Spanish

Courses and programs in Spanish are offered by the Department of Languages and Cultures.

  1. Enrollment in some language courses involves the following formal placement procedures.

    All students seeking entry into language courses who have not previously taken a language course at Saint Mary’s University must complete and return the Language Profile Form to the Department of Languages and Cultures.

    Based on the information provided in the Language Profile Form, students may receive notification from the Department to appear for an oral interview and/or a written placement test at a designated time.

    The Department of Languages and Cultures determines the appropriate course placement for each student
    1. Permission to register or remain in a particular language course can be refused if the Department judges that the student’s knowledge exceeds the level for that course.
    2. Native speakers are not eligible to receive advanced credit for language courses.
    3. Completion of Advanced Standing (transfer) courses does not exempt a student from taking the placement test.
  2. The student’s eligibility to enroll in language, culture, and literature courses, and in specific sections of those courses, is determined by the Chairperson in consultation with the instructor in light of the student’s ability level in the language concerned, previous course work completed at university or elsewhere, and overall size of the course or section of a course. In matters of placement, the decision of the Chairperson is final.
  3. In order to ensure the academic integrity in language courses, especially at the lower levels of instruction, the Department of Languages and Cultures does not allow native or near-native speakers of a particular target language to enroll in courses at the 2000 level or lower.

    Students who misrepresent their knowledge of any given language by providing inaccurate or incomplete information about their linguistic educational history will be subject to disciplinary action as laid out in Academic Regulation 19.
  4. The Department of Languages and Cultures supports a policy of regular class attendance by students. Frequent, unexplained absences from class will result in a lowering of the final grade in a manner to be determined by each faculty member.
  5. Students should note that courses in literature and/or culture fulfill the BA Humanities requirement 3(c) but do not fulfill the 3(b) requirement. The courses designated with an * in front of the number satisfy the 3(c) requirement.

Programs in Spanish and Hispanic Culture

The following programs are available in the area of Spanish and Hispanic Culture:

  • a major,
  • a minor,
  • a concentration, 
  • a Certificate in Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture, and
  • a Minor in Latin American Studies.