The Spanish Program at IUS is committed to students’ personal, academic, and professional success.  Through language and culture studies, students are better prepared to engage meaningfully in an increasingly multicultural and multilingual world. Additionally, studying a second language develops critical-thinking skills that students can rely on throughout their university coursework and beyond.  Finally, research shows that people who speak a second language have as much as a a 35% increase in Job opportunities and earn up to 20% more than monolingual people.  These statistics are particularly exciting for students of Spanish, given that the Spanish-speaking population in the IUS service region has increased significantly in recent years.  The IUS Spanish program boasts small classes, classes for heritage speakers, access to IU system study-abroad trips, internships, a committed faculty, and both online and face-to-face options. Contact one of the full-time faculty members for information about how you can begin your language-learning journey.

The study of a language should enable students to engage with diverse communities at home and abroad. Through language study, students gain knowledge and understanding of the cultures of the world, connect with other disciplines, acquire information that may be unavailable to the monolingual English speaker, develop insight into the nature of language and culture, and become more aware of the mechanics and richness of their first language.

The Spanish, French, and German undergraduate programs are designed for those who desire a greater understanding of the world through the study of language, contemporary culture, history, literature, music, and film. Additionally, in a highly competitive world, with an increasingly intricate global economy, proficiency in at least one additional language creates myriad opportunities for careers in business, law, government, communication, medicine, and many other fields. Our majors receive excellent professional preparation for a career as language teachers (note that IUS offers a Transition to Teaching Program and/or a minor in ENL/ESL through the Education Department) and for entry into an advanced degree program. To expand employment options, students are encouraged to combine a language degree with a major in one or more additional areas.

• Students must complete language courses (200 and above) with a C or better.
• Student candidates for the Bachelor of Arts in a modern language must complete a minimum of 31 credit hours above the 100-level, some of which may be taken overseas (see Overseas Study) or through other local colleges and universities in the area with whom IU Southeast has entered into consortium agreements.  
• Students majoring in a language must include study abroad in a country that speaks the target language or an approved equivalent as part of their undergraduate curriculum (strongly recommended for minor).  Studying abroad can be an efficient way to complete coursework, and it enable students to develop a level of communicative skill and cultural competence that is difficult to attain in the classroom setting alone.  See full-time faculty for more information.

See “General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees at IU Southeast” and “General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree.”

Major Specific Requirements

Required Courses

• SPAN-S 200 Second-Year Spanish I
• SPAN-S 250 Second-Year Spanish II
• INTL-I 199 Careers for International Studies Majors (1 cr)
• SPAN-S 312 Written Composition in Spanish
• SPAN-S 317* Spanish Conversation and Diction
• Span-S318 Writing Spanish for Heritage Speakers of Spanish
• Span-S323 Introduction to Translating Spanish and English

• Complete one of the following
  • SPAN-S 411 Spain: The Cultural Context
  • SPAN-S 412 Spanish America: The Cultural Context

*Native speakers are encouraged to substitute any 300 or 400 level literature or culture class that is not already required for the SPAN-S317. SPAN-S317 may be repeated once for credit in a study abroad.

Upper Level Electives

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish must earn 15 credit hours from the following courses, at least one course must be at the 400-level.  Students may substitute additional 400-level courses for 300-level courses if they so choose.

• SPAN-S 275 Hispanic Culture and Conversation
• SPAN-S 291 Hispanic Literature and Civilization
• SPAN-S 301 The Hispanic World I
• SPAN-S 302 The Hispanic World II
• SPAN-S 303 The Hispanic World III
• SPAN-S 311 Spanish Grammar
• Span-S318 Writing Spanish for Heritage Speakers of Spanish
• Span-S 323 Introduction to Translating Spanish and English

• SPAN-S 363** Introducción a la cultura hispánica
• SPAN-S 407 Survey of Spanish Literature I
• SPAN-S 408 Survey of Spanish Literature II
• SPAN-S 420 Modern Spanish American Prose Fiction
• SPAN-S 450 Don Quixote  
• SPAN-S 471 Spanish American Literature I  
• SPAN-S 472 Spanish American Literature II
• SPAN-S 494 Individual Readings in Hispanic Studies (1-3) 

** SPAN-S 363 may be repeated once for credit.

Study Abroad or International Engagement Capstone Activity 

In addition, study abroad or an international engagement activity is required for the BA degree. The international engagement activity is reserved for those majors with a demonstrated inability to study abroad. This alternative engagement activity must be developed in consultation with a Modern Languages faculty member and may include substantial community engagement or a substantial directed research project. Study in approved study abroad programs will be applied to fulfillment of other requirements in the major. Students should speak with a Modern Languages faculty member for more details.

Students may also qualify for a second credential, the Certificate in Second Language Competency. The certificate differs from the major in that it  requires a B in each course in that curriculum.