Please read the placement policy of this department before enrolling in your first Spanish class at USD or elsewhere.
Courses
SPAN 101
First Semester Spanish
Units: 3
Introduction to the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Throughout the sequence, emphasis is placed on the development of communicative proficiency—with a focus on oral practice—and on heightening students’ awareness of cultural contexts. Prerequisites: Placement Exam or Waiver of Placement. Every semester.
SPAN 102
Second Semester Spanish
Units: 3
This class introduces new structures and continues to develop the four basic language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing— with an emphasis on communicative proficiency and cultural awareness. Prerequisites: SPAN 101 or equivalent, or Placement Exam. Every semester.
SPAN 103
First Year Spanish
Units: 4
An accelerated course in which SPAN 101 and SPAN 102 are combined into one semester. This course is intended for students whose placement exam results indicate that they are too advanced to enroll in SPAN 101 but are not prepared for SPAN 102. This course will successfully prepare students to take Spanish 201. Students may not receive credit for taking both SPAN 102 and SPAN 103. Prerequisites: Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year or approval of instructor
SPAN 140
Topics in Literature and Culture
Units: 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in literature, film, and culture in translation from Spanish. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
SPAN 141
Topics in Literature, Film and Culture-Domestic Focus
Units: 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in literature, film and/or culture with a Domestic Focus in translation from Spanish. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
SPAN 142
Topics in Literature, Film and Culture-Global Focus
Units: 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in literature, film and/or culture with a Global Focus in translation from Spanish. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
SPAN 194
Special Topics in Spanish
Units: 1 TO 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in literature, film and/or culture in translation from Spanish. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
SPAN 201
Third Semester Spanish
Units: 3
Completes the introduction of the basic structures of the language, with continuing emphasis on communicative proficiency. At this level students are encouraged to participate in community service-learning and/or cultural activities within the Spanish speaking community. Prerequisite: SPAN 102, or equivalent, or SPAN 103,or Placement Exam. Every semester.
SPAN 202
Fourth Semester Spanish
Units: 3
A review of the structures of the language, as well as practice in composition and conversation, in preparation for upper-division work. First of two-semester sequence with SPAN 301. Students may not receive credit for both SPAN 202 and 212. Every semester. Prerequisites: SPAN 201 with a grade of C- or better or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 212
Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Units: 3
Intensive Spanish for Heritage speakers who have had little or no formal training in the language. Students will develop writing and oral skills, while increasing their understanding of Hispanic cultures. First of two-semester sequence with SPAN 311. Students may not receive credit for both SPAN 202 and 212. Prerequisites: SPAN 201 or SPN4.
SPAN 280
Intermediate Composition: Spanish in California and the US
Units: 3
This course aims to develop and refine students’ writing and grammar skills through the critical study of texts written by writers from Spanish-speaking communities. Analyzing these texts will empower students to expand their reading and writing skills while reinforcing their knowledge of essential grammar concepts. At the same time, students will also reflect critically on issues related to writers from Spanish-speaking communities, such as different registers and dialects of Spanish; internal divisions within these communities; and experiences of migration, diaspora and social exclusion; among others. The course is designed to prepare students for more advanced writing courses in Spanish, such as Span 301 (Writing and Composition) or Span 311 (Writing and Composition for Heritage Speakers). Prerequisites: (SPAN 202 and SPAN 212) or passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year
SPAN 294
Special Topics in Spanish
Units: 1 TO 3
Study at the lower-division level of a special topic in language, literature, or culture. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. May be taken for credit each time topic changes. Consult with instructor or the department chair. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212, Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year, or instructor approval.
SPAN 300
Conversation
Units: 3
A course designed for students who wish to enhance their command of spoken Spanish, including building vocabulary and expanding the use of more advanced grammatical structures. This course does not accept students who already have high intermediate or advanced oral proficiency in the language. A brief interview with the instructor is required for admission. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 301
Writing and Composition in Spanish
Units: 3
Students will develop writing competency in Spanish through a study of representative styles, genres, and forms, as well as review select grammatical structures. Second of two-course sequence with SPAN 202. Students may not receive credit for taking both SPAN 301 and SPAN 311. Every semester. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 with a minimum grade of C- or better or passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 302
Cultural History of Spain
Units: 3
An introduction to the cultural history of Spain from pre-Roman times to the present through a wide variety of historical, visual, and literary texts, among other materials. Every semester. Students may not receive credit for taking both SPAN 302 and SPAN 322. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212, or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 303
Introduction To Cultural Analysis
Units: 3
An introduction to critical categories and vocabulary of cultural analysis, focusing on works from the Spanish-speaking world. Topics covered may include literature, the visual arts, cartography, language, music, and history, among others. Every semester. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 304
Cultural History of Latin America
Units: 3
An introduction to Latin American civilizations and cultures from earliest civilizations to the present. The course is designed to introduce the cultural history of Latin America through a wide variety of readings and materials. Every semester. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212, or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 305
Spanish for the Professions and Social Change
Units: 3
Inquiry-based course in which students study the contexts and languages of different professions based on their own projected career paths and in relation to multiple approaches to social change, which students learn to examine through a critical lens. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 or passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 306
Sounds of Spanish: Mastering Spanish Pronunciation for Real-World Communication
Units: 3
Discover how Spanish sounds are formed and how pronunciation influences meaning and communication. Embark in a comprehensive overview of Spanish pronunciation and its variation (of its many varieties). Through comparison with English and speaking practice, you’ll learn strategies to refine your accent, gain fluency, boost confidence and improve clarity in academic, professional, and intercultural settings. Prerequisites: SPAN 301 or SPAN 311 or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 307
How Spanish Works: Exploring Language in Context
Units: 3
Explore the inner workings of the Spanish language—how sounds, words, and sentences come together to create meaning. This course builds your analytical and communication skills while deepening your understanding of how language reflects culture, identity, and society—skills highly valued in teaching, translation, and global careers. Prerequisites: SPAN 301 or SPAN 311 or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 311
Writing and Composition for Heritage Speakers
Units: 3
This course is equivalent to 301 for Heritage speakers, who have had some formal training in the language. Students will develop competency in Spanish through a study of representative styles, genres, and forms, as well as select grammatical structures. Second of two semester sequence with SPAN 212. Students may not receive credit for taking both SPAN 301 and SPAN 311. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 312
Creative Writing Workshop
Units: 3
A course designed for students who wish to explore different modes of writing creatively in Spanish by experimenting with a variety of narrative and lyric forms of expression, including screenwriting and drama, among others. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212, or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year.
SPAN 315
Spanish for Teachers: Approaches and Applications to Second Language Teaching
Units: 3
Learn how we acquire a second language and the strategies to teach them effectively. This course introduces second language teaching methods and applied linguistics with a focus on practical skills for education, communication, and leadership in multilingual environments, including heritage language speakers—ideal for future teachers, tutors, or professionals working across cultures. Prerequisites: SPAN 301 or SPAN 311 or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 322
Spain Through the Ages - Madrid Center
Units: 3
An introduction to the cultural history of Spain from pre-Roman times to the present through a wide variety of historical, visual, and literary sources and other materials. This course fulfills the same requirements as SPAN 302 for the Spanish Major and Minor, but does not hold Core attributes. Students may not receive credit for taking both SPAN 302 and SPAN 322. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212.
SPAN 360
Latin American Narratives
Units: 3
A survey of representative works and authors of Latin American literature from from earliest civilizations to the present. Includes readings in prose, poetry, and drama. Prerequisites: (SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and SPAN 303 and SPAN 304.
SPAN 394
Special Topics in Spanish
Units: 1 TO 3
Study at the third-year level of a special topic in language, literature, or culture. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. May be taken for credit each time topic changes. Consult with instructor or the department chair. Prerequisites: SPAN 202 or SPAN 212, Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year, or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 410
U.S. Voices in Spanish
Units: 3
A study of the literary traditions and cultural production of Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. May focus on a specific topic, time period, genre, or group. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 423
Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature
Units: 3
Readings in poetry, prose, and theatre, with emphasis on power relations, gender and multiculturalism. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 424
Don Quijote de la Mancha
Units: 3
Considered Spain’s greatest contribution to world literature, Cervantes’ "Don Quijote" is read and analyzed. Includes reading and discussion of appropriate critical commentary. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 426
Gender and Sexuality in Spain
Units: 3
Organized thematically, this course offers intensive readings and discussion of selected literary works and cultural texts from Spain. May cover texts from the Enlightenment through the Generation of 1898. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 427
Race and Racism in Spain
Units: 3
Organized thematically, this courses offers intensive readings and discussion of selected literary works and cultural texts from Spain. May cover texts from the Generation of 1898, the Civil War, the Franco dictatorship, the transition to democracy, or the contemporary period. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 428
Food and Politics in Spain
Units: 3
This course studies how food creates identities in Spain and how food, its sourcing, preparation, distribution and consumption have intersected with governance since the Middle Ages until the present. It focuses on themes including faith, nationalisms, gender, hunger, democracy, and migration, among others, to understand how food texts elucidate the nuances of these topics in specific historical and political moments. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 430
Film and Visual Culture
Units: 3
A study of major Latin American and/or Spanish films and visual culture in relation to their cultural, historical, and social contexts. Depending on content, this course may count for either the Peninsular or Latin American requirement. Consult with instructor or section director. ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 434
The "New" World
Units: 3
A transatlantic study of the historical, cultural, and literary influences involved in the representations of the “New" World during the Colonial Era. Prerequisite: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 440
Topics in Literature, Film and Culture
Units: 3
Study of special topics in Spanish and/or Latin American literatures, films and cultures that meets the Literary Inquiry core requirement. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 441
Topics in Literature, Film and Culture-Domestic Focus
Units: 3
Study of special topics in Spanish and/or Latin American literatures, films and cultures that meets the Literary Inquiry and the level 2 Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice-Domestic Focus core requirement. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 442
Topics in Literature, Film and Culture-Global Focus
Units: 3
Study of special topics in Spanish and/or Latin American literatures, films and cultures that meets the Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice- Global Focus Level 2 core requirement. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 448
Latin American Fiction
Units: 3
A study of the Latin American short story from the beginning of the genre in the 19th century to the present. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 453
Mexican Literature and Culture
Units: 3
A study of major works of prose, poetry, and drama in Mexico in relation to other significant aspects of Mexican culture. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 456
Humans Rights in Latin American Cultural Production
Units: 3
A study of Latin American cultural production in the context of the multiple paradoxes of international human rights discourse. The course focuses on the analysis of literary and filmic texts, but also includes photography, plastic arts, political declarations, truth commission reports, and journalistic essays. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 458
Jewish Latin America
Units: 3
This is a course on Jewish cultural production in the Americas. An interdisciplinary course that examines migration and exile, otherness, memory, and the Holocaust in literature, film, music and the visual arts, in relation to the intersectionality of ethnicity, religion, class, sexuality, gender and nation. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 459
Environmental Humanities in Latin America
Units: 3
This course explores the complex relationship human and non-human beings maintain with the land across thediverse cultural landscape of Spanish-speaking Americas. Through cultural and literary grounded on criticalanalysis, we will examine how different societies—ranging from original Indigenous civilization tocontemporary communities—understand, represent and live in their environments. Special Attention will begiven to the concept of the “human” as defined by Western Humanism and to how that concept is imposed,contested and transformed in the American context.Drawing on visual, textual and musical materials from the Spanish-speaking Americas and in the Caribbean,including Indigenous, Black and Afro-diasporic perspectives, the course investigates competing interpretations of the environment as both a communal reality and a culturally constructed idea of “nature.” Students will engage with key figures and traditions of the region, deepen their understanding of diverse ecological worldviews, and develop the critical tools necessary to analyze environmental questions through a (non-Western) humanistic lens.Ultimately, this course bridges humanistic methods with environmental inquiry, encouraging students toquestion assumptions, appreciate cultural diversity, and reflect on their own relationship to the land. Theknowledge and critical thinking skills gained will support thoughtful engagement with contemporary ecologicalchallenges both within and beyond the Americas.Prerequisites: (SPAN 301, 311, or equivalent) and any other 300-level course
SPAN 460
Technology, Teaching and Learning
Units: 3
This course is ideal for students who are contemplating careers in teaching and educational technologies, while also developing advanced communicative skills in the Spanish language. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 493
Field Experience
Units: 1 TO 3
Placement in a community agency where advanced Spanish language skills will be utilized. A maximum of two units may be applied to the major, none to the minor. Anything over two units will count as a general elective. Prerequisites: Junior or Senior class standing and approval of the Spanish program director or the Language Coordinator.
SPAN 494
Special Topics in Spanish
Units: 1 TO 3
Study of special topics in Spanish and/or Latin American literatures, languages, or cultures. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. Consult with instructor or the department chair. Prerequisites: ((SPAN 301 or SPAN 311) and one additional 300-level SPAN course) or approval of the instructor.
SPAN 495
Senior Capstone Project
Units: 1 TO 3
This is an optional culminating experience in which students reflect upon and integrate aspects of their entire undergraduate study. Through a writing project, an oral presentation, and an exit interview, students demonstrate their achievement of the program learning outcomes. The capstone is taken concurrently with one of the last two upper-division courses for the major, to which it is thematically linked. The student must meet with his or her capstone advisor (the professor for the upper-division major course) to determine the parameters for the project and consult with the program director to enroll.
SPAN 497
Senior Capstone Project with Advanced Integration
Units: 1 TO 3
This is an optional culminating experience in which students reflect upon and integrate aspects of their entire undergraduate studies. Through a writing project, an oral presentation, and an exit interview, students demonstrate their achievement of the program learning outcomes. Unlike 495, this project also fulfills the Advanced Integration requirement of the Core Curriculum. Students have two options: 1) a community engagement integration project or 2) a multidisciplinary integration project. Consult with your advisor and the program director. Capstone projects are approved by the program director. Similar to 495, this capstone project is not required but rather an optional course for students.
SPAN 499
Independent Study
Units: 1 TO 3
A program arranged between the advanced student and the instructor to provide intensive study in a particular area of interest. This course is not intended to substitute for regular course offerings. A maximum of three units may be applied to the major, but none to the minor. Prerequisites: SPAN 301 or SPAN 311, SPAN 303, and approval of the instructor and the department chair.