|
|
General Information Spanish and Portuguese combines strong academic programs with personalized advising to attract a rapidly growing number of majors and minors. Spanish is a particularly popular choice of today's students. Many also work toward dual degrees, combining a major in Spanish or Portuguese with majors in a wide variety of fields. With careful planning, most students find ample time to fulfill requirements for a double major. For majors with regional or global interests, additional certificate work in Latin American Studies or International Relations is an attractive option. Besides offering an array of language, literature, and culture courses, the department hosts numerous activities for its majors throughout the year. These include a beginning-of-year reception, career and study abroad nights, and an end-of-year reception and awards ceremony for graduating majors. The Spanish Club, open to all students, promotes movies, dinners, and other opportunities to hear and speak Spanish. Study abroad is also an important component of undergraduate study, with most majors and minors arranging to participate in a semester- or year-long program. The department offers a summer program in Salamanca, Spain; a spring semester program in Oviedo, Spain; a fall semester program in Granada, Spain; and a January program in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Information about these programs is provided elsewhere in this website. The International Programs office, tel. 545-2710, has information about many other programs in Spain and Latin America. The faculty encourage everyone interested in the programs described in this page to contact an adviser in the department. Spanish and Portuguese majors develop foreign language skills that are increasingly in demand in today's global economy. University graduates hold a variety of positions in a wide range of fields but most have found employment in one of the following areas: Teaching With Spanish now the foreign language of choice for the majority of U.S. schoolchildren, there is a growing demand for Spanish graduates certified to teach. Some graduates also find career opportunities in English as a Second Language (ESL) or Bilingual Education. Elementary teachers in schools with large concentrations of Hispanic/Latino students find their knowledge of Spanish helpful in teaching youngsters not yet proficient in English. Do you want to be a Spanish teacher? Apply to the Spanish Secondary Teaching Education Program. Banking and Financial Services The explosion of international business activity has led to a tremendous need for many banks to hire bi- or multilingual overseas representatives and international officers, and for domestic banks to hire similarly skilled staff to assist non-English-speaking customers. Government Jobs Many UMass graduates work for the local, state or federal government as administrators, teachers, counselors, and social workers. Foreign language skills are essential for a wide range of federal government positions, especially in the State Department, the International Communication Agency, the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Naturalization Services, the Peace Corps, Head Start, the Office of Economic Opportunity, and VISTA. Other Fields Many graduates of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese bring skills gained from study and their experiences abroad to such fields as social work, international law and other areas of the legal profession, the print and broadcast media, health care services, advertising and sales, publishing, translating, travel and tourism, teaching and research at colleges and universities, and consulting firms. Requirements for the
Spanish Major I. Pre-Major Preparation (9 credits) SPAN 311 Advanced Grammar The adviser may waive some of the above requirements in the case of native speakers, but every student has to take 36 credits in order to receive the Major in Spanish. II. Major Core (12 credits) 1. Choose two of the following courses: 2. Choose one of the following courses: 3. Take: III. Upper-Level Courses (12 credits) To complete the major in Spanish, students are required to take four upper-level courses, chosen with the adviser's approval. Two of these courses may be taken in areas related to the major (History, Anthropology, Art, etc.). Courses within the Spanish Department must be at the 400 level or above; courses outside the department must be at the 300 level or above. SPAN 465 Business Spanish does not qualify as an upper-level course. All upper-level courses must be chosen with the adviser's approval. IV. Junior Writing requirement (3 credits) Requirements for the
Spanish Minor I. Pre-Minor Preparation (6 credits) 1. All students must take SPAN 311 Advanced Grammar. 2. Choose one from the following courses: The adviser may waive some of the above requirements in the case of native speakers, but every student has to take 15 credits in order to receive the Minor in Spanish. II. Minor Core (6 credits) Choose two from the following courses: III. Upper-Level Course (3 credits) One upper-level elective numbered 330 or
above, taught in Spanish, and chosen with the adviser's
approval. Important Note: During their final semester at the University, students MUST present an unofficial transcript to their advisers, in order to have their Spanish Minor declaration form signed. Only when this form is signed and received by the Records Office will students receive their Minor in Spanish. Requirements for the
Portuguese Major I. Pre-Major Preparation (6 credits) PORT 301 Conversational Portuguese II. Major Core (9 credits) 1. Choose one of the following courses: (Students who take 315 to fulfill the culture requirement can take 316 as an upper-level requirement, and vice versa.) 2. Choose two of the following courses: III. Upper-Level Courses (18 credits) To complete the Major in Portuguese, students are required to take six upper-level courses, chosen with the adviser's approval. Two of these courses may be taken in areas related to the major (History, Anthropology, Art, etc.). Courses taken outside of the department must be at the 300 level or above. IV. Junior Writing requirement (3 credits) Requirements for the
Portuguese Minor I. Pre-Minor Preparation (6 credits) Choose two of the following: The adviser may waive the above requirements in the case of native speakers, but every student has to take 15 credits in order to receive the Minor in Portuguese. II. Minor Core (6 credits) Choose two of the following courses: III. Upper-Level Course (3 credits) One upper-level elective, above the 300 level, chosen with the adviser's approval. Important Note: During their final semester at the University, students MUST present an unofficial transcript to their advisers, in order to have their Portuguese Minor declaration form signed. Only when this form is signed and received by the Records Office will students receive their Minor in Portuguese. |
This is an official page of
the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.
Copyright © 2001 University of
Massachusetts. All
rights reserved.
Design By Todd Garland.