Required Courses
The Division of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers a BA in Spanish. Students study the language, customs and traditions, civilizations, and literature of Spain and Spanish America. In addition to the classroom experience, students are strongly encouraged to travel and study in one of the appropriate countries through programs approved by the students’ academic advisor.
Our program emphasizes all four linguistic skills: listening reading, speaking, and writing, as well as the development of good techniques in analytical and critical thinking. In addition, the student can pursue courses in the art of translation. The variety of courses assures a good basic knowledge of the traditions and cultural characteristics of the people and their countries. The study of a foreign language constitutes a major element of a liberal arts education, offering communication skills that are much in demand in today’s global economy. It also prepares students to appreciate cultural differences of perception and behavior, which provides an easier transition into the students’ chosen careers and a better evaluation and understanding of the professional world.
A major in Spanish by itself or as a dual major provides a strong competitive edge in the current job market and opens the door to a large choice of careers in the business and professional world, including social work, law, international business, the health fields, government, library science, teaching, and graduate studies. It also instills a lifelong curiosity to learn about cultural and human differences, and a greater understanding of those differences.
A Spanish major must complete any 10 courses, 200-level and above. One of the ten courses must be a 400-level course.
A minor in Spanish consists of any six courses, 200-level and above.
K-12 teaching certification is available in Spanish. The requirements are the same as for the Spanish major, but one of the ten courses must be SP 334 . Please consult the education department entry.
Spanish Placement at DeSales
Students who have studied a foreign language in high school and who wish to continue the study of the same language must follow these placement guidelines; this policy applies to all students, not just to freshmen:
Students cannot register in classes below their proficiency level according to the number of years in high school. Students who wish to take a higher level course than indicated above, or students whose native language is Spanish, must consult with a member of the foreign language faculty for proper placement.
All courses in Spanish help satisfy the foreign language/ world cultures requirement. The two courses must be taken in the same language and must fall at the student’s level of ability, as determined by the above guidelines. Students who register below their ability will receive no credit toward the requirement. A student may not challenge foreign language courses at the 101 or 102 level. A student will not receive credit for challenging foreign language courses at the 201 or 202 level after having successfully completed a more advanced class in the same language.
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