Discover the Spanish Curriculum
Spanish at USD offers students the chance to develop advanced communicative proficiency and analyze the rich literary and cultural production of the entire Spanish-speaking world—from Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States to the Iberian Peninsula. You'll gain a broad understanding of diverse cultures by exploring literary and cultural contributions, traditions, perspectives and histories. Students also learn to critically analyze and interpret the texts and language that define this dynamic, intercultural space. Our program includes a specialized sequence (SPAN 212 and 311) to meet the unique needs of heritage language learners.
As the second most widely spoken language globally and in the United States, and an official language in over 20 countries, Spanish is more vital than ever. With over 50 million speakers, the USA is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country, and nearly a third of Californians speak Spanish as a first language. Clearly, effective Spanish communicative proficiency is paramount for all professions across the private, public and non-profit sectors. Spanish pairs well with other majors and minors including healthcare, business, law and more, enhancing students’ cultural and linguistic fluency.
Major
Through language and cultural study across the Spanish-speaking world, students build strong communication and analytical skills through the Spanish major.
Minor
The Spanish minor expands students' understanding of the traditions, histories and diverse cultures of Latin America, Spain and U.S. Latinx communities while enhancing their linguistic proficiency.
Within the minor, there are two options of study. Review the minor tab below to learn more about the requirements for each and what your options are within the Spanish minor.
Explore Spanish Courses
Read descriptions of our Spanish classes on our Courses page! Not all courses offered below will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester.
Program Requirements
Each student declares their major(s) and minor(s) under a single catalog of record that is identified on the student's degree audit (available on Degree Works).
The program requirements below are based on the current course catalog and may not be applicable if a student is declared in an earlier catalog.
Find all previous course catalogs under on our Archived Catalogs of Record page.
27-30 units
Major
18 units
Minor Option 1
15 units
Minor Option 2
Major unit estimates include preparation for the major course units as well as major requirements.
- Major
- Minor
- Learning Outcomes
The Major
Preparation for the Spanish Major
Students must have finished SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 (or the equivalent, e.g. placement in upper-division through the Department's Placement exam), thereby demonstrating proficiency in oral and written expression. Lower-division courses provide the necessary training in the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) as well as basic cultural competency. Upper-division courses further develop these skills and bring students to a level of proficiency of Advanced Low to Advanced High on the ACTFL scale. The experience of living and studying in a Spanish-speaking country is highly recommended.
Major Requirements
Students must complete 27 units of upper-division work, selected from Spanish courses numbered 300 or above, which must include:
SPAN 301 | Writing and Composition in Spanish | 3 |
or SPAN 311 | Writing and Composition for Heritage Speakers | |
SPAN 302 | Cultural History of Spain | 3 |
SPAN 303 | Introduction To Cultural Analysis | 3 |
SPAN 304 | Cultural History of Latin America | 3 |
Select three of the following 400-level courses | 9 | |
SPAN 423 | Studies in Spanish Literature of the Golden Age | |
SPAN 424 | Don Quijote de la Mancha | |
SPAN 426 | Studies in 18th and 19th Century Peninsular Literature and Culture | |
SPAN 427 | Studies in 20th and 21st Century Peninsular Literature and Culture | |
SPAN 428 | Food and Politics in Spain | |
SPAN 434 | The "New" World | |
SPAN 410 | Latinx Literatures and Cultures | |
SPAN 434 | The "New" World | |
SPAN 448 | Latin American Short Story | |
SPAN 449 | Latin American Novel | |
SPAN 451 | Latin American Poetry | |
SPAN 453 | Mexican Literature and Culture | |
SPAN 456 | Humans Rights in Latin American Cultural Production | |
SPAN 458 | Jewish Latin America | |
Select any 6 units of upper-division SPAN courses | 6 | |
SPAN 495 | Senior Capstone Project (optional) (The optional capstone project (1-3 units) is carried out in the student’s last year in the program. The student must meet with her or his capstone advisor to determine the parameters for the project and consult with the program director to enroll either in SPAN 495 or in SPAN 497 - the Senior Capstone Project with Advanced Integration) | 1-3 |
or SPAN 497 | Senior Capstone Project with Advanced Integration | |
Total Units | 27-30 | |
A minimum of 15 upper-division units must be taken on the USD campus.
Recommended Program of Study, Spanish Major
This program of study is designed for incoming freshmen with little or no previous knowledge of the Spanish language. Students begin the program at the level corresponding to their placement as determined through the department's Placement Policy, and, therefore, with sufficient prior language preparation, they may initiate upper-division course work as early as their freshman year. While students having successfully completed SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 may enroll in many 300-level courses (300-307), it is highly recommended that the sequence outlined above be followed.
Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
Semester I | Units | |
SPAN 101 | First Semester Spanish | 3 |
Semester II | ||
SPAN 102 | Second Semester Spanish | 3 |
Sophomore Year | ||
Semester I | ||
SPAN 201 | Third Semester Spanish | 3 |
Semester II | ||
SPAN 202 | Fourth Semester Spanish | 3 |
Junior Year | ||
Semester I | ||
SPAN 301 | Writing and Composition in Spanish | 3 |
Semester II | ||
SPAN 302 | Cultural History of Spain | 3 |
SPAN 304 | Cultural History of Latin America | 3 |
300-level course | 3 | |
Senior Year | ||
Semester I | ||
300- or 400-level course | 3 | |
400-level course | 3 | |
Semester II | ||
400-level course | 3 | |
400-level course | 3 | |
SPAN 495 Optional Senior Capstone Project |
| |