Did you know that by 2050 the United States could have more Spanish speakers than any other country?
Spanish continues to gain ground as a widely spoken, national and international language, making the ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken Spanish an invaluable intellectual, social, cultural, and professional resource. Spanish is the official or co-official language of 21 countries, and with more than 400 million speakers worldwide (projected increase to about 530 million by 2050), it is the third most widely spoken language on the planet after Mandarin and English.
What can you do with a Spanish major?
The following are just a few of the many career paths for which proficiency in spoken and written Spanish can be a valuable asset:
- Bilingual and second language education
- Medical, legal, and business professions
- Journalism
- Travel industry
- Translation
- Interpretation
- Non-governmental/nonprofit work
- Library science
- Foreign service
Students may declare at any time prior to attaining senior standing (86 credits) in consultation with the Spanish undergraduate advisor.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Breadth and Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum. View a comparison of the degree requirements here.
Bachelor of Science DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
| Mathematics | Two (2) 3+ credits of intermediate/advanced level MATH, COMP SCI, STAT Limit one each: COMP SCI, STAT |
| Foreign Language | Complete the third unit of a foreign language Note: A unit is one year of high school work or one semester/term of college work. |
| L&S Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | 60 intermediate or advanced credits |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one (1) major |
| Total Credits | 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience | 30 credits in residence, overall 30 credits in residence after the 90th credit |
| Minimum GPAs | 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in intermediate/advanced coursework at UW–Madison |
Non–L&S Students PURSUING AN L&S MAJOR
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements and do not need to complete the L&S breadth and degree requirements above. Please note that the following special degree programs are not considered majors so are not available to non-L&S-degree-seeking candidates:
- Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics (Bachelor of Science–Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics)
- Journalism (Bachelor of Arts–Journalism; Bachelor of Science–Journalism)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
Requirements for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Literature & Culture | ||
Both required. Concurrent enrollment is permitted. These courses are prerequisites to advanced major courses. | ||
| SPANISH 223 | Introduction to Hispanic Cultures | 3 |
| SPANISH 224 | Introduction to Hispanic Literatures | 3 |
| Language Practice | 3 | |
| Advanced Language Practice | ||
| Linguistics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Spanish Phonetics | ||
| The Structure of Modern Spanish | ||
| Spanish Applied Linguistics | ||
| Culture/Civilization | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Spanish Civilization | ||
| Spanish American Civilization | ||
| Topics in Hispanic Culture | ||
| Topics in Hispanic Cultures in the U.S. | ||
| Study Abroad in Hispanic Cultures | ||
| Literature | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Survey of Early Hispanic Literature | ||
| Survey of Modern Spanish Literature | ||
| Survey of Spanish American Literature | ||
| Additional Literatue, Culture/Civilization and/or Linguistics | ||
| Select 9 additional credits in literature and/or culture/civilization and/or linguistics. (See below for courses that fulfill this requirement). | 9 | |
| Required Electives | ||
| Select 6 additional credits in SPANISH courses at or above the 300 level. | 6 | |
| Students may also choose to take up to 4 credits in LATIN, FRENCH, ITALIAN, or PORTUG, beginning with: | ||
| Elementary Latin | ||
| French for Speakers of Other Romance Languages | ||
| Italian for Speakers of Other Romance Languages | ||
| Intensive Portuguese | ||
| and/or more advanced offerings 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
| 1 | Coursework in PORTUG is recommended. |
Advanced coursework
At least 3 credits in SPANISH numbered 400 or higher are required.
Faculty Engagement
At least 6 credits in SPANISH courses at or above the 300 level must be taken while physically present on the UW–Madison campus.
RESIDENCE AND QUALITY OF WORK
- 2.000 GPA in SPANISH and major courses
- 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major, taken in residence2
- 15 credits in SPANISH, taken on the UW–Madison campus
| 2 | SPANISH 220 and above are considered upper level in the major |
SPANISH Literature, Culture/Civilization, and Linguistics courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPANISH 320 | Spanish Phonetics | 3 |
| SPANISH 321 | The Structure of Modern Spanish | 3 |
| SPANISH 322 | Survey of Early Hispanic Literature | 3 |
| SPANISH 324 | Survey of Modern Spanish Literature | 3 |
| SPANISH 326 | Survey of Spanish American Literature | 3 |
| SPANISH 327 | Introduction to Spanish Linguistics | 3 |
| SPANISH 331 | Spanish Applied Linguistics | 3 |
| SPANISH 361 | Spanish Civilization | 3 |
| SPANISH 363 | Spanish American Civilization | 3 |
| SPANISH/MEDIEVAL 414 | Literatura de la Edad Media Castellana (ss. XII-XV) | 3 |
| SPANISH 417 | Literatura del Siglo de Oro | 3-4 |
| SPANISH/FRENCH/ITALIAN/PORTUG 429 | Introduction to the Romance Languages | 3 |
| SPANISH 435 | Cervantes | 3 |
| SPANISH 446 | Topics in Spanish Linguistics | 3 |
| SPANISH 451 | Literature of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries | 3 |
| SPANISH 453 | Literature of the Twentieth Century | 3 |
| SPANISH 460 | Literatura Hispanoamericana | 3 |
| SPANISH 461 | The Spanish American Short Story | 3 |
| SPANISH 462 | Spanish American Theater and Drama | 3 |
| SPANISH 463 | The Spanish American Novel | 3 |
| SPANISH 464 | Spanish American Poetry and Essay | 3 |
| SPANISH 465 | Literature and Film in Spanish America | 3 |
| SPANISH 466 | Topics in Spanish American Literature | 1 |
| SPANISH 468 | Topics in Hispanic Culture | 3 |
| SPANISH/CHICLA 469 | Topics in Hispanic Cultures in the U.S. | 3 |
| SPANISH 470 | Undergraduate Seminars in Hispanic Literature/Culture/Linguistics | 3 |
| SPANISH 471 | Topics in Hispanic Literature | 3 |
| SPANISH 472 | Hispanic Screen Studies | 3 |
| SPANISH 474 | Study Abroad in Spanish Linguistics | 1-4 |
| SPANISH 475 | Study Abroad in Hispanic Literatures | 1-4 |
| SPANISH 476 | Study Abroad in Hispanic Cultures | 1-4 |
| 1 | Coursework in PORTUG is recommended. |
| 2 | SPANISH 220 and above are considered upper level in the major |
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Spanish Major in consultation with the Spanish undergraduate advisor.
Honors in the Spanish Major: Requriements
To earn Honors in the Major in Spanish, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.500 GPA for all SPANISH courses 300 level and higher
- Complete the following coursework, taken for Honors, with individual grades of B or better:
- 6 credits, SPANISH 327 to SPANISH 680
- 3 credits, SPANISH 300 to SPANISH 680
- A two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in SPANISH 681 and SPANISH 682 for at least 6 credits.1
| 1 | In certain circumstances (particularly when the student is an Honors candidate in two or more departments), 6 credits in literature, linguistics, or cultural studies at the 500 or 600 level, excluding SPANISH 681, SPANISH 682, SPANISH 691, SPANISH 692, and SPANISH 699, may be substituted for the Honors Thesis, upon recommendation by the Spanish undergraduate advisor. |
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
1. Develop communication skills in Spanish and integrate these skills to exchange and assess ideas effectively and with level-appropriate accuracy in written and spoken Spanish.
2. Demonstrate understanding of linguistic, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and stylistic features of written and spoken Spanish, understand how they influence meaning, and apply these features in level-appropriate ways in writing and speech.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of Hispanic cultures across historical epochs, including awareness of the social, cultural, and linguistic diversity that characterizes the Spanish-speaking world.
4. Demonstrate familiarity with and apply basic methods of literary and/or linguistic analysis, which for literary analysis includes interpretation of written texts and other forms of artistic/cultural creation, both in and of themselves and in the context of the particular social, cultural, and historical milieus in which they were created.
ADVISING
Karen Thompson, Undergraduate Advisor
karen.thompson@wisc.edu
608-265-3183
702 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
https://spanport.wisc.edu/undergrad-advising/
CAREERS
International Directions Advisor
1322 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
https://languages.wisc.edu/beyond/careers
SuccessWorks
711 State Street, Suite 300
Madison, WI 53703
https://careers.ls.wisc.edu
SuccessWorks@ls.wisc.edu
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers).
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative
Professors Beilin, Bilbija, Close, Corfis, De Ferrari, Egea, Frantzen, Hildner, Hutchinson, Madureira, Medina, Podestá, Sanchez, Sapega
Associate Professors Alcalá-Galán, Ancos-García, Goldgel-Carballo, Hernández, Pellegrini, Rao, Stafford, Tejedo Herrera
Assistant Professors Armstrong, Cerezo Paredes, Comparone
Senior Lecturer Mercado
Lecturers Fondow, Rodríguez-Guridi
Faculty Associates Kaaikiola Strohbusch, Pujol
Associate Faculty Associate Neumayer
Assistant Faculty Associate Rengel
Department Administrator Simpson
Program Associate Tanner
Financial Specialist Tainter
Graduate Coordinator Fanis
Undergraduate Advisor Thompson