Spanish

Spanish Major:

Objectives:
This major equips students with language proficiency in
Spanish as it introduces them to the multicultural nature
and historical evolution of Hispanic literary and cultural
expressions in Europe and the Americas. It provides
students with opportunities to comprehend, interpret, and
practice advanced linguistic skills in Spanish through oral
and written exercises and assignments. Survey and
seminar classes familiarize them with representative
literary works and cultural texts from Spain, Spanish
America, and the U.S., and provide theoretical
terminology and concepts essential for structural and
conceptual analyses of these products. The major also
requires the study of Spanish phonology, morphology,
syntax, and dialectal varieties. Finally, it helps students to
develop a sense of social justice through their consistent
participation in intercultural events and service learning
activities that involve both academic and cultually
significant contexts.

Spanish Student Learning Outcomes
Spanish majors will know:
•The principal aspects of Spanish
•The variety and nature of linguistic practices,
cultural texts, and perspectives in Spanishspeaking
countries
•Representative literary works and cultural texts
from Spain, Spanish America, and the U.S.
•Theoretical terminology and concepts essential for
structural and conceptual analyses of these texts;
Spanish majors will be able to:
•Communicate creatively and effectively in written
and oral forms in Spanish
•Understand spoken Spanish
•Read Spanish literature
•Apply acquired theoretical and critical skills in
textual analyses and scholarly research
•Demonstrate an advanced command of how
literary works, cultural expressions, and linguistic
varieties of the Spanish-speaking world represent
the multiplicity of human experience;
Spanish majors will value:
•The evolution and variety of perspectives in
Hispanic cultures
•Social justice and intercultural awareness.

Major Requirements:
Lower Division Requirements:
SPAN 101, 102, 203, and 204 or 205.
The elementary and intermediate courses may be
satisfied by Advanced Placement examination. A
minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in all premajor
courses.
Upper Division Requirements:
Spanish Major: The major in Spanish requires 25
semester hours in upper division courses: SPAN
321, 322, 330, 331, 332; 9 hours in 400-level
Spanish electives; and SPAN 500, a senior
portfolio (1 semester hour). Students are
permitted to take up to 30 upper division hours in
Spanish.
Spanish Major Portfolio Requirement:
Spanish majors are required to register for a onecredit
course (SPAN 500, Senior Capstone
Project), in the Spring semester of their senior
year. Each graduating student constructs a
portfolio that includes a 6-8 page reflective essay
written in Spanish that demonstrates how the
student has met the goals of the Spanish
program. These goals comprise language
proficiency, cultural competency, mastery of
literary and linguistic studies, development of a
sense of social justice through intercultural
understanding, and the prospect of using this
knowledge after graduation. In addition, the
portfolio contains a brief description of the
student’s involvement in extracurricular
intercultural activities connected with the Spanish
major. Finally, students must orally present their
portfolio to their peers and the Spanish program
faculty at a group meeting during the Spring
semester of their senior year.
Guidelines for the collection of materials included
in the portfolio as well as deadlines for the oral
presentation of the material are available in the
Department. This exit interview course is graded
Credit/No Credit.

Single Subject Teaching Credential:
Students interested in obtaining a Single Subject teaching
credential in Spanish must fulfill the requirements for the
Spanish major and take SPAN 420 and 432 or their
equivalent. Students must attend an orientation meeting
at the School of Education and apply for admission to the
Single Subject Teaching Program. To complete both
programs in four years, students are encouraged to start
this process early. Prospective teachers are also required
to meet with a faculty member in the School of Education.

Spanish Minor:
The minor consists of 18 semester hours taken beyond
SPAN 203: SPAN 204 or 205, 321, 322 or 330, to be
followed by SPAN 331, 332, and one upper division 400-
level Spanish elective.

Spanish Placement Exam:
Any student who has knowledge of or has had prior
instruction in Spanish in high school or at a college or
university other than LMU must take the LMU Spanish
Placement Exam. This exam is administered by the
Academic Resource Center during the summer Orientation
sessions and at the beginning of the Fall and Spring
terms.
This requirement includes students who have taken an AP
Spanish Exam in high school. Generally, a student who
receives a score of 5 or 4 on the AP Spanish Exam
(Language or Literature) places in SPAN 204
(Intermediate Spanish II) or SPAN 205 (Intermediate
Spanish II for Latino Students). Final placement is
conditional upon the instructor’s consent. Course credit
will be given for SPAN 101, 102, and 203 once the
student’s official scores have been received from the
College Board. It is the responsibility of each student to
ensure that the official AP scores have been sent to Loyola
Marymount University.

Study Abroad:
Students are strongly encouraged to go abroad for a
semester either during their sophomore year (Spring
semester) or junior year (Fall or Spring semester). Prior to
departure, students must obtain transfer credit approval
for any courses that they take, and no more than two
Spanish courses will transfer for the major. Consult the
Study Abroad Office for information about the Loyola
Marymount University Summer program in Cuernavaca,
Mexico, as well as for semeseter, year-long, or Summer
study abroad programs offered by other universities that
the Spanish program endorses.

Spanish Program Course Offerings*
* All courses are taught in Spanish unless otherwise
indicated.

SPAN 101
Elementary Spanish I
3 Semester Hours
The course emphasizes reading, writing, aural, and oral
proficiency in basic Spanish and reflects the diversity
within Hispanic cultures. Instruction includes articles,
pronouns, regular and irregular verbs (including reflexive
verbs) in the present, and the preterite tenses of the
indicative mood, adjectives, and basic vocabulary.
Prerequisite: Students with no prior study of Spanish or
LMU Placement Exam.

SPAN 102
Elementary Spanish II
3 Semester Hours
A continuation of SPAN 101. New material studied
includes an introduction to the present and present
perfect subjunctive, the preterite vs. imperfect tense
distinction, passive se, uses of por and para, direct and
indirect object pronouns, past participle, formal
commands, comparisons, and additional vocabulary and
idioms.
Prerequisite: SPAN 101 or LMU Placement Exam.

SPAN 112
Conversational Spanish
1-3 Semester Hours
A course designed to permit students to learn and practice
communicative strategies, increase their vocabulary, and
to become acquainted with Spanish, Latin American, and
U.S. Latino cultures. A final oral presentation is required.
Credit/No Credit only.

SPAN 203
Intermediate Spanish I
3 Semester Hours
After a review of SPAN 101 and 102 material, topics
include the preterite vs. imperfect tense distinction, the
pluperfect indicative tense, the present and present
perfect subjunctive contrasted with the indicative mood,
commands, and the ser vs. estar distinction. Coursework
includes the discussion of short texts, oral exercises, and
medium-length compositions.
Prerequisite: SPAN 102 or LMU Placement Exam.

SPAN 204
Intermediate Spanish II
3 Semester Hours|
Course strengthens the students’ receptive and productive
skills in Spanish while developing an appreciation and
deeper knowledge of diversity of Hispanic cultures. After
a grammatical review, the course studies adverbial
conjunctions, indirect speech, “SI” clauses, uses of the
infinitive, relative pronouns, and the description of
reciprocal actions. Students present oral and written
reports in formal Spanish, to narrate and describe in
paragraphs of connected discourse, and to establish
automaticity in high-frequency linguistic structures.
Prerequisite: SPAN 203 or by LMU Placement Exam.

SPAN 205
Intermediate Spanish II for Latino Students
3 Semester Hours
This course, specially designed for students with a
cultural Latino/Hispanic background, is the equivalent of
SPAN 204. It strengthens the students’ communicative
skills in Spanish while developing an appreciation and
deeper knowledge of their cultural background. Students
are trained to present oral and written reports in formal
Spanish, to narrate and describe in paragraphs of
connected discourse, and to establish automaticity in
high-frequency linguistic structures. They will acquire and
demonstrate a solid knowledge of Spanish grammar.
Prerequisite: SPAN 203 or by LMU Placement Exam.

SPAN 211
Advanced Conversational Spanish
1-3 Semester Hours
A course designed to permit intermediate students of
Spanish to learn and practice communicative strategies,
increase their vocabulary, and become acquainted with
Spanish, Latin American, and U.S. Latino cultures. Oral
presentations are required.
Prerequisite: SPAN 203 or concurrent enrollment.
Credit/No Credit only.

SPAN 298
Special Studies
1-3 Semester Hours

SPAN 299
Independent Studies
1-3 Semester Hours

SPAN 311
Professional Spanish
3 Semester Hours
The aim of this class is to strengthen the student’s
communicative skills in Spanish. During the course we
study two professions: 1) business and 2) another
profession chosen by each student. The course builds the
student’s technical vocabulary, teaches certain discursive
strategies, and enhances cultural knowledge of particular
Spanish-speaking regions by examining various types of
texts related to business (e.g., business letters,
newpapers, job interviews, and advertisements, magazine
articles, etc.).
Prerequisite: SPAN 204 or 205, or by LMU Placement
Exam.

SPAN 321
Stylistics and Composition
3 Semester Hours
An introduction to writing and editing Spanish
compositions. Course work emphasizes the writing
process: developing thesis, structuring arguments, and
generating a clear, cohesive style.
Prerequisite: SPAN 204 or 205, or by LMU Placement
Exam.

SPAN 322
Introduction to Hispanic Literatures
3 Semester Hours
A study of theoretical terminology and concepts essential
for structural and conceptual analysis of literary works
written in Spanish. Students are introduced to literary
periods and genres from Spanish and Spanish American
authors.
Prerequisite: SPAN 321.

SPAN 330
Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
3 Semester Hours
A study of the Spanish sound systems, word formation,
word order, vocabulary, and the history of the Spanish
language. Includes class exposure to varieties of Spanish
such as Caribbean Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Peninsular
Spanish, and Spanish spoken in the U.S.
Prerequisite: SPAN 321 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 331
Survey of Peninsular Spanish Literature
3 Semester Hours
Analysis of some of the most celebrated masterpieces of
Spanish literature from the Middle Ages to the present in
their historical and cultural contexts.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 332
Survey of Latin American Literature
3 Semester Hours
General survey of texts written by a representative body of
Latin American authors from the pre-Columbian period to
the present.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 398
Special Studies
1-3 Semester Hours

SPAN 399
Independent Studies
1-3 Semester Hours

SPAN 420
Hispanic Cultural Studies
3 Semester Hours
General survey that may include Iberian, U.S. Latino,
and/or pre-Columbian civilizations and the literature of
Meso- and South America; the impact of the Encounter
with Europe; the Conquest; the Colonial Period; the
Independence Era; and modern literary, socio-historical,
economic, and political events that have shaped presentday
Spanish American cultures.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 430
Spanish Applied Linguistics
3 Semester Hours
A study of current directions in both theoretical and
practical aspects of the teaching of Spanish. The course
reviews problematic areas such as “ser” and “estar,”\
Spanish past tenses, and subjunctive, among others.
Prerequisite: SPAN 330 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 431
Advanced Spanish Syntax
3 Semester Hours
A detailed examination of Spanish syntax. The following
topics are covered: the verbal paradigm, analysis of verbal
mood and tenses, the pronominal system, and sentence
structure, coordination, and subordination.
Prerequisite: SPAN 330 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 432
Spanish of the Americas
3 Semester Hours
The course will begin with a review of changes in modern
Spanish in America. It will provide a general introduction
to the history and structure of the varieties of Spanish
spoken in the New World. Topics to be treated will include
the Peninsular origins of New World Spanish, the
influence of American languages on Spanish, the features
which characterize the different varieties of “New World”
Spanish (including U.S. Spanish), and the grammatical
and lexical features which distinguish European and
American Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 330 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 441
Latin American Novel
3 Semester Hours
A comparative study of representative narratives written
by Latin American and/or Latino/a authors during the
19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
Specific course content depends on the instructor.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 442
Latin American Poetry
3 Semester Hours
Survey and comparative study of Spanish language poetry
of the Americas from a variety of historical periods,
national origins, and cultural and literary movements.
Specific course content depends on the instructor.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 443
Latin American Women Writers
3 Semester Hours
Survey and comparative study of representative works by
Latin American and/or Latina women writers from a
variety of historical periods, national origins, and cultural
and literary movements.
Specific course content depends on the instructor.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 444
Latin American Drama
3 Semester Hours
An introduction to and comparison of representative
works written by Latin American dramatists from a variety
of historical periods, national origins, and literary and
cultural movements.
Specific course content depends on the instructor.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 445
Latin American Short Story
3 Semester Hours
A comparative and literary study of the short story as well
as representative works written by Latin American and/or
Latino/a authors from a variety of historical periods,
national origins, and literary and cultural movements.
Specific course content depends on the instructor.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 451
Nineteenth-Century Spanish Literature
3 Semester Hours
Analysis of representative literary works and authors of
the Spanish 19th century in their historical and cultural
contexts through a particular theme and from different
perspectives.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 452
Early Modern Spanish Narrative
3 Semester Hours
The course analyzes narrative texts of the early modern
period in Spain studied within their historical and cultural
contexts. It will pay particular attention to their relevance
for modern and contemporary literature.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 453
Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature
3 Semester Hours
Analysis of representative literary works and authors from
the Spanish 20th century in their historical and cultural
contexts through a particular theme and from different
perspectives.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 455
Early Modern Spanish Drama and Poetry
3 Semester Hours
The course analyzes poetic and dramatic works of the
early modern period in Spain studied within their
historical and cultural contexts. It will pay particular
attention to their relevance for modern and contemporary
literature.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 457
Spanish Authors
3 Semester Hours
An in-depth study of the work of a specific author, such
as Miguel de Cervantes or Federico García Lorca, or a
group of authors, such as Spanish women writers.
May be repeated for degree credit, when content varies.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 460
Selected Topics in Spanish Studies
3 Semester Hours
Topics in Peninsular Spanish literature, film, and culture.
May be repeated for degree credit, when content varies.
Prerequisite: SPAN 322 or consent of instructor.

SPAN 498
Special Studies
1-3 Semester Hours

SPAN 499
Independent Studies
1-3 Semester Hours

SPAN 500
Senior Capstone Project
1 Semester Hour
Exit portfolio (for majors only).
Credit/No Credit grading