Spanish and Hispanic Studies, BA
The BA with a major in Spanish & Hispanic Studies consists of 33 credit hours including an initial 6 semester hours in Intermediate Spanish courses and an additional 27 semester hours, in consultation with a faculty adviser in the Department of Spanish & Hispanic Studies, in one of the following three tracks: Track One: Spanish; Track Two: Spanish for the Professions; Track Three: Latin American Studies.
Track One: Spanish
Spanish explores the cultural and literary production of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America while developing students’ linguistics knowledge and cultivating their critical perspectives as responsible global citizens.
Track Two: Spanish for the Professions
Spanish for the Professions integrates students’ professional knowledge with their target language skills to foster their intercultural communication and leadership abilities as responsible global citizens.
Track Three: Latin American Studies
Latin American Studies critically examines the societies of Latin America, including Brazil, through a wide range of literary and non-literary texts. The program exposes students to diversity of thought and beliefs within divergent cultural paradigms.
Regarding all three tracks:
Native speakers and heritage speakers
No credit given to native speakers for 20000-level Spanish; heritage speakers may only receive credit with permission of the department chair. A native speaker is considered to be someone who completed their primary or secondary education in a Spanish- speaking country. A heritage speaker is someone who was primarily educated in U.S. schools but who speaks Spanish in the home, with friends and/or co-workers. Native speakers and heritage speakers not eligible to take these courses must take additional upper-level Spanish electives instead unless these credits are awarded as transfer credit or Advanced Placement Credit.
Native speakers will not receive credit for course, course, and course unless special permission is granted by department chair. Heritage speakers are encouraged to take course. Non-heritage speakers should not take course.
Native speakers and heritage speakers not eligible to take these courses must take additional upper-level Spanish electives instead.
Policy on Grades
Courses taken Pass/No-Credit and courses in which the student earns below a "C-" will not count toward the major.
Study Abroad
Study abroad is strongly recommended for all majors of Spanish and Hispanic Studies. In addition to enormous improvement in speaking ability, the international experience will enhance career opportunities and cross-cultural competence. To receive credit, the student must meet with the Spanish and Hispanic Studies study abroad adviser as well as the TCU Global prior to departure to obtain approval for coursework abroad.
Co-curricular Engagement and Internships
Students are encouraged to contact the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies for information about off-campus cultural resources. Students interested in doing an internship should read the department's internship policy at http://span.tcu.edu/internship.asp.
Required courses for all three tracks:
One of the following:
Intermediate Spanish 2 | 3 | |
| OR |
|
Intensive Intermediate Spanish 2 | 3 |
One of the following:
Intermediate Spanish 1 | 3 | |
| OR |
|
Intensive Intermediate Spanish 1 | 3 |
Track 1: Spanish
Required Courses:
6 credits of Intermediate Spanish (explained above)
Two of the following (2):
Advanced Spanish: Personal to Public | 3 | |
Advanced Spanish: From Local to Global | 3 | |
Spanish for Heritage Speakers | 3 |
Also Required:
Senior Seminar | 3 |
Four upper-level Spanish electives, one of which must be a 40000-level literature course or a 40000-level Cultural Studies course
course Portuguese for Spanish Speakers may be taken to fulfill one of the electives.
One SPAN-designated course taught in English and taken on the TCU campus may be applied towards the major requirements.
course Senior Honors Thesis may be used as an elective, but honors students must still take a 40000-level literature course or a 40000-level Cultural Studies course.
One of the following:
Culture of Spain | 3 | |
Culture of Latin America | 3 | |
Popular Cultures of Spanish-speaking Countries | 3 | |
Culture of Brazil | 3 |
Also Required:
Introduction to Literature | 3 |
Track 2: Spanish for the Professions
Required Courses:
6 credits of Intermediate Spanish (explained above)
Two of the following (2):
Advanced Spanish: Personal to Public | 3 | |
Advanced Spanish: From Local to Global | 3 | |
Spanish for Heritage Speakers | 3 |
Also Required:
Introduction to Literature | 3 |
One of the following:
Culture of Spain | 3 | |
Culture of Latin America | 3 | |
Popular Cultures of Spanish-speaking Countries | 3 | |
Culture of Brazil | 3 |
One of the following:
Spanish for Health Professions I | 3 | |
Spanish for Business Professions I | 3 |
One of the following:
Spanish for the Health Professions 2 | 3 | |
Spanish for Business Professions 2 | 3 |
Two upper-level Spanish electives, one of which must be a 40000-level literature course or a 40000-level Cultural Studies course
course Portuguese for Spanish Speakers may be taken to fulfill one of the electives.
One SPAN-designated course taught in English and taken on the TCU campus may be applied towards the major requirements.
course Senior Honors Thesis may be used as an elective, but honors students must still take a 40000-level literature course or a 40000-level Cultural Studies course.
Also Required:
Senior Seminar | 3 |
Track 3: Latin American Studies (LAST)
Required Courses:
6 credits of Intermediate Spanish (explained above)
Two of the following:
Advanced Spanish: Personal to Public | 3 | |
Advanced Spanish: From Local to Global | 3 | |
Spanish for Heritage Speakers | 3 | |
Portuguese for Spanish Speakers Advanced Brazilian Portuguese | 3 3 |
Two of the following:
Culture of Spain | 3 | |
Culture of Latin America | 3 | |
Popular Cultures of Spanish-speaking Countries | 3 | |
Culture of Brazil | 3 | |
Introduction to Literature | 3 | |
Cinema of Latin America | 3 |
One Upper-level elective (3 credit hours) in Spanish
Four upper-level electives (12 credit hours) outside the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies, when the topic of the course focuses on Latin America. The courses on the list below may count toward the LAST track, but please see your adviser in the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies to verify your course selection.
Course List
The following courses may count toward the LAST track when the topic of the course focuses on Latin America
Courses taught outside the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies
Mexican American Culture | 3 | |
Mexican-American Folklore: Traditions of La Raza | 3 | |
Anthropology and Religion | 3 | |
Ethnology of Selected Areas | 3 | |
Inka and Their Predecessors: Ancient South American Art | 3 | |
Maya Art and Architecture | 3 | |
Development Studies | 3 | |
Latin American Economics | 3 | |
Contemporary Latinx Literature | 3 | |
Mexican American Culture | 3 | |
Topics in Regional Geography | 3 | |
Geography of Latin America | 3 | |
Field Studies in Geography | 1-6 | |
Indigenous Movements in Latin America | 3 | |
History of Central America | 3 | |
The United States and Latin America | 3 | |
Revolution in Latin America | 3 | |
The Spanish Borderlands | 3 | |
History of Argentina and Chile | 3 | |
History of Brazil | 3 | |
Biography in Latin American History | 3 | |
Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas: The Indians of Middle and South America | 3 | |
History of Mexico | 3 | |
Indians of the Greater Southwest | 3 | |
History of Texas | 3 | |
History of Cuba | 3 | |
Afro-Latin America | 3 | |
Global Perspectives in Health | 3 | |
The Chicano/a Movement, Latino/a Politics, and Immigration Rights | 3 | |
Topics in Comparative Politics | 3 | |
Latin America: The Challenge of Democratic Consolidation | 3 | |
Being Latina/o and Religious in the U.S. | 3 | |
Latina/o Religion, Law and Identity | 3 | |
Latina Feminist Religious Thought | 3 | |
Anthropology and Religion | 3 |