Course Descriptions

 

CAS LS 111 First Semester Spanish (Fall/ Spring)

Prof. Rosa Sánchez de Oña

Introduction to grammatical structures. Emphasis on oral skills and pronunciation. Introduction to Hispanic culture.

For students who have never studied Spanish, or by placement test results.

 

CAS LS 112 Second Semester Spanish (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Rosa Sánchez de Oña

Completes study of basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on oral skills with readings on contemporary Hispanic culture and writing assignments.

Prerequisite: one semester of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.

 

CAS LS 211 Third Semester Spanish (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Maribel García

Completes study of grammatical structures of Spanish. Use of spoken language in conversation. Reading in Hispanic civilization and of contemporary short stories. Writing exercises involving more complex grammatical and syntactical patterns.

Prerequisite: two semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.

 

CAS LS 212 Fourth Semester Spanish (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Lucas Pascual

Review of the structures of Spanish. Intensive practice of spoken language. More advanced readings from Hispanic culture with frequent compositions.

Prerequisite: three semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.

 

CAS LS 306 Translation through Film (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Cristina Pérez

Advanced study of the Spanish language through the translation of written texts. Analysis of the theory and practice of translation as a catalyst of cultural transfer. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.

 

CAS LS 312 Spanish through Cultural Destinations: Madrid en Vivo (Fall/Spring/Summer)

Prof. Mar Campelo

Students will further develop their oral and written skills allowing them to flourish within the Spanish-speaking world.  They will become familiar with the city of Madrid through immersion in its history, neighborhoods, art, literature, and its cultural and social peculiarities.

Students publish observations and reflections on the class Blog: Madrid en Vivo Spring 2020

Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.

 

CAS LS 312 Spanish through Cultural Destinations: Paseando por Madrid (Spring)

Prof. Rosa Sánchez de Oña

TBA

 

 

CAS CI /COM CI 477 Contemporary Spanish Film (Fall/Spring)

HUB Areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy + Research and Information Literacy

Prof. Carlos Vela

This course offers students a formal, theoretical, and historical analysis of some of the most significant Spanish films from recent decades, highlighting the wide variety of genres and styles in Spanish cinematographic production. Special attention will be given to the three most relevant directors in the selection of present-day Spanish film: Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro Amenábar, and Alberto Rodríguez. Films will be studied within their historical context, and include topics such as literature, politics, fine arts, symbolism, and mythology.

 

Mujeres en España (Fall)

Prof. Elena Postigo

This course covers the evolution of different models of female identity and femininity throughout history in order to understand Spanish women today: their values, ways of thinking, family relationships, professional interests and goals, gender roles, etc. The course covers many different periods and movements, from the 8th to the 20th century and the interplay of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian influences from the 8th to the 16th century; the role of the Catholic Church from the 16th to the 20th century; the Enlightenment in the 18th and 19th centuries; as well as forces of change in the 19th and 20th centuries. In each instance, the historical conditions that led to the rejection of old models and the adoption of new ones are considered.

 

Migrations and Cultural Diversity in Spain (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Aída Bueno

The course analyzes current migratory flows and their implications, one of the most current issues in Spain and the European Union. This course focuses on an anthropological approach and will provide students with conceptual theoretical frameworks from which they can critically analyze both the diversity and complexity of migration and its effects on society and culture. It will focus primarily on the city of Madrid and will provide students with field experiences to understand how the city has become a place of coexistence of different ethnocultural groups, as well as the challenges that multiculturalism involves.

 

CAS LS 241 Cultures of Spain: Past and Present (Spring ENG, Spanish section)

HUB Areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy

Prof. Sergio Antoranz (Spanish section)

An introduction to Spanish civilization with special emphasis on history, art, and literature. The course begins in English and shifts gradually into Spanish as students’ fluency increases. Course content is enriched by visits to the Prado Museum, Segovia, Toledo, and other sites. Evaluation is based on three exams and/or papers.

 

AH 258 Los Espacios del Arte (Spring / N/A Summer and Fall 2022)

HUB Areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy

Prof. Patricia Espinosa

This course aims to give a general, chronological overview of the use of space in Spanish art and architecture including Baroque, Neoclassical, Romanticism, Cubism and street art. Students will be introduced to great works through a consideration of the varied use of space, and they will acquire skills for analyzing and reflecting upon them. Students will have the opportunity to explore some of Madrid’s most important museums such as the Prado and Reina Sofia, as well as other art and monuments. The course aims to enrich the students’ academic and social experience through an understanding of Spanish art and architecture.

 

CAS LS 449 Contemporary Spanish Novel: From “La Movida” to 15-M (Fall/Spring)

HUB Areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy + Research and Information Literacy

Prof. Fernando Herrero

This course offers an overview of contemporary Spanish novels from the time of Franco’s death (1975) to the “15 M” movement (2011). The objective of the course is to analyze cultural phenomena that have transformed the social and cultural reality of Spain over the last several decades. Students will discuss the novels alongside supplementary materials such as articles, films, and artistic material from Madrid.

 

CAS LS 450 Crisis y Literatura en España Contemporanea (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Paco Layna

This course focuses on literary texts and contemporary Spanish and Latin American cultural phenomena through analysis and critical essays. Different literary genres will be explored in order to develop strategies that promote a deeper level of reading and comprehension so that students become familiar with the basic concepts of critical reading.

 

The Iberian Peninsula in a Global Context: International Relations in the 20th Century (Spring)

Prof. Lucas Pascual

This course offers a multidisciplinary study of contemporary international relations with a special focus on the Iberian Peninsula. It will examine significant events that took place during the better part of the twentieth century with an emphasis on the relations between Spain and Portugal and the United States.

 

HUB SA 330: Study Abroad Internship Course (Fall/Spring/Summer)

Hub Areas: The Individual in Community

Prof. Cristina Pérez

Taken in tandem with a work placement, the course allows students to gain a greater understanding of workplace culture within the host country. It provides a framework to explore and reflect on the professional and cultural practices observed in the internship. The course and placement form an intercultural learning experience in which students can examine socio-cultural differences, beliefs and values while immersed in a diverse organizational and professional community. Through class sessions and assignments, students address the ways in which culture informs both work and learning. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

 

CAS SP 345 Contemporary Spanish Politics (Summer 2022)

Prof. Lucas Pascual
This course aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of recent Spanish history and it’s political systems. Following chronological order, the major historical and political events will be explained, without losing perspective of theirsocial and economic consequences, while always trying keeping an eye on the big picture and changes that the country has undergone in the last decades.
Throughout the semester students will receive an overview of the current Spanish political situation, paying special attention to the events that can be considered asrecent precedents: the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, both essential to understand the political and cultural mentality of every Spaniard today. Afterwards, the Transition and the Democratic years will be examined until the present and how Spain has struggled to normalize its political and social life

 

CAS AR/AN 365 Deep Histories of Conquest: Spain and the Americas (Summer only)

Prof. David Carballo

Five centuries ago, Hernan Cortés and other Spanish conquistadors invaded Mesoamerica, toppling the Aztec Empire and founding New Spain. These events (often known in Spanish as “La Conquista”) became a template for later Spanish colonization and had a profound impact on shaping what is today Latin America. Recent scholarship has demonstrated that what has often been portrayed as a Spanish conquest, foregrounding Cortés and other Spanish actors, was in fact an invasion enabled by tens of thousands of native Mexican allies, many of whom can be thought of as conquistadors in their own right. It was a historical process whose roots on both sides of the Atlantic culminated in the collision of Iberian and Mesoamerican worlds. This course engages this deep history from an ideal vantage of BU Abroad in Madrid. Field trips to museums in Madrid, as well as significant locations throughout Spain relating to the conquistadors provide opportunities for active learning of key places and material culture central to this momentous encounter.

 

Cultural Diversity in Spain: an Anthropological Approach (N/A)

Prof. Aída Bueno

After a long historical period marked by the lack of freedoms inherent in a dictatorship, Spain democratized and opened up to the rest of the world. The sociocultural changes that occurred in the following decades have been quite extraordinary. This course will explore three very significant areas: urban anthropology (an approach to the changes in the use of public space and the creation of new practices that have changed cities and neighborhoods), family anthropology (analyzing the effects of political democratization in the family environment), and the transformation of Spanish society into a society of immigration. The course will provide theoretical and practical tools to better understand Spanish society in today’s day and age.

 

CAS LS 241 Cultures of Spain: Past and Present (Fall/Spring ENG only/Summer)

HUB Areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy

Prof. Fernando Herrero (English section)

An introduction to Spanish civilization with special emphasis on history, art, and literature. The course begins in English and shifts gradually into Spanish as students’ fluency increases. Course content is enriched by visits to the Prado Museum, Segovia, Toledo, and other sites. Evaluation is based on three exams and/or papers.

 

HUB SA 220 Cultures in Context: a BU HUB Study Abroad Experience 

Prof. Maribel García

HUB SA 220 Cultures in Context is an experimental learning course designed to enhance students’ cultural immersion experience in Madrid. HUB SA 220 is an optional, non-credit course for students of who wish to fulfill two units of Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy while in Spain.

The course itself fulfills one unit of Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy while CAS LS 241 Cultures of Spain: Past and Present fulfills the second unit of GCIL.

Successful completion of HUB SA 220 Cultures in Context allows students to earn both units of GCIL while abroad.

Co-requisites: CAS LS 241 and a Spanish Language Course (LS 111, LS 112, LS 211) 

 

CAS AH 364 Art and Architecture in Madrid: 1561–Today (Fall/Spring)

HUB Areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy + Creativity/Innovation

Prof. Isabel Carrasco

Survey of architecture, sculpture, and painting in Madrid, and how these fit in broader frame of European styles and historical context, 1561-present. Key theories in art history are introduced, giving students a broader perspective on critical approaches to art.

 

CAS AR 200 Heritage Matters: Introduction to Heritage Management (Fall)

HUB Areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I + Research and Information Literacy

Prof. Amalia Pérez-Juez

Protection and management of archaeological heritage, including sites, artifacts, and monuments. Survey of heritage values and stakeholders. Issues covered include cultural policy and legislation, international efforts, indigenous perspectives, looting, repatriation, underwater heritage, and heritage at war.

 

CAS HI 256 History of Spain, 711-1898 (Spring)

HUB Areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy

Prof. Amalia Pérez-Juez

A survey of Spanish history from 711 to 1898, examining the political, social, and economic, and cultural events that shaped Spain in its modern form. Places Spain in a European context. Includes field trips around Madrid.

 

CAS PO 245: Nationalism in Spain within the European Context (Fall/Spring)

Prof. Franciso Seijo

Examines Spanish national identity alongside minority national identities within Spain such as the Basque and Catalonian peoples. Compares the case of Spain with other national minority groups across Europe. Examines non-state nationalism from historical and contemporary perspectives.

 

Spanish Economics within the European Union (N/A)

Prof. Jorge Martin Hidalgo

A journey that will lead students not only through the economic and financial pillars of Spain, but also through the major challenges of its economic structure in light of the European economic integration process and the role Spain wants to play within it. The course will firstly focus on Spain’s modernization efforts after regaining democracy in 1975, the main economic drivers behind its growth and its role in the European economic and monetary union. Then it will cover the productive structure, main industries, foreign trade -inside and outside the European Union- and international expansion, particularly in South America. The course will then focus on the particularities of Spain’s labor market, the importance of the public sector (welfare state) and the prelude and impact of the financial crisis of 2008.

 

PH 251A Medical Ethics (Fall)

Prof. Pablo de Lora

This course will survey ethical issues that arise in connection with medicine and emerging biotechnologies. It will examine topics such as the right to healthcare, research on human subjects, the allocation of scarce medical resource, organ transplantation, euthanasia, abortion, cloning, genetic selection, disabilities, cryopreservation and the biomedical enhancement of human capacities. Students can expect to gain not only training in the concepts and methods of moral philosophy and the logic of argumentation, but also the resources needed for assessing ethically difficult questions that healthcare professionals routinely face. Please come to lecture having completed all of the assigned readings, which will be announced the previous week, and be prepared participate.