B.A. in Spanish

Goals of the Major

A major in Spanish consists of at least 24 credit hours beyond SPA 202 with a grade of C- or higher in every course counting toward the major, and with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 in the major (see curriculum for course distribution).  The major is designed to allow students to gain advanced linguistic, cultural, and literary competence in the communities that speak this language.  Students learn with each course to understand, interpret, and analyze  communication patterns and cultural products (new technologies, film, literature, etc.) from the geopolitical positions of the linguistic communities they study.  This learning process also fosters a greater appreciation of the students’ own language, culture, and society. As part of the development of analytical and critical skills, students learn to build coherent arguments orally and in writing; to develop tools for the interpretation of various texts; to perform research and write critical papers; to find and evaluate sources of information; to heighten their sensitivity to the contexts of language, and to appreciate language as art.  Students will also acquire a broad, structured knowledge of the relevant history, literature and culture in the target language. Finally, they will learn to carry out cultural comparisons and to view their own culture with new eyes.

You do not have to be a student of the College of Arts and Sciences to major in a modern language; you need only the approval of your college or school advisor and to complete the departmental requirements. If you wish to complete a double degree, consult with an Arts and Sciences Advisor. 

Students with transfer credit hours must take at least 18 graded credit hours at or above the 300-level at the University of Miami, i.e., up to 6 credit hours may be transferred towards the Spanish major from another institution or non-UM study abroad program.

Spanish majors must take SPA 301 or SPA 307 (or equivalent), and they are advised to take this course as they start fulfilling their 300-level credit requirements.  In consultation with their MLL advisor, students can have up to 1 course (3 credits) from among the MLL courses or SPA courses taught in English (numbered 310-319) count toward their Spanish major.  Students must also take one pre-twentieth century course to fulfill their course requirements towards the major (SPA 353, SPA 354, SPA 363, or SPA 364).  Only one professional Spanish course (SPA 432, SPA 433, SPA 434) will count towards the Spanish major, although students are free to take more than one.

Capstone Courses

The final course in the major is the capstone course (501) which must be taken in residence. This course will:

• Integrate the various skills acquired during the course of study (linguistic, analytical, knowledge-based);
• Incorporate interpretive as well as presentational modes of communication;
• Contain an over-arching and cohesive theme;
• Include an element of collaboration among students.

It will constitute a moment of recapitulation, synthesis, and reflection on a student’s experience in the major as well as a bridge towards graduate-level studies, should s/he decide to pursue them.

Study Abroad

Students completing a major in a modern language are encouraged to study abroad. The Department offers a faculty-led study abroad summer program in Spain. The Study Abroad Office (in Dooly Memorial Classroom, Building 1111, Memorial Drive, Suite 125) sponsors programs for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. It is also possible to fulfill some Arts and Sciences distribution requirements abroad. In order to take full advantage of these opportunities, students should visit Study Abroad early in their university careers, discuss course equivalencies with the Study Abroad Advisor for their chosen languages (contact the Department office for names and office hours), and consult with their major advisors. Credit hours toward the major for courses taken abroad will be determined on an individual basis.

Of the 24 credit hours required for the major, a minimum of 12 graded credit hours must be earned in courses taught by MLL faculty (whether on campus or in faculty-led study-abroad programs).   Since we encourage students to study abroad in UM-sponsored programs, up to 12 graded credit hours from these programs may be applied toward the major. As stated above, up to 6 transfer credit hours from other institutions may count toward the major. Whether these are credit hours transferred from another U.S. institution or from non-UM study abroad programs, transferred credit hours must be granted UM equivalency in order to be eligible to count toward the major. Please note, however, that the total number of combined UM study-abroad (exclusive of MLL faculty-led programs) and transfer credit hours shall not exceed 12 credit hours.

For example: 

• A student may use 3 transfer credit hours with UM equivalency and 9 graded credit hours from a UM-sponsored study abroad program toward fulfillment of the major; the remaining 12 graded credit hours must be earned in courses taught by MLL faculty.
• A student may use 6 transfer credit hours with UM equivalency and 6 graded credit hours from a UM-sponsored study abroad program toward fulfillment of the major; the remaining 12 graded credit hours must be earned in courses taught by MLL faculty.
• A student may use 12 graded credit hours from a UM-administered study-abroad program not led by MLL faculty and 12 graded credit hours in courses taught by MLL faculty to fulfill the major.

Exceptions to this 12 credit hours rule may be made in cases where a student will participate in a UM-administered study-abroad program for a full academic year.