The interdisciplinary major in Spanish studies is designed to offer students advanced linguistic proficiency in Spanish as well as a broad understanding of the historical and cultural developments of the Spanish-speaking world.

The Spanish studies major at UC Santa Cruz combines the strengths of language and applied linguistics with those of literary and cultural studies. The sequence of courses first exposes students to the academic registers of Spanish, a critical component for both heritage speakers and second language learners. Students then develop academic literacy in the language while gaining familiarity with the methods of analysis in different fields. The configuration of the major affords students flexibility in following their particular interests by choosing one of two tracks: (1) literature and culture or (2) language and linguistics.

These pathways within the major prepare students for a range of career possibilities that involve working with the Spanish-speaking public in a variety of professions (e.g., law, business, public service). Students may also pursue further training in teaching Spanish as a second language at the high school or university level.

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Graduates from the Spanish studies B.A. program should be able to demonstrate:

✔ Advanced-level oral proficiency in Spanish. Students will have the ability to use all the major timeframes (past, present, and future) in their speech and will be able to produce connected discourse of paragraph length. They will be able to satisfy the demands of work and/or school situations in Spanish with both accuracy and fluency.

✔ Academic language and literacy skills in Spanish. Students will be able to read and understand a wide range of authentic texts (e.g., academic articles, journalistic texts) in Spanish, including those with historical, sociological, and literary content. Students will be able to clearly explain their ideas in writing, demonstrating the ability to summarize, interpret, and substantiate an opinion or argument.

✔ Metalinguistic awareness. Students will be able to describe the main features of the Spanish language (e.g., the sound system, the structure of sentences) and will be able to identify the main regional varieties of Spanish. Students will be able to articulate some of the main differences between English and Spanish using precise terminology.

✔ Critical analysis. Students will be able to comment with critical insight on a range of topics and cultural productions (e.g., literary texts, film, music) of the U.S., Latin America, and Spain. They will be able to read closely in order to evaluate historical ideas, arguments, and points of view.

✔ Cultural and historical competency. Students will be able to compare and contrast multiple interpretations of the same phenomena in different cultures. Students will be able to recognize and reflect on the social, cultural, economic, and political changes that connect Latin America, Spain, and U.S. and Latina/o communities.