Majors and Minors
Explore and Discover. Would you like to make a difference in your chosen career path? Start by learning a second language! Whether you are interested in a career in marketing, healthcare, politics, education, or environmental sciences, learning a new language like Spanish or Portuguese will help you develop skills that allow you to connect with people and broaden your horizons. Our majors and minors will give you the multicultural sensitivity, knowledge, and critical thinking skills that are necessary to thrive in an increasingly dynamic world. The faculty of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Vanderbilt University is committed to undergraduate and graduate students. We offer courses in language, literature, linguistics, and culture, as well as courses in Catalan. Our faculty has been recognized nationally and internationally for research, and members of the department have won numerous teaching awards. Our courses cover a full range of time periods, geographical spaces, genres, themes, and approaches. We value excellence and personal attention, offering small, intimate classes and one-on-one mentoring. We invite many guest speakers to campus each year and regularly sponsor conferences on literature, culture, and teaching. In addition to teaching and research, our faculty is actively engaged in service to the profession, and we house two academic journals.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers three majors: Spanish, Spanish and Portuguese, and Spanish and European Studies. The department also offers three minors: Spanish, Spanish for the Professions, and Portuguese.
The Major in Spanish
The major in Spanish empowers you to read, listen, speak, and write proficiently in Spanish, helping you to fully engage in our multicultural world. Your knowledge of this widely spoken language prepares you to learn how to perceive and understand our world from a variety of perspectives. The depth and richness of our program gives you the unique opportunity to not only enrich your linguistic and cultural perspective through literature, film, new media, current events, popular culture, and fine arts, but also to carry this knowledge forward in any career you pursue. Whether in business, medicine, law, education, government, or non-profit, many fields value professionals who can communicate multilingually and understand our globalized world from a broad perspective. Should your interest be in Latin America or Spain, the configuration of the major gives you freedom to study the topics that are of most significance to your career. Qualified Spanish majors may elect to take graduate courses or participate in Honors work.
Requirements
Spanish majors must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in Spanish courses above 3300. The distribution is as follows:
- Core requirements: 3301W, 3302, and 3303
- Literature: 9 credit hours from courses numbered 3835 or 3893 or 4400-4980
- Linguistics: 3 credit hours from courses numbered 3892 or 4300-4360
- Elective: 9 credit hours from courses numbered 3320-3835 or 3891-4980. PORT 1103 or CTLN 1103 may count as one elective course.
The Major in Spanish and Portuguese
The major in Spanish and Portuguese focuses on the two dominant languages of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America, as well as their literatures and cultures. Our emphasis on Brazil allows students to gain expertise in the language of a major economic partner of the United States and the global community. The major strives to develop your oral and written proficiency in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, and to foster your ability to think, speak, and write critically in those languages. Majors who qualify may participate in graduate courses and in our Honors Program.
Requirements
Spanish and Portuguese majors must complete a minimum of 33 credit hours in Spanish and Portuguese courses. The distribution is as follows:
- Core requirements: Spanish 3301W, 3302, and 3303; Portuguese 2203, 3301 (or 3302), and 3303
- At least two Spanish courses numbered between 3320-3330, 3355-3385, 4400-4980 or 3835, 3891, or 3893
- At least two of the following Portuguese courses: 4350, 4420, 4425, 3892, 7070, 7071, and 9520
- One additional elective to be chosen from the courses listed under bullets 2 and 3 above
The Major in Spanish and European Studies
Spanish and European Studies majors must complete a total of 27 hours in Spanish, distributed as follows:
- Spanish core courses (9 hours): Spanish 3301W, 3302, and 3303
- Spanish culture and civilization (6 hours): Two of either Spanish 3320, 3360, 3365, or 3891
- Spanish literature (6 hours): Two Spanish courses numbered from 4470–4465 or 3893
- Elective (6 hours): Two additional Spanish courses that count toward the Spanish major. Students may substitute one language course in either Portuguese (1103 or higher) or Catalan (1103 or higher)
Students must complete a total of 15 hours in European Studies, distributed as follows:
- European Studies core courses (9 hours): EUS 2201, 2203, and 4960 (requires thesis)
- Social Science (3 hours): PSCI 2210, 3211, or appropriate substitute with the approval of the EUS adviser
- History (3 hours): One of either History 2250, 2260, 2270, 2280, 2290, or 2450
The Minor in Spanish
A minor in Spanish will give you the multicultural understanding and skills needed to speak Spanish. The minor is an excellent way to enrich your chosen career and to expand your horizons by giving you knowledge of, and access to, Spanish-speaking cultures. Students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours, distributed as follows:
- Spanish 3301W, Spanish 3302, and Spanish 3303
- One course (3 credit hours) of advanced Spanish literature chosen from courses numbered from 4400-4980 or 3835 or 3893
- Two courses (6 credit hours) of electives chosen from Spanish courses numbered 3320-3835 or 3891-4980
The Minor in Portuguese
A minor in Portuguese will give you the multicultural understanding and skills needed to speak Portuguese. Pursuing a minor in Portuguese is an excellent way to enrich your chosen career and to expand your horizons by giving you knowledge of, and access to, Portuguese-speaking cultures. Students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours, distributed as follows:
- Portuguese 2203 (Intermediate Portuguese; a more advanced language course may be substituted)
- One of the following two courses: Portuguese 3301 (Portuguese Composition and Conversation) or Portuguese 3302 (Brazilian Pop Culture)
- Portuguese 3303 (Introduction to Luso-Brazilian Literature)
- At least one of the following two courses: Portuguese 4420 (Brazilian Literature through the Nineteenth Century) or Portuguese 4425 (Modern Brazilian Literature)
- At least 3 additional credit hours selected from the following courses (or a graduate course numbered 7000-9520 for qualified seniors)
- Portuguese 4350 (Brazilian Culture through Native Material)
- 4420 (Brazilian Literature through the Nineteenth Century), 4425 (Modern Brazilian Literature)
- 3892 (Special Topics in Portuguese Language, Literature, and Civilization)
The Minor in Spanish for the Professions
A minor in Spanish for the Professions will give you the multicultural understanding and skills needed to speak Spanish in professional settings. Students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours, distributed as follows:
- At least three (9 credit hours) of the following core courses: Spanish 3290 (Introduction to Spanish for the Professions), Spanish 3301W (Intermediate Spanish Writing), Spanish 3302 (Spanish
for Oral Communication). Spanish 3303 (Introduction to Spanish and Spanish American Literature), Spanish 3304 (Current and Contemporary Issues). or Spanish 331OW (Spanish for Heritage Speakers) - Two professional courses ( 6 credit hours) chosen from Spanish 3345 (Spanish Business and the Global Economy), Spanish 3830 (Spanish, Health and Society), Spanish 3350 (Spanish for the Legal
Profession), Spanish 4310 (Translation and Interpretation), or Spanish 3891 (Special Topics Course for the Professions) - One elective course (3 credit hours) of electives chosen from Spanish 3303 or 3304, if not taken as a core course; or any Spanish course above 3304; Approved Study Abroad course or approved Maymester Abroad course (3325, 3330); or Approved Internship Spanish 3881
Declaring a Major or Minor
You can choose to print the declaration form below, or you can obtain major declaration forms at the Spanish and Portuguese department office located in Furman Hall, Room 313. If you have any questions, contact Professor Maria Paz Pintane by email.
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To declare a major or minor online: Please click the link to the major and minor declaration form.
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Select Major/Minor Declaration/Change.
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Please bring your completed form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Maria Paz Pintane, in Furman Hall 305.