SPANISH
Office:
University Hall, Second Floor
Telephone:
(760) 750-4208
World Languages and Hispanic
Literatures Department Chair:
Silvia Rolle, Ph.D.
Faculty:
Veronica Anover, Ph.D.
Stella T. Clark, Ph.D.
Francisco
Martín, Ph.D.
Jill L.
Pellettieri, Ph.D.
Silvia
Rolle, Ph.D.
Darci L.
Strother, Ph.D.
Carlos
von Son, Ph.D.
Foreign Language Proficiency
Assessor:
Kevin Igasaki, M.A.
Programs Offered:
• Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
• Minor in Spanish
• Master of Arts in Spanish
As its primary objective, the
Spanish Major promotes the study of the language and culture of
Spanish-speaking people. It is designed to provide the background and
appreciation of Hispanic literatures and cultures, and linguistic and analytic
skills, so students can pursue careers in a variety of fields. The program
seeks to contribute support to and articulate with other areas of study at the
University. It aims to serve the immediate region and its needs, while
providing students with insight and understanding of the Hispanic world at
large.
The Spanish Major addresses
cultural and linguistic connections between the United States and its
Spanish-speaking neighbors. It promotes the concept that Spanish is not a
foreign language, but rather one to be cultivated and appreciated alongside
English in Southern California.
The multi-track
characteristic of the CSUSM Spanish Major gives students flexibility and
diversity while providing a strong core in all basic linguistic, analytic, and
cultural skills. The program takes into account the unique nature of the CSUSM
student body and the University’s Mission Statement. The program addresses the
need for trained language specialists in a variety of fields. At the same time,
it considers the location of CSUSM, in North San Diego County, an area
characterized by a strong Spanish-speaking population. The bi-national
interaction that stems from our proximity to the Mexican border establishes the
need for a multidimensional major which incorporates practical and academic
components.
The University’s commitment
to interdisciplinary and multicultural issues guides the cultural and literary
elements of the major. All of these principles are prevalent in the curriculum
and the faculty, both of which are complemented by those of other programs.
Requirements for the Spanish
Major
1. The major consists of 48
semester units, with 36 units of upper-division coursework.
2. The 12 units of
lower-division, or any portion thereof, may be met by demonstrating equivalent
proficiency. In such a case, the units in lower-division would be reduced
proportionately.
3. Upper-division
requirements are divided between a core and a track. The core requires 21 units
and each of the four tracks is 15 units, for a total of 36 units.
Special Conditions for the
Spanish Major
1. Appropriate courses taken
for lower-division General Education credit may be counted toward the
preparation of the major.
2. Credit/No Credit grading
is not allowed in the upper-division courses required for the major, except in
the case of students who pass course-specific challenge exams administered by
the Program.
3. A grade of C- or better
must be earned in all upper-division courses applied to the major.
4. In no case may more than
two courses conducted in English be applied to the Spanish major.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN SPANISH
Units
General Education 51 units
Preparation for the Major 0-12 units
Core Requirements 21
units
Track Requirements 15 units
General Electives 25-37 units
Total Required 124 units
The following four tracks
respond to our area’s demands for different types of opportunities:
Track One: General Major in
Spanish
This represents a
comprehensive language, literature, and culture track to provide the background
for entrance into graduate programs in Spanish and for a single-subject
teaching credential.*
*Students planning
to pursue a single-subject teaching credential in Spanish should contact the
Spanish advisor for Single Subject Program for information on additional
courses or assessments which may be required for admission to the credential
program. See more information on the internet at http://coyote.csusm.edu/A_S/Foreign_
Lang/waiverInfo/waiver.html
Preparation for
the Major
Lower-division (12 units)
Units
Students must take twelve
(12) units
of lower-division Spanish
courses. A
portion or all of these units
may be
met by demonstrating language
proficiency; in such a case,
the units
required in lower-division
would be
proportionately reduced. 0-12 units
Core Requirements
CORE (21 units)
Units
SPAN 311A or 311B 3 units
SPAN 312 3
units
SPAN 315 3
units
Three (3) units selected from
the
following courses 3 units
SPAN 350A SPAN 350B
Six (6) units selected from
the
following courses 6 units
SPAN 314 (A-F) or 316*
SPAN 317
SPAN 330
SPAN 331
SPAN 399 3
units
Track Requirements
TRACK (15 units)
SPAN 350 [Three (3) units in
the
topic not taken for the core]
3 units
Nine (9) units from
the following courses 9 units
SPAN 380 SPAN 410
SPAN 400A SPAN 415
SPAN 400B SPAN 421
SPAN 400C SPAN 422S
SPAN 400D
Three (3) units from the
following courses 3 units
SPAN 450A SPAN 450B
SPAN 450C
Track Two: Literature
This track places a strong
emphasis on the history and analysis of the literatures of Spain, Latin
America, and the Spanish-speaking United States, as well as on literary genre
and theory. Designed for further study of literature in Spanish at the graduate
level, or of literary theory or comparative literature.
Preparation for
the Major
Lower-division (12 units)
Units
Students must take twelve
(12)
units of lower-division
Spanish
courses. A portion or all of
these
units may be met by
demonstrating
language proficiency; in such
case,
the units required in
lower-division
would be proportionately
reduced. 0-12 units
Core Requirements
CORE (21 units)
Units
SPAN 311A or 311B 3 units
SPAN 312 3
units
SPAN 315 3
units
Three (3) units chosen from
the following courses 3 units
SPAN 350A SPAN 350B
Six (6) units chosen from the
following courses 6 units
SPAN 314 (A-F) or 316*
SPAN 317
SPAN 330
SPAN 331
SPAN 399 3
units
Track Requirements
TRACK (15 units)
Nine (9) units chosen from
the following courses 9 units
SPAN 370 SPAN 410
SPAN 380 SPAN 415
SPAN 400A SPAN 421
SPAN 400B SPAN 422S
SPAN 400C
SPAN 400D
Three (3) units chosen from
the
following courses 3 units
SPAN 450A SPAN 450B
SPAN 450C
LTWR 300A 3
units
Track Three: Language and Culture
This track’s
interdisciplinary emphasis is on cultural, political, and social elements of
Spanish and Spanish- American, and U.S. Latino life.
Preparation for
the Major
Lower-division (12 units)
Units
Students must take twelve
(12)
units of lower-division
Spanish
courses. A portion or all of
these
units may be met by
demonstrating
language proficiency; in such
case,
the units required in
lower-division
would be proportionately
reduced. 0-12 units
* No more than one of
these courses (SPAN 316 or 314 A-F) may be counted for this category of the
Core Requirements.
Core Requirements
CORE (21 units)
Units
SPAN 311A or 311B 3 units
SPAN 312 3
units
SPAN 315 3
units
Three (3) units chosen from
the
following courses 3 units
SPAN 350A SPAN 350B
Six (6) units chosen from the
following courses 6 units
SPAN 314 (A-F) or 316*
SPAN 330
SPAN 317
SPAN 331
SPAN 399 3
units
Track Requirements
TRACK (15 units)
Units
Six (6) units chosen from
the following courses 6 units
SPAN 370 SPAN 400D
SPAN 380 SPAN 410
SPAN 400A SPAN 415
SPAN 400B SPAN 421
SPAN 400C SPAN 422S
Three (3) units chosen from
the
following courses: 3 units
SPAN 450A SPAN 450B
SPAN 450C
Three (3) units chosen from
any
upper-division course that
deals
significantly with Spain,
Latin
America or Latinos in the
United States 3 units
SPAN 399
[three (3) units in addition
to units
attained in the core] 3
units
Track Four: Spanish for the
Professions
This track stresses practical
applications of the language based on fieldwork experience and apprenticeship. It
is designed to integrate with professional majors.
Preparation for
the Major
Lower-division (12 units)
Units
Students must take twelve (12)
units of lower-division Spanish
courses. A portion or all of
these
units may be met by
demonstrating
language proficiency; in such
case,
the units required in
lower-division
would be proportionately
reduced. 0-12 units
Core Requirements
CORE (21 units)
Units
SPAN 311A or 311B 3 units
SPAN 312 3
units
SPAN 315 3
units
Three (3) units chosen from the
following courses: 3 units
SPAN 350A SPAN 350B
Six (6) units chosen from the
Following courses: 6 units
SPAN 314 (A-F) or 316*
SPAN 317
SPAN 330
SPAN 331
SPAN 399 3
units
Track Requirements
TRACK (15 units)
Units
SPAN 316* 3
units
SPAN 330** 3
units
SPAN 399 [six (6) units in addition
to those attained in the
core] 6 units
Three (3) units chosen from the
following courses 3 units
SPAN 370 SPAN 410
SPAN 380 SPAN 421
SPAN 400A SPAN 422S
SPAN 400B SPAN 450A
SPAN 400C SPAN 450B
SPAN 400D SPAN 450C
MINOR IN SPANISH
Lower-division (6-12 units)
Units
Proficiency through
SPAN 102*** 0-8
units
SPAN 201*** 3 units
SPAN 202*** 3 units
Upper-division (12 units)
SPAN 311A or 311B 3 units
SPAN 312 3
units
Three (3) units chosen from the
following two courses: 3 units
SPAN 350A SPAN 350B
Three (3) units of upper-division
Spanish 3
units
Total 18-24 units
***To determine
equivalent, please consult with Foreign Language Proficiency Assessor.
* No more than one of
these courses (SPAN 316 or 314 A-F) may be counted for this category of the
Core Requirements.
**Cannot be taken as a
Core requirement.
* No more than one of
these courses (SPAN 316 or 314 A-F) may be counted for this category of the
Core Requirements.
MASTER OF ARTS IN SPANISH
The mission of the Master of
Arts in Spanish is to provide qualified students with a structured yet flexible
program of study in the literature, linguistics, culture, and civilization of
the Spanishspeaking world, and in the art of foreign language teaching. This
program is designed to prepare students for further study at the doctoral
level; for careers in teaching at the elementary, secondary, or community
college level; or for positions in business, social services, international relations,
government agencies, and other organizations in need of trained language
specialists. The Master of Arts in Spanish degree program allows students the
choice of three areas of emphasis: Option A – Hispanic Literature and
Linguistics, Option B – Hispanic Civilization and Language, and Option C –
Foreign Language Teaching. Regardless of the option selected, the student's
academic experience will be characterized by classes of the highest quality,
which encourage the development of critical thinking, an appreciation of
multicultural perspectives, and articulate use of the Spanish language. All
students will receive ongoing faculty mentoring. Opportunities for guided and
independent research, community involvement, and study abroad in a
Spanish-speaking country are central to the graduate student experience in this
program.
Our campus’ close proximity
to the Mexican border, together with the large Spanish-speaking population in
North San Diego County, makes our area a “living language laboratory” in which students
can engage in first-hand study of the many linguistic and cultural aspects of
native Spanish speakers. Students who wish to pursue teaching careers will
benefit from the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children
and Adolescents, a special collection in the CSUSM library which houses over
40,000 books, periodicals, and other materials pertinent to teaching Spanish
and Hispanic culture to young people. The University's commitment to
multicultural and global awareness, together with the presence of an
international group of faculty in the Foreign Languages Program, will
contribute to the student's process of learning, in this unique academic
setting.
Admission
Admission to the program
requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university. It is expected that
students will have received a major in Spanish, or a degree in a
closely-related field plus at least four (4) upper-division courses in Spanish.
A grade-point average of not
less than 2.5, plus an average of not less than 3.0 in upper-division Spanish
courses, is required for admission.
All applicants must take the
Graduate Record Examination (the general test only). While the test scores will
be viewed in combination with other factors pertinent to the applicant's
ability to succeed in a graduate program, it is unlikely that students will be
admitted with combined verbal and quantitative scores of less than 1000.
However, no specific cutoff will be used.
Graduates of universities
where English is not the principal language must take the combined Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Written English (TWE)
examination, and receive a minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL and a minimum of 4.5
on the TWE.
Application may be made for
Fall or Spring admission, but only Fall applicants are considered for Teaching Assistantships.
A complete application includes:
– A completed application
form for graduate admission to the University
– Two sets of official
transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, with indication of
graduation
– Two letters of recommendation
– A one to two (1-2) page
statement of purpose, describing educational experience and career goals
– A writing sample of at
least seven (7) pages. The writing must be in Spanish, and should deal with
some aspect of Hispanic literature, culture, or linguistics.
– A video- or audio-taped
speech sample, in which the applicant speaks in Spanish for at least five (5)
minutes, on the topic of his/her choice; and
– GRE (and TOEFL/TWE, if
applicable) score reports
Degree Requirements
The program requires thirty
(30) semester units of study, at least twenty-four (24) of which must be at the
graduate level (500 and 600 series). None of the thirty (30) units of
coursework applied to the Master of Art's degree in Spanish may have been
applied toward a previous academic degree. A grade-point average of not less
than 3.0 must be maintained in all classes taken. Students must demonstrate
intermediate- level knowledge of a language other than Spanish and English (by
completing a 202-level language course with a final grade of C or better at
CSUSM or an equivalent institution, or by passing a Proficiency Examination
given by the CSUSM Foreign Languages Program), prior to graduation. Students
must successfully pass the Comprehensive Master's Examinations in Spanish in order
to graduate.
Students enrolled full-time
will typically complete the program in four semesters and must take the
Comprehensive Master's Examinations no later than the sixth semester following
enrollment. Students enrolled on a part-time basis must take the Comprehensive
Master's Examinations no later than the tenth semester following enrollment. Students
who do not pass the Comprehensive Master's Examinations the first time may
retake them a maximum of two additional times, no later than two years after
the first attempt.
Students must complete the
required 30 semester units in accordance with the specific requirements for the
chosen Option.
Option A: Hispanic Literature and
Linguistics
(30 Units)
This option is designed for
students who wish to pursue in-depth study of Spanish, Latin American, and U.S.
Latino literatures and Spanish linguistics, and will prepare students for
further study at the Ph.D. level.
Requirements
Units
SPAN 510 3
units
SPAN 520 3
units
Elective graduate-level courses
in literature 12
units
(SPAN 521-536, 603, 604, 606)
Elective graduate-level courses
in
linguistics 3
units
(SPAN 511-515, 602, 610)
Elective graduate-level courses
(SPAN) in literature culture/
civilization, and/or linguistics
9 units
Option B: Hispanic Civilization and
Language
This option is designed for
students wishing to pursue careers in business, social services, international
relations, etc. This option exposes students to the most salient factors of the
language and cultures of the people who make up the Spanish-speaking world.
Requirements for
Option B
SPAN 510 3
units
SPAN 601 3
units
Elective graduate-level courses
in
linguistics (SPAN 511-515,
602, 610) 6 units
Elective graduate-level courses
in
culture/civilization
(SPAN 540-552, 605) 6 units
Additional graduate
course-work, to be selected based on student's specific areas of interest and
academic plan, in consultation with faculty advisor. Courses may come from
graduate offerings in Spanish, or from other disciplines 12 units
Option C: Foreign Language Teaching
This option is designed for
students who plan to teach Spanish at the elementary, secondary, or community
college level. It provides students with a strong background in applied
linguistics and pedagogical theory, as well as advanced-level exposure to the
literatures, cultures, and language of the Spanish-speaking world.
Requirements
Units
SPAN 510 3
units
SPAN 602 3
units
SPAN 610 3
units
Elective courses taken in Education
at the 500 or 600 level (to
be selected
in consultation with
student's
faculty advisor) 9 units
Elective graduate-level courses
(SPAN) in literature, culture/
civilization, and/or linguistics*
12 units
Students will be expected to
choose the Option which most clearly meets their career goals, and will receive
faculty mentoring prior to their first semester of enrollment, to assist them
in choosing the appropriate Option and in designing their individual course of
study.
*In order to become
well-prepared teachers, students are strongly advised to select courses
representing all areas of the Spanish-speaking world (including the
Spanish-speaking U.S., Latin America, and Spain).
Study Abroad
In order to fully understand
and appreciate the nuances of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture, all
students are strongly encouraged to spend at least one summer or semester
abroad, in a Spanish-speaking country. Students will be permitted to transfer
up to nine (9) units of credit toward the Master of Arts in Spanish from
approved studyabroad courses. Spanish faculty will work closely with each
student to assist him/her in identifying an appropriate study-abroad program,
and in structuring his/her course of study to accommodate this important
experience.
Financial Aid
Teaching Assistantships may
be available to qualified students who wish to teach introductory- and
intermediate level Spanish language courses at CSUSM. Other forms of financial
support may also be available, and interested students should contact the University's
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship for further information
Comprehensive Master's Exams
One semester before students
propose to take their Comprehensive Master's Examinations, they must present to
the graduate committee (made up of three faculty members) a reading list that must
adequately represent both their readings for individual courses and readings
undertaken independently to complement coursework. The reading list must be
approved by the graduate committee, which has the right to prescribe authors
and works not included in the list. The approved list then becomes the basis
for the Master's Examinations, which consists of two three-hour examinations, and
a follow-up oral defense. These examinations will be evaluated by a committee
of three faculty members, and will be graded on a pass/no pass basis.