Hispanic Studies

Professors: Kietrys, Maiz-Peña, Peña, Sánchez y Sánchez (Chair), Willis
Associate Professors: Boyer, González
Assistant Professor: Jimenez
Visiting Assistant Professor: Pasero-O’Malley
Lecturer: Offerman, Santamaría, 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 (Neither 400 nor 490 can satisfy this requirement)
- One “pre-1800”
- One “post-1800”
- Three electives
One 400-level seminar
SPA 490 - Sem: Life-Writing, Perf & Cult

*Students not in the class of 2022 should refer to the 2018-19 catalog for their Hispanic Studies major requirements.

**Students are strongly encouraged to take SPA 271 and 272 in sequence; in exceptional circumstances, students may need to deviate from the recommended sequence. If so, please consult with the chair. (See Hispanic Studies Humanities Section below (271/272).

Minor Requirements

For a minor in Hispanic Studies, students must take a minimum of six courses conducted in Spanish at the 260 level and above (above SPA 201 , Intermediate Spanish).

Either SPA 271 or SPA 272 is required for Hispanic Studies Minors.
At least three courses must be at the 300-level or above.
Two of the three 300-level or above courses should be taken in residence at Davidson.
The department may also require Advanced Spanish Grammar 302 or 303 as one of the four upper-level courses, depending on the student’s language proficiency

*Students not in the class of 2022 should refer to the 2018-19 catalog for their Hispanic Studies minor requirements.

Hispanic Humanities

Spanish 271 / Spanish 272 is a two-course sequence that will replace the former SPA 270. The sequence is designed to be a more in-depth introduction to the foundational knowledge and theoretical approaches to Hispanic cultural production from the Middle Ages to the present across primary sources, genres, geographical and temporal borders. The overarching goal is to ensure both breadth and depth before students take more focused upper-level classes at the 300 and 400 level.

Students must take SPA 260 (or its equivalent) before starting 271 and 272.

Students are strongly encouraged to take SPA 271 and 272 in sequence; in exceptional circumstances, students may need to deviate from the recommended sequence. If so, please consult with the chair.

Professors of more advanced 200 and 300 level classes will determine prerequisites for their individual classes. If you have doubts, consult with the individual professor.

“Native” and/or “Heritage Speakers” (meaning that the student came to Davidson from a Spanish-speaking country and/or the student speak Spanish at home) should consult with the chair about the most appropriate course of study and whether or not SPA 271 and/or 272 will be required.

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.