Majors and minors in this department will provide students with a solid literacy in the cultures of the Hispanic world. Literacy at the level of language instruction entails the students’ ability to express themselves fluently in Spanish, both orally and in writing. Literacy at the cultural level entails an intellectual grasp of Spanish and Spanish-American cultural and artistic products and the knowledge of the historical and methodological contexts in which to situate them. Students must consult with their major advisor to carefully plan their program upon major declaration. With advisor approval, courses taken abroad or at another institution can apply toward the major/minor. The Department of Spanish and Latin American Cultures addresses the Barnard senior research requirement through the writing of a substantial paper in a topic-based senior seminar; there is the possibility of further research development for some students. The Spanish and Latin American Cultures majors have been designed in conjunction with the Columbia Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Hence, Barnard students may, with the approval of their advisor, move freely between the departments of both institutions in search of the courses that best fit their interests and schedules.
Minor in Spanish and Latin American Cultures
Six courses (minimum 18 credits): SPAN 3300, SPAN 3349, SPAN 3350, and three other courses at 3000-level or above to be chosen in consultation with the major advisor.
Major in Spanish and Latin American Cultures
NOTE: With advisor approval, courses in both the Department of Spanish and Latin American Cultures and the Columbia Department of Spanish and Portuguese numbered 3000 and above will count toward the majors or minors--with the exception of intensive Portuguese and Catalan language courses, which may be counted as electives “outside” the Departments, as explained below.
Required Introductory courses:
SPAN W3300 Advanced Spanish Language
SPAN W3330 Introduction to Hispanic Cultures
SPAN W3349 Hispanic Cultures I
SPAN W3350 Hispanic Cultures II
Eleven courses (minimum 33 credits): SPAN 3300, 3330, 3349, 3350, six elective courses and a Senior Seminar (3990, 3991, 3992 or 3993). A minimum of three electives must be chosen from the Departments’ 3000- or 4000-level* offerings. Up to three electives may be taken outside the Departments, provided they address Hispanic topics. Coursework completed in other departments requires the approval of the major advisor; students should therefore not wait until their senior year to find out whether courses they have taken will apply to the major. All students should seek chronological and geographic breadth in their coursework, enrolling in diverse classes on both Latin American and Iberian topics, something that is essential for those planning future graduate work in Hispanic Studies. Such students should consult especially closely with their advisor to plan their program. Students are also encouraged to study at least a year in another language, enrolling in intensive courses whenever possible. (Language courses, including Portuguese and Catalan, may count as outside electives, but language courses in the Departments must be intensive to satisfy this requirement: PORT 1120, 1220 and 1320 and CATL 1120 and 1220.)
*4000-level courses, offered only at Columbia, are joint graduate-undergraduate courses.
Major in Spanish and Latin American Cultures with Specialization
For students wishing to pursue a more rigorously interdisciplinary program in the Social Sciences or the Humanities, the Department offers a major that integrates courses in Spanish and Latin American Cultures/Spanish and Portuguese with courses in another department or program chosen carefully by the student.
Fourteen courses (minimum 42 credits): SPAN 3300, 3330, 3349, 3350, nine elective courses, and a Senior Seminar (3990, 3991, 3992 or 3993). Coursework will include a minimum of three 3000- or 4000-level courses within the Departments but beyond the four required foundation courses, and six courses in another field of specialization, three of which should be closely related to Hispanic Studies. Students who wish to complete this rigorous interdisciplinary major will choose a specialization. Possible fields and programs include Anthropology, Africana Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Gender Studies, History, Latino Studies, Latin American Studies, Music, Political Science, Sociology, and Urban Studies. Students should work closely with their major advisor to plan their program of study; it will be their responsibility to seek advising regarding coursework in their external specialization from appropriate sources (for example, from other departments’ Chairs). Electives outside the two departments (Spanish and Latin American Cultures/Spanish and Portuguese) should include basic methodological or foundation courses in the chosen field or program. In special cases and with advisor approval, students may complete some coursework in another, closely related field. In exceptional cases and again with advisor approval, students may take a Senior Seminar in their field of specialization as a seventh course outside of the Departments if they have completed enough basic courses in that field to manage the demands of an advanced seminar. In such cases, the major advisor must receive written communication from the seminar instructor indicating approval of a student’s membership in the course; the seminar project must be on a Hispanic topic; and a copy of the project must be turned in to the major advisor for the student’s file upon completion of the course. Students who complete the seminar in another department may also count it as the third elective course on a Hispanic topic outside of the two departments, in which case they may take a fourth 3000- or 4000-level course in Spanish and Latin American Cultures/Spanish and Portuguese.
Senior Research Project
In the fall of their senior year, students must enroll in a senior seminar in which they will undertake the research and writing of a substantial paper in the field. Some students may wish, with departmental approval, to further develop their research in the spring through an independent study project with a willing faculty member. For that project, they may expand their work in the senior seminar or undertake a new assignment in consultation with the faculty member. The Independent Study (BC3099) may be counted as one of the courses that fulfills the major.
