Undergraduate Bulletin

Fall 2024

Requirements for the Major and the Minor in Spanish Language and Literature (SPN)

Requirements for the Major in Spanish Language and Literature (SPN)

The major in Spanish Language and Literature leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses offered for the major must be taken for a letter grade (except that S is acceptable for  SPN 211,  SPN 212, and  SPN 310/SPN 311  completed through Challenge examinations). All courses in Spanish must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

Completion of the major requires 33-42 credits, depending on language placement. See https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/llrc/placement_challenge_exams/challenge_exam.html for placement exam information. A double major requires 30-36 credits. (See notes 1 and 2, below).

Required Courses:

A. Intermediate Spanish Language Courses:

There are several ways to satisfy this requirement. Please choose one of the four options listed below depending on your proficiency and/or interests:

  1. SPN 211 Intermediate Spanish I, SPN 212 Intermediate Spanish II (6 credits)
  2. SPN 214 Intermediate Medical Spanish I, SPN 215 Intermediate Medical Spanish II (6 credits)
  3. SPN 213 Intermediate Spanish for Speakers of Spanish (3 credits) 
  4. equivalent proficiency satisfied through permission of the department or through the placement or the challenge exam.

B. Required Advanced Courses:

  • SPN 311 Spanish Conversation and Composition OR SPN 310 Spanish Grammar and Composition for Students of Hispanic-American background
  • SPN 312 Introduction to Literary Studies
  • SPN 321 Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition
  • SPN 393  Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
  • Three courses from:
    • SPN 384: Introduction to Latin American Literature and Culture I (formerly SPN 395)
    • SPN 385: Introduction to Latin American Literature and Culture II (formerly SPN 396)
    • SPN 386: Introduction to Latin American Literature and Culture III
    • SPN 387: Introduction to Spanish Literature and Culture I (formerly SPN 397)
    • SPN 388: Introduction to Spanish Literature and Culture II (formerly SPN 398)
    • SPN 389: Introduction to Spanish Literature and Culture III

C. Elective Advanced Courses in Hispanic Linguistics, Literature, and Culture:

  • Five additional courses in upper-division SPN courses chosen in consultation with the Departmental advisor. A maximum of three credits of  SPN 447  is applicable toward this requirement. At least three of the upper-division courses for the major must be 400-level. 300-level courses in the above list that are in excess of the required number may also count in this category. S/U graded courses such as SPN 475 and SPN 488 do not count towards fulfillment of this requirement.

D. Upper-Division Writing Requirement

  • Beginning Fall 2014, all students who complete SPN 321 will have satisfied the upper-division writing requirement for the major as well as the university WRTD requirement. 

Notes:

1. Students with enough language proficiency to satisfy requirement A will complete a total of 36 credits. Students who need to take  SPN 211  and  SPN 212  or  SPN 214  and  SPN 215  will complete a total of 42 credits. Students with Spanish-speaking background can begin the major by taking  SPN 213  or  SPN 310 , depending on their Spanish written proficiency. 

2. The Department requires transfer students to take at least 18 credits of Spanish courses in residence at Stony Brook to complete a Spanish major.

3. Students of Spanish-speaking background may take the Challenge examination for  SPN 310/311. 

The Honors Program in Spanish

To be awarded honors, a Department major must
1) maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average of at least 3.50 in Spanish courses taken for the major; and
2) write a senior thesis judged worthy of honors. Students eligible to write a senior thesis must find a member of the Depart­ment faculty to act as a thesis advisor and enroll in  SPN 495. The thesis topic must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies, the chairperson, and the thesis advisor. The thesis is evaluated by the thesis advisor, another member of the Spanish faculty, and a third reader from outside the Depart­ment. Application to the honors program must be made during Prime Time the semester prior to registering for the program.

Spanish Secondary Teacher Education Program

See the Education and Teacher Certifi­cation entry in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs.

Requirements for the Minor in Spanish Language and Literature (SPN)

All courses in Spanish offered to fulfill minor requirements must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. At least nine credits of upper-division Spanish courses must be earned at Stony Brook to complete the minor.

Completion of the minor requires 18-24 credits, depending on language placement (see note 1 below). 

A. Intermediate Spanish Language Courses:

There are several ways to satisfy this requirement. Please choose one of the four options listed below depending on your proficiency and/or interests:

  1. SPN 211 Intermediate Spanish I, SPN 212 Intermediate Spanish II (6 credits)
  2. SPN 214 Intermediate Medical Spanish I, SPN 215 Intermediate Medical Spanish II (6 credits)
  3. SPN 213 Intermediate Spanish for Speakers of Spanish (3 credits) 
  4. equivalent proficiency satisfied through permission of the department or through the placement or the challenge exam.

B. Required Advanced Courses (9 credits):

  • SPN 311 Spanish Conversation and Composition  OR SPN 310 Spanish Grammar and Composition for Students of Hispanic-American background
  • SPN 312 Introduction to Literary Studies
  • SPN 321 Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition

C. Elective Advanced Courses (9 credits):

  • THREE other upper-division (i.e., 300-level or higher) SPN courses, one of which must be at the 400 level. S/U graded courses such as SPN 475 and SPN 488 do not count towards fulfillment of this requirement.

Notes:

  1. Students with enough language proficiency to satisfy requirement A will complete a total of 18 credits. Students who need to take SPN 211 and SPN 212 or SPN 214 and SPN 215 will complete a total of 24 credits. Students with Spanish-speaking background can begin the Minor by taking SPN 213 or SPN 310, depending on their Spanish written proficiency. 

Study Abroad

Language majors and other interested students who would like to spend a semester or a year studying abroad should consult the director of under­graduate studies prior to going abroad.