Hispanic Studies

Professors: Kietrys, Maiz-Peña, Peña, Sánchez-Sánchez, Willis (Chair)
Associate Professors: Boyer, González
Visiting Assistant Professor: Donate
Visiting Instructor: Santamaría
Language Coordinator and Visiting Lecturer: Esparragoza-Scott

Foreign Language Requirement

Completion of Spanish 201 meets the foreign language requirement for graduation.

Cultural Diversity Requirement

SPA 241, 244, 270, 340, 341, 344, 346, 352, 374, 375, and 402 fulfill the cultural diversity requirement.

Placement in Spanish Courses

Students who have taken Spanish previously and who want to take Spanish courses at Davidson must take a placement test before the beginning of the academic year. Please consult the new student registration material sent by the Registrar, or contact the Language Coordinator, Professor Rosalba Esparragoza.

No student who has studied Spanish in junior or senior year of high school should expect to take SPA 101 for credit without the express permission of the department. Placement will be based on online exam score and high school experience.

Major Requirements (A.B. Degree)

For a major in Hispanic Studies, ten courses above SPA 201 are required, as follows:

One elective at any level (including SPA 260 and above)
SPA 271 - Hispanic Humanities
SPA 272 - Hispanic Humanities
Five courses at the 300-level, including
- One “pre-1800”
- One “post-1800”
- Three electives
One 400-level seminar
SPA 490 - Senior Capstone in Hispanic Studies

*Students not in the class of 2022 should refer to the 2017-18 catalog for their Hispanic Studies major requirements.

Minor Requirements

For a minor in Hispanic Studies, students must take a minimum of six courses conducted in Spanish above SPA 201 , including:

SPA 271 - Hispanic Humanities
or
SPA 272 - Hispanic Humanities
At least four courses at the 300-level or above (at least two of these should be taken in residence at Davidson.)
Depending on the student’s language proficiency, the department may also require SPA 302 or SPA 303 (Advanced Spanish Grammar) as one of the four required upper-level courses.

*Students not in the class of 2022 should refer to the 2017-18 catalog for their Hispanic Studies minor requirements.

Honors Requirements

Twelve courses are needed for departmental honors. In addition to the major requirements, a two-semester senior honors thesis (SPA 498 and 499) is required. An oral defense of the thesis proposal is required at the end of SPA 498 and an oral defense of the thesis project is required at the end of SPA 499. See description of the courses and consult guidelines available on the department webpage. In the case of an exceptional academic record, together with a thesis of the highest quality, the department may confer high honors.

Service Learning

Several courses offer the opportunity for service learning. Some may require this component.

Hispanic Studies Courses

Rationale for Course Numbering

SPA 100-level courses and SPA 201 are language courses that satisfy the three-semester foreign language requirement at Davidson College. SPA 260 and SPA 270 are prerequisite courses focused on conversation, composition, grammar, introduction to Hispanic literatures and cultures, and textual analysis. The 300-level courses are designed for majors and minors, as well as for juniors and seniors with the desire to further their knowledge in Hispanic language, literatures, or cultures. The 400-level seminars on special topics are open to junior and senior majors and minors, or with permission of the instructor; SPA 490 is a capstone experience open only to senior majors; SPA 429 is an elective independent thesis; SPA 498 and 499 are independent research and tutorial for the honors thesis, under the direction of a faculty member.