The Spanish program studies the language, linguistics, literature, culture and civilization of Spain, Spanish America, and the Spanish-speaking areas of the U.S. Through the UC Denver Spanish program, students at all levels may study abroad in Spain, Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. Please see a faculty member in Spanish for more information about opportunities to include study abroad as part of your major.

Admission and Grade Requirements

To be admitted to major status in Spanish, students must have an overall GPA of C+ (2.3). The minimum grade acceptable in any Spanish course applied to the major is a C (2.0). The GPA in all Spanish courses applied to the UC Denver Spanish major must be a 2.5. No course taken on a pass/fail basis may be credited toward a major in Spanish. Upon declaring a major in Spanish, each student will be assigned to a faculty advisor, with whom the student should consult at least once per semester thereafter. The student may be called upon to meet with the full-time faculty in Spanish jointly, as well, for assessment and advising. It is especially important that Spanish Language majors have their transcripts reviewed by a departmental advisor before enrolling in their final 30 credit hours at UC Denver. Failure to do so may result in a delay of graduation. Students presenting four years of high school Spanish (Level IV) for admission must see a Spanish advisor before enrolling in courses for the major. Students with Advanced Placement credits from high school or CLEP credits should see a Spanish advisor about course equivalencies.

Requirements for the Spanish Major

Students majoring in Spanish for the BA degree must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of upper division courses (courses numbered 3000 or higher) in Spanish, at least 12 of which must be at the 4000 level. Up to six elective hours may come from courses in related fields outside the curriculum in Spanish. 

Coursework in related fields may come from the following:

• Latin American Studies (from fields such as History, Geography, Political Science and Art History)
• Hispanic American Studies
• Linguistics (in the fields of Anthropology or English)
• Comparative Literature
• Upper division courses in another foreign language

The minimum grade that can be credited toward the major requirement in related fields is C (2.0)

Student Learning Outcomes and Goals for the Bachelors in Spanish

1. Students should master the basic terms and skills needed to analyze both the themes and forms of literary works.
2. Students should master at least one genre or period of Spanish Literature and of Spanish-American Literature.
3. Students should gain an understanding of Spanish phonetics, including the classification of sounds and how they are affected and change according to their phonetic environment and region.
4. Students should gain the linguistic proficiency to speak and understand Spanish, including the ability to engage in intellectual discussion in academic settings using correct pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
5. Students should master the ability to write modern Spanish with sufficient fluency and accuracy to produce a coherent analytical essay.

Certification to teach at the secondary level

Students planning to seek certification for teaching Spanish at the secondary level must take SPAN 4690, Methods of Teaching Modern Languages. This course does not apply to the 30 hours required for the major. Also, before enrolling in student teaching in the School of Education, students must demonstrate oral and written proficiency as indicated above in "Outcomes Assessment."

Residency Requirement

A minimum of 18 semester hours of coursework leading to a UC Denver major in Spanish must be taken from UC Denver Spanish faculty located at the Downtown Campus. Courses taken at other institutions while a student is enrolled at UC Denver may be applied to the major only with departmental approval before enrollment in those courses.

Required Courses:

1. A minimum of nine semester hours in literature:

• SPAN 3101, Introduction to the Study of Literature in Spanish (three credit hours)
• At least one course on the literature of Spain (three credit hours)
• At least one course on the literature of Spanish America (three credit hours)

2. A minimum of nine semester hours in language skills and theory:

• SPAN 3060, Hispanic Phonetics: Theory and Practice (three credit hours)
• At least six additional semester hours in language skills and theory

3. At least two courses on the culture and citilization of Spain or Spanish America, numbered 32xx:

4. Twelve semester hours at the 4000 level