Study Spanish at Boston University
Our literature and culture courses for majors and minors explore a range of periods and topics. Recent courses have dealt with gendered literary production in Latin America; sexuality and religion in medieval Iberia; the textual construction of Latin American ‘thirdworldness’; Latin American and Spanish film; poetry, painting, and the sister arts; intellectual currents between Spain and the Americas; the social poetry of Central America; and individual authors like Borges, Lorca, and Cervantes.
The Spanish section is also home to a thriving language program. Six semesters of communicative courses put beginner, intermediate, and advanced students directly in touch with the language, literature, and culture of the Spanish-speaking world, preparing them for global citizenship and international careers. Advanced learners at the third-year level may focus on such diverse topics as Latino culture, business Spanish, or the techniques of poetry writing. Spanish majors and minors have study-abroad and internship opportunities in Madrid (Spain), Santiago de Chile, Quito (Ecuador), and Monterrey (Mexico).
The faculty in Spanish cover a variety of fields. Christopher Maurer teaches Spanish poetry as well as the intersection of biography, editing, and translation. Nicolás Fernández-Medina offers courses on Romanticism, Modernism, Avant-garde, Iberian Studies, Sexuality and Gender Studies, and the body. Daniel Erker gives courses in Linguistics and Hispanic Linguistics, an area in which we offer a double major (Spanish/Linguistics). Anita Savo teaches the literatures and cultures of medieval Spain, with an emphasis on cross-cultural exchange among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Catalina Rodríguez teaches Latin American literature and culture from the nineteenth century onward, with a focus on gender and sexuality studies, women’s literature, theories of authorship, ecofeminism, and queer literature.
Overview of the Program
All students majoring in Spanish must complete 9 courses, and minors must complete 6. Out of these courses, majors and minors must fulfill each of the distributional requirements outlined below.
To declare a Major or Minor in Spanish, please click on the link below and follow the instructions based on your current school or college.
Honors Program in Spanish
Graduation with Honors in Spanish requires a total of 12 courses (3 beyond the major), with an average GPA of at least 3.7. Students are encouraged to work with an advisor to produce an honors thesis, which may count for up to 2 of the 3 additional courses. Prospective honors students should consult with their advisor no later than spring term of their junior year.
Learning Outcomes
- Students graduating with a BA in Spanish will demonstrate:
- An advanced level of proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension of Spanish, following ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
- Knowledge of literary and cultural production from Latin American, Iberian, and US Latino communities and of their intellectual and historical contexts.
- Corresponding understanding of the national and cultural diversity of these regions in relation to colonial and postcolonial histories.
- Engagement with critical or theoretical works concerning literature and culture in these regions.
- The ability to read, analyze, and write critically about literature, culture, and linguistic diversity with attention to contextual, thematic, and formal issues.
- The ability to demonstrate cross-cultural understanding, communication, and adaptability and to make connections across disciplines and areas of study.
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Spanish Language Administration
Anita Savo
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Convener of Spanish & Portuguese, Assistant Professor of Spanish
asavo@bu.edu
Borja Ruiz de Arbulo
Overall Coordinator for Spanish Language Program, Master Lecturer in Spanish
bruizdea@bu.edu