Spanish - B.A.

Professors Nieto-Cuebas and Paris-Huesca

Associate Professors Colvin and Counselman

As a Spanish major at Ohio Wesleyan, you will acquire the ability to read, write, and converse in Spanish at a proficient level, while also gaining an understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures that make up the Hispanic world. At the advanced level, you will have the opportunity to take courses that delve deeper into a variety of topics related to the Spanish language, cultures, literatures, and cinemas, in their specific sociohistorical and geographical contexts, and in dialogue with other languages spoken in Latin America and Spain. In some courses you will learn to analyze and interpret authentic cultural materials with an awareness of the sociocultural, historical and political contexts in which cultural and artistic productions take place. In other courses, you have the chance to think about language scientifically as you study topics in linguistics ranging from the sounds and structures of Spanish to language acquisition and bilingualism.

Additionally, the Spanish curriculum will allow you to acquire transferable skills, such as verbal and written communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, project management, decision-making, creativity, and leadership skills, that you can apply to any future job or life situation. These valuable skills are honed both in the classroom, through homework, individual and group projects, and through internship and study abroad opportunities.

All Spanish majors must satisfy an Immersion Requirement. This can be done in one of the following ways:

Complete an accredited Spanish study abroad program approved by the department. Currently OWU offers programs in fall, spring and summer. It must be a minimum of 8 weeks in length and transfer at least one unit of credit at the intermediate level or above to count toward the Spanish major or minor.
Show that you have studied an academic year (at least 9 months) in a Spanish-language high-school or university.
Document that you lived for one calendar year (12 months) abroad in a Spanish language immersion environment.
Be a heritage Spanish speaker who can show, by assessment, to possess an intermediate-high level of Spanish proficiency.
Demonstrate that you are a native Spanish speaker having grown up speaking Spanish as your primary language, either in the U.S. or in a Spanish-speaking country.
In special circumstances, you may submit a formal petition to the Spanish faculty for exemption from this requirement. Petitions should include official documentation that explains why you may not be able to adequately fulfill the immersion requirement during your time at Ohio Wesleyan.

Most of our Spanish majors fulfill the immersion requirement by spending a semester abroad (usually during their junior year or fall of senior year). Students can choose to participate in our signature program at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. This study abroad program is offered in fall and spring. If choosing a program other than Pamplona, Spanish majors should make an appointment with the Chair of the WLC Department in order to select an appropriate program and to choose courses that will count toward the major. Detailed information about approved off-campus programs, financial aid and billing is available in the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs.

[Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code: 16.0905.]

Learning Objectives

By the time students graduate with a Spanish major, they will:

Exhibit strong speaking, reading, listening and writing skills in the target language that enable them to function in an environment where Spanish is used exclusively.
Show awareness and appreciation of the cultural and linguistic diversity within Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean and the US.
Analyze and interpret authentic literary, filmic and other cultural texts in organized and coherent (written or oral) presentations that reflect an awareness of the socio-cultural, historical and political contexts in which the texts are produced.
Demonstrate understanding of how issues related to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, culture or socio-economic status influence perspectives and power relations and communicate respectfully with people of varying beliefs and diverse backgrounds.

Major Requirements

A minimum of nine courses (≥ 0.7 credits each) above the SPAN 111 level. No more than three courses numbered below SPAN 300 may be counted toward the major. No more than one WLC course taught in English (with a focus on Hispanic literature, culture, film, or linguistics) may be taken as an elective for the major. In most cases, up to three courses (taught in Spanish) may be transferred from an approved, semester-long study abroad program, and up to two courses (taught in Spanish) from an approved summer program abroad. Normally, no more than one independent study or directed readings (SPAN 490, SPAN 491) may be applied to the major. Only in exceptional cases, and with departmental approval, may a student take fewer than 6 courses in residence (at Ohio Wesleyan).