Major in Spanish

Pre-Admission Requirements for a BA in Spanish

Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish requires:

  1. A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.
  2. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher:
    1. Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA
    2. Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA
  3. Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:
    1. Completion of General Education Curriculum: Communication
    2. Completion of General Education Curriculum: Mathematics and Statistics
    3. Completion of General Education Curriculum: Second Language
  4. Completion of Department of Spanish & Portuguese major admission course work with grades of “C” or better for SPAN 2120 or 2220 or 301 or 302 or 307

Program Description

The Bachelor of Arts in Spanish requires 30 credit hours in Spanish courses numbered 300 and above. In addition, Portuguese proficiency equivalent to PORT 2120 level is required and may be satisfied through coursework or a proficiency assessment. Requests to fulfill this requirement in a language other than Portuguese must be approved by the Spanish and Portuguese department.

The degree includes:

  • Required courses (12 credit hours): see Degree Requirements below for course list
  • Elective courses (18 credit hours): must be above SPAN 328, with at least three courses (9 credit hours) above 400

No more than 3 credit hours of SPAN 301 may be applied toward the Spanish major.

Students planning to enter the major in Spanish should consult with the Undergraduate Advisor for Spanish. All grades must be "C" or better. Topics courses **429, **439, 449, **479, 481, 482, 483 and 484 are repeatable as topics change.

Major Requirements

Required Courses (12 credit hours):

  • Connect Across Cultures: complete one (3 credits) of the following courses:
    • SPAN301 - Topics in Hispanic Culture and Language (3)
    • SPAN305 - Medical Spanish and Public Health (3)
  • Communicate with Impact: complete the following course:
    • SPAN302 - Developing Spanish Writing Skills (3)
  • Understand How Language Works: complete one (3 credits) of the following courses:
    • SPAN350 - Introduction to the Sound Patterns of Spanish (3)
    • SPAN351 - Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (3)
    • SPAN352 - Spanish Grammar in Society (3)
    • SPAN371 - Spanish of the Southwest (3)
  • Interpret Stories and Cultures: complete one (3 credits) of the following courses:
    • SPAN303 - Brazilian Literature and Culture in Spanish (3)
    • SPAN306 - Health and Healing in Hispanic Literature (3)
    • SPAN307 - Introduction to Hispanic Literature (3)
    • SPAN370 - Survey of Chicano Literature (3)

Elective Courses (18 credit hours):

  • All courses numbered above SPAN 328
  • At least 9 credit hours at 400 level or above
  • At least 6 credit hours in Portuguese courses, any number

Brazilian Lit and Culture in Spanish (SPAN 303) may be used to satisfy both the Literature and Culture Requirement and the Portuguese credit requirement. When used for both purposes, an additional elective course above SPAN 328 is required to maintain the minimum number of credits for the degree.

 

Portuguese Proficiency Requirement

Portuguese proficiency equivalent to PORT 2120 may be demonstrated through one of the following options:

Option 1: Proficiency Examination

Pass a Portuguese proficiency assessment administered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese faculty member.

Option 2: Coursework

Complete one of the following:

  • PORT 1110, PORT 1120, and PORT 2120 (12 credit hours total), or
  • PORT 2120 - Intensive Portuguese for Spanish Speakers (6 credit hours)
PORT 2120 is designed for students with strong Spanish language skills.

Requests to satisfy this requirement in a language other than Portuguese must be approved by the Spanish Advisor.

 

Students with Advanced or Native Spanish Proficiency

Those with advanced or native Spanish language proficiency are encouraged to take courses above SPAN 301. It is possible to substitute higher level courses for some required courses, such as SPAN 301, SPAN 302 and in some cases SPAN 307. Visit the Advanced Language Skills page for more information.

 

Earn Credit Before Enrolling

The University of New Mexico encourages you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to earn college credit prior to enrolling. Visit the links below to learn more about eligibility, scores, and credit awards:

Advanced Placement (AP)

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

International Baccalaureate (IB)

 

Study Abroad:

Spanish majors may apply up to 15 credit hours of courses taken abroad toward their degree requirements. Visit the Study Abroad page for more information.

 

Preparation for Graduate Study in Spanish

Those planning to pursue graduate study in Spanish are strongly encouraged to complete the survey courses: 

  • SPAN 411 & SPAN 412 Survey of Spanish Peninsular Literature I & II;
  • SPAN 431 & SPAN 432 Spanish American Literature I & II

Students may follow a general course of study or choose to emphasize on one of these areas:

  • Peninsular Literature
  • Latin American Literature
  • Hispanic Southwest Studies
  • Hispanic Linguistics