Romance Languages Major, B.A.–Hispanic Studies

Spanish, the world’s third largest language and second in terms of native speakers, is spoken by nearly 500 million people across the globe. The over 50 million Hispanics in the United States have become the fastest-growing social and political segment in North America. Because of its prominence, learning to communicate in Spanish can be essential for those entering the global economic market and numerous professions.

Spanish studies at UNC–Chapel Hill thrives on innovative literary, linguistic, and theoretical approaches to the Spanish-speaking world, and includes the study of indigenous, Afro-descendant, Asian, and other cultures. The Hispanic studies curriculum is designed to allow students to concentrate in one field of study (Hispanic literatures and cultures, Spanish for the professions, Hispanic linguistics, and translation and interpreting) while also exploring other areas of interest. As a result, students obtain well-grounded and comprehensive critical knowledge of the literatures, languages, and cultures of Spain and the Americas, as well as an appreciation of the language applied to a professional field. In addition to their course work, students in the major may choose to work on collaborative research, enter an Honors contract, and/or pursue an Honors thesis with one of our faculty members.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will acquire competence in the practice and analysis of Romance languages together with a critical knowledge of the written, oral, and visual traditions of their origin and diaspora. Through coursework that emphasizes language acquisition, rhetoric, composition, oral and written expression, historical depth, cultural variety, and interdisciplinary and professional connections, our majors receive sustained personalized training in their fields of choice.

Upon completion of the program in Romance languages, students should be able to:

Demonstrate proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language in a variety of personal, professional, and academic settings.
Demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, methods, and reasonings employed in the language major of their choice.
Demonstrate knowledge of empirical facts (both through historical breadth and more specialized exploration) about the target cultures.

Upon completion of the program in Romance languages, students will have gained:

Advanced communication abilities in one of the Romance languages
Interpersonal and intercultural awareness and competencies (adaptability, resilience, team working and connecting expertise across differences)
Problem-solving skills
Critical and analytical thinking skills
Active learning skills fostering creativity, originality, and innovation
Ability to gain access to top graduate programs or to apply acquired knowledge and skills in relevant careers

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements, students must

earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Core Requirements
SPAN 300	Grammar and Structure of Spanish ^{1, H}	3
or SPAN 301	Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis
or SPAN 302	Literary and Cultural Analysis for Heritage Learners
Three courses from one of the following concentrations (see course lists below):		9
Hispanic Literatures and Cultures
Spanish for the Professions
Translation and Interpreting
Hispanic Linguistics
Four elective courses numbered SPAN 330 or higher (except SPAN 401-SPAN 402, SPAN 404-405, SPAN 414-SPAN 417, SPAN 601, and SPAN 691H-692H)		12
Total Hours		24

H	Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

¹: SPAN 300 is the recommended core course for the Hispanic Linguistics concentration since it is a prerequisite for many Hispanic Linguistics courses. SPAN 301 or SPAN 302 is the recommended core course for the Hispanic Literatures and Cultures concentration since it is a prerequisite for upper-level literature courses.

Completion of SPAN 261 or SPAN 267 is considered a prerequisite for the Hispanic Studies major.

Students majoring in Hispanic Studies with a concentration in an area OTHER than Translation and Interpreting may wish to complement their major with the Spanish Minor in Translation and Interpreting by completing at least three of SPAN 351, 352, 369, and 370 in addition to the major requirements. Students majoring in Hispanic Studies with a concentration in an area OTHER than Spanish for the Professions may wish to complement their major with the Spanish Minor for the Professions by completing SPAN 320 and 325 or SPAN 323 and 324 or SPAN 321 and 328, and SPAN 329 in addition to the major requirements.

Hispanic Literatures and Cultures

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
One course from the following list:		3
SPAN 338	Trans-Atlantic Cultural Topics
SPAN 340	Topics in the Cultural History of Iberia
SPAN 344	Latin American Cultural Topics
SPAN 371	Studies in Spanish Literature	3
SPAN 373	Studies in Latin American Literature	3
Total Hours		9

Spanish for the Professions

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Two courses from one of the following pairs:		6
SPAN 320 & SPAN 325	Spanish for Business (First Semester) and Spanish for Business (Second Semester)
SPAN 321 & SPAN 328	Spanish for the Medical Professions (First Semester) and Spanish for the Medical Professions (Second Semester)
SPAN 323 & SPAN 324	Spanish for the Legal Professions (First Semester) and Spanish for the Legal Professions (Second Semester)
SPAN 329	Spanish for Professional and Community Engagement	3
Total Hours		9

Translation and Interpreting

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Three courses from the following list:		9
SPAN 351	Spanish Interpretation I
SPAN 352	Spanish Interpretation II
SPAN 369	Introduction to Translation
SPAN 370	Spanish Translation II
Total Hours		9

Hispanic Linguistics

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
SPAN 360	Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics	3
SPAN 376	Spanish Phonetics and Phonology	3
One course from the following list:		3
SPAN 375	Spanish of the United States
SPAN 378	Afro-Hispanic Language Contacts
SPAN 397	Undergraduate Seminar in Language and Linguistics
Total Hours		9

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans can be used as a guide to identify the courses required to complete the major and other requirements needed for degree completion within the expected eight semesters. The actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Students should meet with their academic advisor to create a degree plan that is specific and unique to their interests. The sample plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UNC–Chapel Hill in the fall term. Some courses may not be offered every term.

Sample Plan One

This plan assumes a placement of SPAN 105 on the Foreign Language placement test. Student placement (and plans) may vary. Although it is possible to complete the Hispanic Studies major if a student begins with SPAN 101 , summer school, study abroad, or doubling up on courses in the final year may be necessary in order to complete it in a timely manner.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year		Hours
First-Year Foundation Courses
IDST 101	College Thriving	1
ENGL 105	English Composition and Rhetoric	3
First-Year Seminar or First-Year Launch		3
IDST 111L	Data Literacy Lab	1
Major Courses
SPAN 105	Spanish for High Beginners	4
SPAN 203	Intermediate Spanish I ^H	3
Hours		15
Sophomore Year
SPAN 204	Intermediate Spanish II ^H	3
SPAN 261 or SPAN 267	Advanced Spanish in Context ^H or Advanced Spanish in Context for Heritage Learners	3
Hours		6
Junior Year
SPAN 300 or SPAN 301 or SPAN 302	Grammar and Structure of Spanish ^H or Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis or Literary and Cultural Analysis for Heritage Learners	3
SPAN ---	Concentration course #1	3
SPAN ---	Concentration course #2	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #1	3
Hours		12
Senior Year
SPAN ---	Concentration course #3	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #2	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #3	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #4	3
Hours		12
Total Hours		45

H	Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

Sample Plan Two

This plan assumes a placement of SPAN 203 on the Foreign Language placement test. Student placement (and plans) may vary.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year		Hours
First-Year Foundation Courses
IDST 101	College Thriving	1
ENGL 105	English Composition and Rhetoric	3
First-Year Seminar or First-Year Launch		3
IDST 111L	Data Literacy Lab	1
Major Courses
SPAN 203	Intermediate Spanish I ^H	3
SPAN 204	Intermediate Spanish II ^H	3
Hours		14
Sophomore Year
SPAN 261 or SPAN 267	Advanced Spanish in Context ^H or Advanced Spanish in Context for Heritage Learners	3
SPAN 300 or SPAN 301 or SPAN 302	Grammar and Structure of Spanish ^H or Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis or Literary and Cultural Analysis for Heritage Learners	3
Hours		6
Junior Year
SPAN ---	Concentration course #1	3
SPAN ---	Concentration course #2	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #1	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #2	3
Hours		12
Senior Year
SPAN ---	Concentration course #3	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #3	3
SPAN ---	Elective course #4	3
Hours		9
Total Hours		41

H	Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

Special Opportunities in Romance Studies

Undergraduate Research

The Department of Romance Studies offers a gateway for research in the humanities, including the various fields that make up Romance studies. Research activities include the honors thesis, summer research fellowships, or engaging in mentoring projects with professors which lead to opportunities to present papers at conferences or for publication in the University's undergraduate research journal.

Annual Research Opportunities:

Honors

The departmental honors program is open to any qualified major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher and 3.5 or higher in their major courses. Eligible honors candidates will formulate a topic and select an appropriate faculty member to supervise the writing of an honors thesis. Specific coursework for the major with honors consists of enrollment in the honors thesis courses in the language of the major emphasis.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
FREN 691H & FREN 692H	Honors Thesis in French and Honors Thesis in French	6
ITAL 691H & ITAL 692H	Honors Thesis and Honors Thesis in Italian	6
PORT 691H & PORT 692H	Honors Thesis and Honors Thesis in Portuguese	6
SPAN 691H & SPAN 692H	Honors Thesis and Honors Thesis in Spanish	6

691H is taken in the fall semester of the senior year and 692H is taken in the spring semester. FREN 390, ITAL 398, PORT 398, SPAN 397 and SPAN 398 may be substituted for the 691H research course if the subject of the seminar is central to the research project chosen. In the 692H course, the thesis will be completed and the student will participate in an oral defense with the thesis director and two additional readers, to be agreed upon by the student and director. The thesis director, in consultation with the readers, will recommend that the student who has defended the thesis graduate with honors, highest honors, or with course credit. FREN 390, FREN 691H, ITAL 398, ITAL 691H, PORT 398, SPAN 397 and SPAN 398 may count toward the eight courses for the major, but FREN 692H, ITAL 692H, PORT 692H, and SPAN 692H may not. Students who intend to graduate in December should adjust the scheduling of these courses in order to allow for completion of the honors project in December. Students meeting the required grade point averages should contact the undergraduate advisor for their language. For detailed information on the B.A. with honors, visit the department's website.

Collaborative Online International Learning

The department works in partnership with the COIL program and offers select courses that involve shared learning between students in a course at UNC–Chapel Hill and peer students at a global partner university. Faculty members at both institutions design collaborative activities for their students, such as completing small group projects, engaging in dialogue drawing on their different societal or disciplinary perspectives, or exchanging scholarly or creative work.

Out-of-Class Language Experience

The department offers credit-bearing internship opportunities through ROML 293 and service-learning opportunities through ROML 194. Both courses satisfy the High-Impact General Education requirement (in the IDEAs in Action curriculum) and the experiential education (EE) General Education requirement (in the Making Connections curriculum). While ROML 293 is a standalone course, ROML 194 is always connected to a specific course.

Each semester the department offers a film series where all students are invited to attend screenings of films in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. All films have subtitles. It is a great opportunity to meet people in different courses and language sections that share an interest in film.

Students also find opportunities to speak Spanish and meet native Spanish speakers in an informal weekly tertulia (gathering). Additional activities involving Spanish include attending lectures, receptions, and films organized by the department and student organizations such as CHispA (Carolina Hispanic Association); and serving the community through a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Students studying French are encouraged to become members of the French club, les Francophiles, and participate in the weekly conversation hour and other French Club activities. Departmental lectures and film series are also offered.

Students interested in Italian language and culture may attend film series, guest lectures, and a series of other extracurricular events including games and conversation hours. They may also wish to join the undergraduate Italian Club.

Students who wish to practice Portuguese can meet weekly for the bate-papo (chat). Students of Portuguese also engage in editorial work and publish in the student journal Revistinha.

Study Abroad

The Study Abroad Office sponsors many year-long, semester-long, and summer programs appropriate for students of the Romance languages and has special arrangements with the Department of Romance Studies for the UNC in Montpellier, UNC in Seville, and Florence programs. Students from UNC–Chapel Hill and from other institutions may earn up to 30 semester hours of undergraduate credit in these programs, which are open to qualified undergraduates regardless of academic major. While, in general, students may satisfy up to 50 percent of major or minor coursework abroad, courses that are taught by Romance studies faculty may count differently. For example, students completing the Spanish minor for the professions in health and business may complete all or most of the minor in faculty-led programs abroad.

Students who participate in Study Abroad during the semester have the opportunity to work as course correspondents for a course in Romance studies. Course correspondents report back to the class they serve throughout the semester via online tools and may receive one hour of credit for their informative work.

General inquiries concerning any of these programs should be addressed to the Study Abroad Office, CB# 3130, FedEx Global Education Center, (919) 962-7002.

Undergraduate Awards

French

Students have the opportunity to be inducted into Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society. Those with outstanding records in French are recommended as candidates for the Jacques Hardré Award, which is given to the best graduating senior in French; it includes a cash award.

Italian

Students are nominated for membership in Gamma Kappa Alpha, the Italian honor society, by undergraduate instructors. The society recognizes “outstanding scholastic performance in the fields of Italian language and literature” and encourages students “to acquire a greater interest in, and a deeper understanding of, Italian culture.” The Kimberly Kyser Award for Excellence in Italian is awarded to the most outstanding student in Italian and includes a cash prize.

Portuguese

Each year the department awards the Camões Prize to the outstanding student in Portuguese during that year. The prize carries a monetary award made possible by a donation from the Gulbenkian Foundation.

Spanish

Students have the opportunity to be inducted into Sigma Delta Pi, the national Spanish honor society. Those with outstanding performance in the Hispanic literatures and cultures or the Hispanic linguistics majors are eligible for several prizes including the Chancellor’s Award, given to the top graduating senior, the Stoudemire Awards, and the Larry D. King Fellowship.