Spanish
The BA Spanish program requires students to achieve proficiency in speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing Spanish and to develop awareness and understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. Through the study of grammar, literature, history, geography, and culture, students are prepared to be successful in whichever employment field they chose. Employment in Spanish includes teaching at all levels, government work at numerous agencies, translation and/or interpretation, travel and tourism, media in journalism, advertising, publishing, film etc., the Armed Forces, and international business, among others.
Students are also encouraged to travel to Spanish-speaking countries to hone their skills, test their knowledge, and gain confidence in their abilities.
Many students have had a background in Spanish in high school. As a general rule, students with two years of Spanish study in high school can be successful in their college studies starting in the first semester of the second year (SPAN 201). Students with three or four years of Spanish study in high school may be successful starting in the second semester of the second year (SPAN 202). The DSU Testing Center, part of the Academic Success Center, provides a Spanish placement exam for students to help them determine, in consultation with the course instructor, which course would be most appropriate. Heritage speakers are encouraged to speak with the instructor about placement. Those students wishing to enroll in courses above the 101-level due to prior experience may request a prerequisite waiver in consultation with the instructor.
Those students may be enrolled as follows:
Enroll in SPAN 102, SPAN 201, SPAN 202. Students may pay a recording fee to transcript all or some of the waived 4, 8 or 12 credits respectively, if they pass with a B or better.
Enroll in SPAN 321. Native speakers and those with extensive experience abroad are strongly encouraged to enroll in SPAN 321. Students may pay a recording fee to transcript all or some of the waived 16 lower-division credits, if they pass with a B or better.
Students who have taken and posted credit from one of the two approved proficiency exams, should start at the next appropriate level.
If students with a Major or Minor in Spanish elect not to transcript waived lower-division credits, they must still complete the required number of credits for their Major or Minor. They must consult with the Spanish course instructor for possible substitutions.
Also, students must still complete the minimum credit hours to graduate.