Spanish Minor

students in Dr. Moody's Spanish conversation classThe Spanish minor requires 15 hours at the 300–400 level between required courses and electives. A minimum of six (6) hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on the Tuscaloosa UA campus. Instruction of all courses must be in Spanish to be computed into the major GPA. Minors must maintain a GPA average of 2.0. All courses are 3 credits. The Spanish minor can be completed in as little as two semesters, although generally at least three are recommended.

Find details about the Spanish minor in the Undergraduate Catalog, or consult the Spanish minor requirement checklist (PDF).

For help planning your minor in Spanish, visit the Spanish Advising page to contact the Undergraduate Director.

Ancillary courses: The minor in Spanish requires the successful completion of the following courses: SP 101, SP 102 (or SP 103), SP 201 and SP 202. Grades in ancillary courses are not computed into the minor GPA. (Some students may receive credt for these 100- and 200-level Spanish courses by submitting a Foreign Language Courses Credit Petition Form [PDF]. This option is not available to heritage or bilingual individuals, as specified in the UA Catalog.) Alternatively, students may take the UA Placement Test to be registered directly into a 300-level course. Please check the Spanish Basic Language Program Course Placement guidelines for further information.

Spanish Minor Requirements (1-2)

1. Three (3) Cornerstone Courses

These courses are required for the Spanish Major. They are all pre-requisites for more advanced courses and must be taken first.

SP 353 Spanish Conversation or SP 355 Spanish for Native Speakers (3 credits)

SP 353 introduces students to linguistic immersion in the target language. It can be taken before, concurrently or after SP 356.

SP 355 is designed for students of Hispanic background, who are either native speakers or heritage speakers of Spanish, to improve their formal knowledge of the language.

Native speakers or heritage speakers cannot take SP 353; they should enroll in SP 355 instead or substitute it with another course in consultation with the Spanish Adviser.

These courses are pre-requisites for SP 364 and SP 366.

SP 356 Advanced Grammar and Composition (3 credits)

This course is a rigorous study of grammatical concepts, as well as the tools needed to write successful essays in Spanish, with emphasis on crafting academic papers, as these will be part of assessment in future courses. It can be taken before, concurrently or after SP 353.

Pre-requisite for SP 364 and SP 366

SP 364 Cultures of Spain or SP 366 Cultures of Latin America (3 credits)

Only one of these courses is required.

SP 364 is based on Spanish Peninsular culture and history. SP 366 is based on Latin American culture and history.

Pre-requisite for all courses at the 370 level.

2. Two (2) 300-Level Electives

For the six hours of electives, students may take any two SP 300-level courses of their choice (one may be 400-level, with the specific teacher’s permission). Offerings vary every semester. Please note that SP 361 Introduction to Romance Linguistics is taught in English and therefore it does not count towards the Spanish major or minor.

SP 360 Spanish for Business (3 credits)

This course is based on Spanish business vocabulary and practices.

SP 362 Spanish for Healthcare (3 credits)

This course is designed to build fluency in both spoken and written Spanish that will enable the healthcare professional to communicate more effectively with patients, emphasizing vocabulary acquisition and cultural nuances. It is oriented towards students who are pursuing a health-related career and it includes a service-learning component.

SP 367 Spanish for International Relations (3 credits)

This course will teach students how to understand and write documents in technical areas usually not taught in conventional language courses. It trains students in the intricacies of economics, politics and international relations.

SP 371 Literatures and Cultures of Spain until 1800 (3 credits)

Literature of Spain from the Middle Ages through the 18th century. This is a writing (W) course.

SP 372 Literatures and Cultures of Spain since 1800 (3 credits)

Literature of Spain from the 19thcentury to the present. This is a writing (W) course.

SP 375 Latin American Literatures and Cultures until 1900 (3 credits)

Literature of Latin America from the colonial period to Modernismo.

SP 376 Latin American Literatures and Cultures since 1900 (3 credits)

Literature of Latin America from modernism to the present. This is a writing (W) course.

SP 377 US Latino Studies (3 credits)

Literatures and cultures of the Hispanics in the United States, starting in the 19thcentury to the present. This is a writing (W) course.

SP 383 Fundamentals of Spanish Linguistics (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the study of the Spanish language using modern methods of linguistic analysis in order to observe how the Spanish language is formed from sounds to words, and from sentences to social interactions.

SP 384 Spanish Pronunciation: From Theory to Practice (3 credits)

This course provides students with an introduction to the fundamental features of Spanish pronunciation. This includes an awareness of the sound inventory of Spanish and its variants, the creation of syllables and assignment of word stress, and finally the production of a unique Spanish rhythm and intonation.

SP 389 Outreach (3 credits)

This course places the most accomplished Spanish majors and minors as interns in local schools, where they can assist students with individual tutoring, comprehension of lessons, interpersonal dialogue, interpretation, and other language-based tasks.

SP 390 Open Topics (1 to 6 credits)

This course may be based on topics related to Spanish language, literature, and culture. Students may only take up to 6 credits in SP 390.

Suggested Sequence for the Spanish Minor

  • Cornerstone courses: SP 353 or 355 (for Heritage speakers)
  • Cornerstone courses: SP 356
  • Cornerstone courses: SP 364 or 366
  • Any TWO SP 300-level or 400-level courses
    • SP 361 does not count.

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