SPN (Spanish)

SPN 101, SPN 102 Elementary Spanish I, II (4 hours each)
These courses are an introduction to understanding, speaking, reading and writing Spanish. Emphasis will be placed on acquiring a foundation in basic grammar as well as on listening comprehension and spoken Spanish through class activities, tapes and videos. Prerequisite: None for SPN 101; SPN 101 or placement by testing (Sec. 6.4.4.) required for SPN 102. In general, native-level Spanish speakers are restricted from taking Spanish at the elementary level.  Native-level speakers should consult with the instructor prior to attempting to enroll in an Elementary Spanish course.

SPN 151 Spanish for Heritage Speakers (4 hours)
Spanish for Heritage Speakers is a bilingual hybrid language/linguistics course designed specifically for Latinx/Hispanic students who have a cultural connection (through family, community, or heritage) with the Spanish language. Through a sociolinguistic approach, students will simultaneously sharpen language skills while exploring socio-cultural topics relevant to the Spanish heritage culture.

SPN 200 Independent Study in Spanish (1-4 hours)
This course provides the opportunity for an intense study of diverse topics under the direct supervision of the instructor. The student and instructor will collaborate to develop the content of the course, which must be approved as outlined by the Independent Study Policy.  (Sec. 6.15.)

SPN 201 Intermediate Spanish (4 hours)
This course is intended to review basic grammar and develop more complex patterns of written and spoken Spanish. Short compositions, readings from Spanish and Spanish-American literature and class discussions require active use of students’ acquired knowledge of Spanish and form the basis for the expansion of vocabulary and oral expression. Prerequisite: SPN 102 or placement by testing (Sec. 6.4.4.).

SPN 203 Hispanic Culture Through Cuisine (4 hours)
This course uses approaches from the emergent field of “Food Studies” in order to probe Spanish-speaking cultures through the themes of food, diet, and consumption traditions as expressed in literature, historical and journalist writings, and films related to Spain and Latin American countries.  Prerequisite for General Elective:  None.  Prerequisite for use in the Spanish minor:  SPN 201.

SPN 210 Spanish for Health and Diet in Hispanic Cultural Settings (4 hours)
This course situates the study of Spanish language and Hispanic cultures in health, dietary, and family settings.  It is designed for a wide range of students at the major and minor levels including those desiring to acquire a stronger foundation in health, anatomy, and family-related Spanish vocabulary and terminology.  Prerequisite:  SPN 201.

This course has two options (SPN 210 and SPN 410) with different prerequisites and major/minor options.

  • SPN 210 may be taken for minor-level credit with a prerequisite of SPN 201.
  • SPN 410 may be taken for major-level credit with a prerequisite of SPN 302.


SPN 290 Special Topics in Hispanic Languages, Literatures and Cultures (1-4 hours)
Courses of selected topics will be offered periodically as determined by the needs of the curriculum. Prerequisites can vary based on the topic selected. See individual course listings for each semester for the specific topic and any prerequisites.

Specifically, this Spanish course provides the opportunity to study particular aspects of the languages, literatures and cultures of Spain, Spanish America or United States Hispanic communities not covered in the other courses.  This course may be repeated for credit as course content changes. Prerequisite: SPN 301.

SPN 301 Advanced Spanish (4 hours)
This course is designed to improve students’ skills to a sophisticated level at which they are able to discuss and express opinions in both oral and written form. Readings of essays and short-stories as well as film viewing in Spanish are used as the basis for discussion, introduction to cultural issues and written expression. Frequent writing assignments. Prerequisite: SPN 201 or placement by testing (Sec. 6.4.4.).

SPN 302 Introduction to Hispanic Literature (4 hours)
This course offers an introduction to literary analysis based on a rigorous program of readings from Spanish and Spanish American literatures. It is a skills-building course that familiarizes students with the lexicon of literary criticism in Spanish and trains them to be active readers of Hispanic literature. Students read and analyze (orally and in writing) representative works of the four fundamental genres of literature: Narrative, Poetry, Drama and Essay. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 301 or placement by testing (Sec. 6.4.4.).

SPN 400 Advanced Independent Study in Spanish (1-4 hours)
This course provides the opportunity for an advanced, intense study of diverse topics under the direct supervision of the instructor. These offerings are generally suited for junior or senior students. The student and instructor will collaborate to develop the content of the course, which must be approved as outlined by the Independent Study Policy.  (Sec. 6.15.)

SPN 403 Political Issues in Latin-American Literature and Film (4 hours)
The social and political upheavals that took place in several Latin-American countries during the 20th century spawned the development of a rich literary and cinematic corpus. This course will examine part of that corpus in its historical and cultural context and how political issues are aesthetically elaborated in fiction, poetry, essay and film. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 404 Discourse of Golden-age Spain (4 hours)
In this course, students will analyze Golden-age Spanish society through the literature produced during the 16th and 17th centuries, the two epochs that encompass the Spanish Siglos de Oro. Studied texts will reveal a young Spain altogether confident about its present, at times insecure about its future and frequently ambivalent about its diverse past. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 405 20th and 21st Centuries Latin-American Literature (4 hours)
This is a study of Latin-American literature from the 1930s to the present, focusing on its departure from the Realist tradition and its adoption of experimentation, self-reflection, parody, magical realism or the fantastic. Modern and post-modern trends will be examined. Readings include fiction by Borges, Fuentes, Cortázar, García Márquez and Puig. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 406 French and Spanish Crossroads in the Caribbean and Africa (4 hours)
This course uses Spanish- and French-speaking countries in proximity to each other in the Caribbean or Africa as a point of departure for literary, cultural, social and service learning exploration. Offerings may focus upon Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Martinique and Cuba, Equatorial Guinea in relation to Senegal or other appropriate pairings. The course is taught in English and students without advanced skills in French or Spanish may register. Cross-listed as FRE 406. Prerequisite: SPN 301 for Spanish major or minor credit; FRE 301 for French major or minor credit.

SPN 407 Central American Literature and Film (4 hours)
This course involves the study of twentieth and twenty-first centuries Central American fiction, film, memoirs and poetry taking into account the relevant socio-historical and political contexts. Some of the topics we will study are: the importance of Mayan culture in Central American fiction; the literary representation of imperialism, revolution, and civil war; and the voices of minorities and oppressed groups within Central America. We will also examine developments in the current post-civil war period such as the crime novel and feminist fiction. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 408 Southern Cone Literature and Film (4 hours)
The course focuses on some of the major trends in the fiction, poetry, and film produced in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay during the last five decades. We will study the work of some major writers such as Pablo Neruda, Jorge Luis Borges, and Mario Benedetti. We will also examine how literature and film have dealt with recurrent topics such as social inequalities, globalization, gender issues, and the legacy of the military dictatorships of the 1970s. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 409 Literature of the Conquest and Colonization in Spanish America (4 hours)
We will examine the development of Spanish American literature from its earliest expressions in indigenous cultures through the nineteenth century. We will read Aztec and Incan poetry as well as selections from the Popol Vuh, known as the Mayan “Bible”. Then, we will focus on the chronicles of the Conquest, comprised mainly of historical accounts written by Spanish conquistadors. After that, we will examine the literature of colonial Spanish America, including selections from the poetry and prose of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the first feminist writer of the Americas. Finally, we will study the literature of independence and post-independence fueled by the European Enlightenment. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 410 Spanish for Health and Diet in Hispanic Cultural Settings (4 hours)
This course situates the study of Spanish language and Hispanic cultures in health, dietary, and family settings.  It is designed for a wide range of students at the major and minor levels including those desiring to acquire a stronger foundation in health, anatomy, and family-related Spanish vocabulary and terminology.  Prerequisite:  SPN 302.

This course has two options (SPN 210 and SPN 410) with different prerequisites and major/minor options.

  • SPN 210 may be taken for minor-level credit with a prerequisite of SPN 201.
  • SPN 410 may be taken for major-level credit with a prerequisite of SPN 302.


SPN 411 North American Hispanic Readings and Film (4 hours)
The purpose of this course is to engage Hispanic literary and cinematic texts as an avenue of exploration of Latino presence, culture and history in the United States and Mexico.  An important objective is to expose students to the cultural values, symbols, myths and histories that have been represented rather diversely in literature and film since the early beginnings of the construction of the “Latino” cultural reality. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 302 or equivalent for Spanish majors.

SPN 470 Latin American Studies Capstone and Portfolio (1 hour)
All Latin American Studies minors are required to complete this course by submitting an essay in Spanish integrating what they have learnt about Latin America through the interdisciplinary program, a portfolio, and a completed exit questionnaire by the end of their senior year. Prerequisite: completion of all required courses for the Latin American Studies minor.

SPN 490 Advanced Special Topics in Hispanic Languages, Literatures and Cultures (1-4 hours)
Advanced courses of selected topics will be offered periodically as determined by the needs of the curriculum. These offerings are generally suited for junior or senior students. Prerequisites can vary based on the topic selected. See individual course listings for each semester for the specific topic and any prerequisites.

Specifically, this Spanish course provides advanced study of particular aspects of the languages, literatures and cultures of Spain, Spanish America or United States Hispanic communities not covered in the other courses. A recent course was Spain As Text – Iberian Contacts, Contrasts and Connections that included a trip to Spain. This course may be repeated for credit as course content changes. Prerequisite: SPN 302.

SPN 495 Internship in Spanish (1-12 hours)
An internship designed to provide a formalized experiential learning opportunity to qualified students. The internship generally requires the student to have an application (which satisfies all internship requirements developed by the academic program that oversees the internship) and to obtain a faculty supervisor in the relevant field of study. All internships are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites are determined by the academic program overseeing the internship course.