Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Spanish and Portuguese
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Spanish and Portuguese
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Spanish and Portuguese, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an advanced level of communicative proficiency when writing, speaking, listening to, reading and translating Spanish or Portuguese, including a high degree of ability in interacting with native Spanish or Portuguese speakers and text.
- Demonstrate analytical competence and independent and critical thinking skills by analyzing and responding to Spanish or Portuguese communications, including: identifying and evaluating arguments, ideas, and evidence, constructing critical responses to Spanish or Portuguese texts, and pursuing independent study or research in some facet of Spanish or Portuguese language or culture.
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the social, historical, political, and cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world and Spanish-speaking communities and apply this knowledge to reading and analyzing authentic cultural products, including literature, art, and film. They will understand how these cultural products reflect or construct facets of the Spanish-speaking world’s history, culture, and identity.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Spanish and Portuguese
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Spanish and Portuguese must complete:
- A minimum of 11 courses (33 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 8 courses (24 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Spanish and Portuguese | 33 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Spanish and Portuguese | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| HISPANIC WRITING SEMINAR | ||
| BRASIL: CULTURA E SOCIEDADE | ||
| BRASIL ATUAL | ||
| SPAN 332 | APPROACHES TO HISPANIC LITERATURES | 3 |
| Advanced Coursework in Spanish and Portuguese | ||
| Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| DIALECTS IN CONTACT: SEARCHING FOR THE "INTERNATIONAL" FORM OF SPANISH | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH LINGUISTICS | ||
| SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: LINGUISTIC, COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS | ||
| Select 3 courses from any course offerings between course numbers SPAN / PORT 330 and SPAN / PORT 399 | 9 | |
| Select 3 courses from any course offerings between course numbers SPAN / PORT 401 and SPAN / PORT 489 | 9 | |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| SPANISH FOR HERITAGE STUDENTS III | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS: ADVANCED SPANISH I | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS: ADVANCED SPANISH II | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS: ADVANCED SPANISH III | ||
Any Spanish or Portuguese (SPAN, PORT) course offerings at the 330 course number or above | ||
Any department approved elective course (see course list below) | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Spanish and Portuguese | 33 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 56 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
Course List to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements
Students must complete 2 elective courses (6 credit hours). These may be selected from SPAN 303, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, or SPAN 325, or from Spanish or Portuguese (SPAN, PORT) course offerings at the 330 course number or higher, or from the program approved electives listed below.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Approved Electives | ||
| Select up to 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| LATIN AMERICAN TOPICS | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | ||
| A VISUAL CULTURE TRAVELOGUE: ART AND POLITICS IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES | ||
| MEXICO: 1910 TO PRESENT | ||
| UNITED STATES AND LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS | ||
| MODERN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| CONTINUITIES AND CHANGES IN BRAZILIAN HISTORY | ||
| CONFLICT AND COEXISTENCE IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN | ||
| RIO DE JANEIRO: A SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY | ||
| MEXICAN HISTORY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| PIRATES, REBELS, NARCOS: LATIN AMERICAN OUTLAWS IN THE POLITICAL-CULTURAL IMAGINATION | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT: IDENTITY, LIBERATION, MODERNITY | ||
| DIRECTED RESEARCH | ||
| LATINO POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| THE POLITICS AND CULTURE OF MEXICO | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS | ||
| SEX, GENDER, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Spanish and Portuguese
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the major in Spanish and Portuguese should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Spanish and Portuguese should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 4 courses (12 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
Distribution Credit Information
The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.
Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration.
Distribution courses from the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures are broad in theme and scope and provide students with a substantial inquiry into literature, art, media, history, thought, and/or politics, including specific national traditions, linguistic contexts, and historical periods. Such courses involve a broad and often interdisciplinary spectrum of knowledge, providing students with the tools for thinking critically about the formation of modern culture, its colonial past, and its national and linguistic traditions from antiquity to the present.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures website: https://cultures.rice.edu/spanish-portuguese-studies/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Spanish and Portuguese
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Departmental Honors
The program offers to outstanding majors the opportunity to do honors work during their final year of study. Honors work consists of an independent research project leading to a thesis and is undertaken under the direction of a departmental faculty member. Students wishing to do honors work must submit a thesis proposal to be approved by the program before the end of the semester prior to the semester in which they will register for the honors thesis (SPAN 495). Every year, the program also presents the Cervantes Award for Outstanding Seniors to its top students.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures website: https://cultures.rice.edu/spanish-portuguese-studies/.