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HISPANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

The study of a foreign language, literature, and culture like Spanish traditionally has been one of the central components of an undergraduate education in the humanities. Today there is an added practical dimension to this. With economic and cultural globalization, our links as a nation with Spain and Latin America, including Brazil, have become much closer. At the same time, Spanish is not only a "foreign" language for us; it has become- much like French in Canada a de facto second language in the United States, which now has a Spanish-speaking population of over 30 million. As a result, there is a growing demand for persons trained in Spanish (and also Portuguese) in many fields, especially education, where there is a shortage of new teachers of Spanish language and culture. We are in the process of updating and redesigning our undergraduate major to reflect these new developments. Meanwhile, we offer several different tracks for current majors, which involve a combination of core courses in the Spanish language and Spanish and Latin American literature and civilization, and an introductory Portuguese course, with a selection of additional courses from our 1300 (Linguistics), 1400 (Latin American Literature and Culture), 1600 (Spanish Literature and Culture), and 1000-level offerings in Luso-Brazilian topics. In consultation with the departmental undergraduate advisor, a selection of courses from the major can also be used to construct a related area in Spanish and/or Portuguese. A variety of courses- some taught in English- for non-majors interested in Hispanic, Latin American, Luso-Brazilian, or U.S. Latino culture are also available. We encourage majors to include at least a semester of study abroad in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country, if possible. The Department works in close cooperation with the Pitt Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), and many majors choose as a related area the CLAS undergraduate certificate program, which includes a Latin American field trip component. The Department also offers its own popular study abroad program, Pitt in Argentina, for both majors and non-majors at the University of Rosario in Argentina during the summer semester.

Students majoring in the department should consider the various options open to them, including the possibility of combining their CAS degree with a second degree in another school of the University or with an additional major within CAS such as anthropology, communications, economics, film studies, history, political science, etc. Students following any track prepare for careers in government, industry, education, or international affairs, as well as for graduate programs in Hispanic or Luso-Brazilian studies. For additional information on the major or the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures, see http://www.pitt.edu/~hispan/.

Major Requirements

The following rules and requirements apply to all majors:

• Students must earn a total of 38 credits with a QPA of at least 2.00 in all departmental courses.
• Students may take one required course with the S/N grade option.
• Students should check with the advisor in regards to the required W-course.
• Students may receive credit by examination for the Spanish language courses up to and including SPAN 1025 (Advanced Grammar); credit by examination for higher-level courses may be sought by special request. Normally, credit earned in this fashion is limited to three courses beyond SPAN 0004 (Intermediate Spanish 4). Similar credits may be earned in Portuguese.
• PORT 0001(Elementary Portuguese 1) is also required of all majors.
• Students must complete a 12-credit related area in order to fulfill CAS graduation requirements. Students interested in Latin America should consider the Latin American Studies Certificate Program for a related area (see University Center for International Studies section of this bulletin for detailed information about this certificate). Courses counting toward the Professional Translation Certificate, offered in conjunction with the Department of Linguistics, may be incorporated into the major with the approval of the major advisor (see CAS Certificate Programs).
• Although freshman students are given special placement exams to determine their level of competence, the department recognizes the limitations of these exams and accordingly maintains a flexible and practical policy in helping each student find the class level that is most appropriate. The Spanish major requires competency in Spanish, and students must complete SPAN 0004 or the equivalent to enter the program.
• Spanish majors are strongly urged to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.

Requirements for the Major in Hispanic Languages and Literatures

The following core courses must be taken by all majors toward satisfying the 36-credit requirement:

• SPAN 0020 (Conversation)
• SPAN 0025 (Grammar and Composition) or 1025 (Advanced Grammar)
• SPAN 0050 (Spanish Civilization)
• SPAN 0051 (Latin American Civilization )
• SPAN 0055 (Introduction to Hispanic Literature 1)
• SPAN 1400 (Survey of Latin American Literature) or 1600 (Survey of Spanish Literature)
• PORT 0001 (Elementary Portuguese 1).

In addition, in consultation with the major advisor, students need to take an additional five courses from the 1300, 1400, or 1600-level offerings.

Students who wish to include PORT 0002 in the major may substitute it for any 1000-level SPAN course except 1400 or 1600. Students in this track who plan to teach Spanish are urged to take SPAN 1304 (Methods of Teaching Spanish) and 1305 (Spanish for Teachers).

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