Spanish
Director of undergraduate studies: Lisa Voigt; language program director: Jorge Méndez-Seijas; span-port.yale.edu
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese provides instruction in the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian worlds. Courses in Portuguese and the requirements of the major are described under Portuguese; the names of faculty teaching Portuguese courses are included in the faculty roster.
The major in Spanish is a liberal arts major that offers a wide range of courses in the language, literatures, and cultures of the twenty Spanish-speaking countries in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Today, Spanish is the second language of the United States, one of the three most widely spoken languages in the world, and one of the five diplomatic languages of the United Nations. The program in Spanish offers students the opportunity to acquire thorough linguistic proficiency as well as in-depth knowledge of both cultural and literary topics. The major explores literature, history, philosophy, art, and cultural studies, and provides excellent preparation for careers in law, diplomacy, medicine, business, the arts, academics, journalism, and education.
Course Numbering
Courses numbered SPAN 110–199 include beginning and intermediate language courses designed to help students develop fluency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Spanish. Courses numbered SPAN 200–299 seek to provide students with a broad but solid introduction to the fields of Hispanic literatures and cultures while strengthening their linguistic competence. Courses numbered 300–499 allow students to perfect their linguistic and critical skills through study of a specific problem or issue, e.g., a literary genre, a type of literary or cultural representation, or a specific writer or text. Students desiring more information about either language or literature offerings should consult the director of undergraduate studies (DUS).
Prerequisite
Prerequisite to the major is SPAN 140, 142, or 145, or the equivalent through advanced placement or study abroad. Equivalent preparation to SPAN 140, 142, or 145 may be demonstrated by the test scores indicated below under "Language Courses and Placement Procedures."
Language courses and Placement Procedures
Students with no previous formal or informal Spanish study ordinarily enroll in SPAN 110. Students who take SPAN 110 are strongly encouraged to continue with 120 in the following term. Students wishing to take intensive beginning Spanish may, with the instructor's permission, enroll in SPAN 125, which covers the same material as SPAN 110 and 120, but in one term. SPAN 132 and 142 are designed for heritage speakers and are available only to them. Admission to SPAN 132 and 142 is based on the results of the departmental placement examination; interested students should contact the instructor.
All students, including native speakers, who have previously studied Spanish formally or informally must take the departmental placement examination to enroll in a Spanish course. The only exception to this rule is made for students who have demonstrated advanced ability in the language by (1) receiving a score of 5 on either of the Spanish Advanced Placement tests; (2) receiving a score of 6 or 7 on the Advanced-Level International Baccalaureate examination; or (3) attaining a proficiency level of C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. These students may enroll directly in any L5 course.
Information about the departmental placement examination and about preregistration procedures for Spanish L1–L4 language courses is available on the department website.
Requirements of the Major
Students are held to the requirements that were in place when they declared their major. However, with approval from the DUS, the following requirements, updated for the academic year 2024-2025, may be fulfilled by students who declared the major in a prior term.
Beyond the prerequisite, ten term courses are required. SPAN 250 is a required introductory course. Additionally, two courses numbered SPAN 260-270 are required, as are three courses numbered SPAN 300 or higher. SPAN 491, The Senior Project, is one of the ten required courses. The remaining three elective courses must be numbered SPAN 200 or higher, or be a first-year seminar taught in Spanish. A maximum of one course taught in a language other than Spanish may also count toward the major requirements, with the approval of the DUS.
Intensive major Students in the intensive major fulfill the requirements for the standard major, and take two additional courses numbered SPAN 300 or higher.
Senior Requirement
Seniors complete the senior requirement, an essay or its equivalent in another medium, in SPAN 491 in the spring of their senior year under the individual direction of a faculty adviser. Students expecting to complete their degree requirements in December complete the senior requirement in SPAN 491 in the fall of their senior year. Deadlines and guidelines for the senior requirement can be found on the Spanish and Portuguese department website.
Advising
Two majors Students electing Spanish as one of two majors should consult the DUS about a specialized course of study.
Courses in the Graduate School Juniors and seniors majoring in Spanish may, with permission of the instructor and the director of graduate studies, enroll in graduate courses in Spanish.
Study Abroad
Students at the intermediate level of language study are encouraged to apply to the eight-week summer language courses offered by Yale Summer Session in New Haven and Bilbao, Spain, or in Quito, Ecuador. Advanced students may apply for the five-week Yale Summer Session courses offered in Valencia, Spain, and in Quito, Ecuador. More information about these programs is available on the Yale Summer Session website. For information about the Year or Term Abroad program, see Academic Regulations, section K, Special Academic Programs. Students who wish to count courses taken abroad toward the major should consult with the DUS before going abroad.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisite 1 course from SPAN 140, 142, 145, or equivalent
Number of courses 10 term courses (including senior requirement)
Specific course required SPAN 250
Distribution of courses 2 courses numbered SPAN 260-270, 3 courses numbered SPAN 300 or higher; 3 electives numbered SPAN 200 or higher or a first-year seminar taught in Spanish, with a max of one course taught in a language other than Spanish, with DUS approval
Senior requirement SPAN 491
Intensive major 2 addtl courses numbered SPAN 300 or higher, totaling 12 term courses
Prerequisite
Requirements
10 courses (10 credits), including the senior requirement, but not the prerequisite
- SPAN 250
- 2 courses numbered SPAN 260-270
- 3 courses numbered SPAN 300 or higher
- 3 courses numbered SPAN 200 or higher, or a first-year seminar in Spanish
- SPAN 491
For the intensive major only: 2 additional courses numbered SPAN 300 or higher for a total of 12 required courses (12 credits)
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese provides instruction in the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian worlds. Courses are devoted to the language and literatures of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, and to the Portuguese language and its literatures and cultures from Portugal, Brazil, Africa, and other Portuguese-speaking areas. For information about the major and language placement in Portuguese, see Portuguese.
The major in Spanish is a liberal arts major that offers a wide range of courses in the language, literatures, and cultures of the twenty Spanish-speaking countries in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Today Spanish is the second language of the United States, one of the three most widely spoken languages in the world, and one of the five diplomatic languages of the United Nations. The program in Spanish provides students with the opportunity to acquire thorough linguistic proficiency as well as in-depth knowledge of cultural and literary topics. The Spanish major opens up a world of literature, history, philosophy, art, and culture, and offers excellent preparation for careers in law, diplomacy, medicine, business, the arts, academics, journalism, and education.
First-year students who are interested in the Spanish major and have met the prerequisite (SPAN 140, 142, 145, or equivalent) are encouraged to consider taking SPAN 060 or any course numbered SPAN 200-250. Students may also select Spanish as one of two majors and, in that case, should consult with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) about a specialized course of study.
Yale Summer Session (YSS) offers a summer study abroad program at the intermediate level (combined L3/L4) in Bilbao, Spain, and in Quito, Ecuador. In addition, YSS offers five-week summer courses at the L5 level in Valencia, Spain, and in Quito, Ecuador.
Placement
The departmental placement examination in Spanish is offered online. The exam places students at the proper level of study, allowing them to get the most out of their academic experience in Spanish courses. Additional information is available on the department website.
First-year students who have achieved a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement test in Spanish or 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate examination or have attained a proficiency level of C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are not required to take the departmental placement examination. They may enroll directly in courses designated L5 in Yale Course Search (YCS).
All other students, including native speakers, who have previously studied Spanish formally or informally must take the departmental placement examination in order to enroll in a Spanish course. Students who score L5 on the departmental placement examination may enroll in courses designated L5 in YCS. All other students begin with a course at the level indicated by the placement examination.
Certificate of Advanced Language Study
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in Spanish. A certificate adviser, typically the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), advises students on the certification process. The Certificate of Advanced Language Study, once certified, is listed on the student's transcript.
Requirements
Students seeking to earn the certificate are required to take four courses, all beyond the L4 level in their chosen language, at least two of which must be Yale courses designated as L5, and at least one of which must be a Yale 300-level advanced undergraduate lecture or seminar. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must achieve a grade of B or above.
Yale study abroad courses designated as L5 may count toward the certificate. The certificate adviser may also approve the substitution of one credit earned as part of a non-Yale study abroad program and taught in the target language to count toward the certificate requirements. If the adviser approves a non-Yale course for inclusion in the certificate requirements, students must take the necessary steps to ensure that those courses appear on their transcripts.
Credit/D/Fail No courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the certificate.
Declaration of Candidacy
Students must submit a Declaration of Candidacy for a Certificate form, as early as possible, but at the very latest, before the start of the student's last semester at Yale. The form can be found on the University Registrar’s Office website. Once declared, Degree Audit tracks students' progress toward completion of the certificate.
FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE
Professors Santiago Acosta, Aníbal González-Pérez, K. David Jackson, Nicholas R. Jones, Noël Valis, Jesús R. Velasco (Chair), Lisa Voigt
Senior Lectors II Sybil Alexandrov, Jorge Méndez-Seijas, Margherita Tortora
Senior Lectors I María Pilar Asensio-Manrique, Carolina Baffi, Mercedes Carreras, Sebastián Díaz, María de la Paz García, María José Gutiérrez Barajas, María Jordán, Rosamaría León, Luna Nájera, Juliana Ramos-Ruano, Lissette Reymundi, Lourdes Sabé-Colom, Terry Seymour, Giseli Tordin, María M. Vázquez
Lectors Igor de Souza, Sarah Glenski, Mayte López, Ian Russell, Noelia Sánchez-Walker, Torin Spangler
Senior Lecturer II Alex Gil
See visual roadmap of the requirements.