish language structures in a variety of social and cultural contexts.

Career Opportunities

The world is tied together by many bonds—economic, diplomatic and human—and because of technological advances in transportation and communication, an increasing number of Americans rely on the knowledge of a second language. Concentrated study of the languages and cultures of other nations contributes significantly to the improvement of international relations.

Employment possibilities for Spanish majors include the many positions available to humanities students in any field. For bilinguals there are openings in foreign countries as well as in the United States. Graduates have found jobs in teaching, translating, foreign diplomacy, foreign correspondence, the travel/hospitality industries, import-export work, international corporations, and in government agencies. Spanish language competence is an asset to workers in social services, public health, and law enforcement. While graduates with skills and backgrounds only in the Spanish language may encounter keen competition for jobs, as a supplement to other skills the knowledge of a language other than English is a valuable professional commodity.

Special Conditions for the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish

1. The major consists of 48 semester units, with 36 units of upper-division coursework.
2. The 12 units of lower division, or any portion thereof, may be met by demonstrating equivalent proficiency. In such a case, the units in lower-division would be reduced proportionately.
3. Upper-division requirements are divided between a core and a concentration. The core requires 21 units and each of the four concentrations is 15 units, for a total of 36 units.
4. Appropriate courses taken for lower-division General Education credit may be counted toward the preparation of the major.
5. Credit/No Credit grading is not allowed in the upper-division courses required for the major, except in the case of students who pass course-specific challenge exams administered by the program.
6. A grade of C (2.0) or better must be earned in all upper-division courses applied to the major.
7. In no case may more than two courses conducted in English be applied to the Spanish major.

General Education (48 Units)

General Education Requirements  

Breadth Requirement (3 Units)

Additional course in Upper Division Arts and Humanities (CC designated) outside the major. This requirement can also count as the CC requirement in Upper Division General Education, but it must be taken in an Arts and Humanities or Interdisciplinary program other than Spanish. Any course carrying the CC designation outside of the Spanish major can be used to fulfill this requirement. If a student chooses to satisfy their UDGE CC outside the major, the breadth requirement will become 3 free elective units.

Interdisciplinary Social Science Requirement (3 Units)

All Spanish majors must meet an Interdisciplinary Social Science (IDSS) requirement. This is satisfied with an approved lower-division interdisciplinary social science course from one of the following departments or programs: American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Border Studies, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, Geography, Global Studies, Linguistics, Social Sciences, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. The course taken to satisfy IDSS cannot double count with other major requirements and must be outside the student’s major discipline.

Preparation for the Major

Total (3-15 Units)

Core Requirements (9 Units)

• SPAN 302 - Basic Theory and Practice of Composition Units: 3
• SPAN 303 - Advanced Theory and Practice of Written Composition Units: 3
• SPAN 315 - Reading and Analysis of Hispanic Literary Texts Units: 3

Total (21 Units)

The following four concentrations respond to our area’s demands for different types of opportunities:

•  Spanish, General Major Concentration, B.A.  
•  Spanish, Language and Culture Concentration, B.A. 
•  Spanish, Literature Concentration, B.A. 
•  Spanish, Spanish for the Professions Concentration, B.A.