Spanish and Portuguese (BA)

Program Description

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is an interdisciplinary department focused on the language, cultural formations, and critical thought emerging from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Luso-Afro-Brazilian world. Spanish and Portuguese are among the world’s leading languages of culture, sociopolitics, and commerce. Once languages of empire, Spanish and Portuguese are now the lingua franca of important sectors of the Global South, and Spanish is the growing second language of the United States. We practice inclusive, decolonial approaches to language and translation; critical and comparative approaches to film, literature, performance, music, and visual art; humanistic engagements with historiography, memory, and archives; and we participate in debates in philosophy and critical and social thought, including Black and Indigenous perspectives from the Global South. 

The department offers a range of majors and minors: the major in Spanish and Portuguese (Spanish or Portuguese tracks), the major and minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, as well as minors in Spanish and in Portuguese. The Department also offers joint majors in Romance Languages and Spanish and Linguistics. Students are encouraged to study away at NYU Madrid and NYU Buenos Aires, as well as our summer program in Recife, Brazil, where they may fulfill major or minor requirements through site-specific classes and immersive experiences. In addition, students participate in internships and collaborate on the online undergraduate journal, Esferas.

Honors Program

Writing an Honors Thesis allows students majoring with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese to undertake advanced, independent research, analysis, and writing under close faculty guidance. By writing an original thesis, students participate in the production of new knowledge and critique, and make genuine contributions to our field. Engaging in self-designed research can be one of the most exciting experiences of a college career. Students with an overall and major GPA of 3.65 qualify and should confer with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the second semester of their junior year. During their senior year, students register for SPAN-UA 498 Senior Honors Seminar (fall), then enroll in SPAN-UA 499 Honor Thesis Seminar (spring). Students also present the conclusions of the thesis for different audiences, including participation in the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Conference and the Annual Departmental Showcase. Students write an abstract and have the opportunity to submit an extract of the thesis to Esferas, the Department’s Undergraduate Research Journal.

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply. 

Program Requirements

Please note: Students who have completed (or are completing) the requirements for the previous major in Spanish and Latin American Literatures and Cultures must contact the department for advising.

The major requires nine 4-point courses (36 credits) above the intermediate level and completed with a grade of C or better (courses graded Pass/Fail do not count). All students must concentrate in either Spanish or Portuguese and must take at least five courses conducted in their language of concentration as outlined below.

Concentrations

Spanish

¹

If PORT-UA 215 Cultural History of the Luso-Brazilian World is taken for this requirement, it cannot also count toward the “one of the following” requirement above.

²

Chosen from a selection of courses at the 100, 200, 300 or 400 level in: literature, cultural studies, fiction, music, performance, visual culture, history, politics, and advanced language electives

Portuguese

¹

Chosen from a selection of courses at the 100, 200, 300 or 400 level in: literature, cultural studies, fiction, music, performance, visual culture, history, politics, and advanced language electives

Course Numbering System

Effective fall 2020, the department has extensively renumbered and reorganized many of its courses. Courses in Spanish (with the designator SPAN-UA) and Portuguese (with the designator PORT-UA) above the intermediate level fall into the following categories:

Courses numbered in the 50/60-range are bridge courses focusing on the acquisition of oral and written language skills that facilitate the transition from basic language courses to the major.

Courses numbered in the 100-range are applied language courses in which students practice language in specific contexts, including translation, creative writing, and the study of language for professional settings, while they reinforce and deepen their linguistic proficiency. The 100-level also includes courses in experiential learning, including internships.

Courses numbered in the 200-range are the foundation courses for the major, including Key Works, Key Words, and courses in Cultural History. They are taught in Spanish, English, or Portuguese depending on the semester and course. 

Courses numbered in the 300-range combine the acquisition of critical and methodological skills with a writing-intensive component, offering students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the field as they develop greater proficiency in writing. These courses are taught only in Spanish or Portuguese. 

Courses numbered in the 400-range are advanced electives usually taught in Spanish or Portuguese. These courses showcase the interdisciplinarity of our field and focus on critical and comparative approaches to literature, visual art, performance, music, and film; on historiographic engagements with memory and archives; and/or focus on contemporary debates in philosophy and critical and social thought. 

Courses numbered in the 500-range are advanced electives usually taught in English. These courses showcase the interdisciplinarity of our field and focus on critical and comparative approaches to literature, visual art, performance, music, and film; on historiographic engagements with memory and archives; and/or focus on contemporary debates in philosophy and critical and social thought. 

Admission to Courses above Intermediate Spanish

Students who have completed SPAN-UA 4 Intermediate Spanish II or SPAN-UA 20 Intens Intermed Spanish must take Advanced Spanish (SPAN-UA 50 Advanced Spanish (formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100) as a prerequisite for upper-level courses, unless otherwise noted in course descriptions.

Sample Plan of Study

This sample plan of study is for a concentration in the Spanish track of the Major in Spanish and Portuguese.

Note: Students may choose the "extensive" sequence of SPAN-UA 1, 2, 3, and 4 in lieu of the "intensive" sequence of SPAN-UA 10 and 20, and graduate with the minimum 128 credits.

¹

This course does not count toward major requirements.

²

To count toward the major, this course must be related to Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean, Luso-Afro-Brazilian studies, or Latinx studies.

³

Chosen from a selection of courses numbered in the 100-, 200-, 300-, or 400- range.

⁴

Or an elective in Portuguese, Brazilian, or Luso-African studies. PORT-UA 215 Cultural History of the Luso-Brazilian World cannot count toward more than one major requirement.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:

1. Proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese that enables students to communicate their ideas clearly, both orally and in writing;
2. An understanding of some of the primary cultural formations and historical developments within Spanish, Latin American, Caribbean, and Luso-Afro-Brazilian worlds;
3. Knowledge of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to cultural production, and experience applying these in critical debate, discussion, and in writing;
4. Ability to structure and develop analytical arguments and analyses based on close reading of primary sources drawn from: archival sources; literary and philosophical texts; works of art, music, performance or film; and documents broadly related to cultural expression;
5. Experience with the diversity and cultural resources of the ever-evolving Latin American, Latinx, Caribbean, and Indigenous city of New York.

Policies

Program Policies

Double Counting of Courses

Students majoring in Spanish and Portuguese may double-count no more than two courses between this major and a second major (or a minor). Students should seek guidance from the directors of undergraduate studies (DUS) of both majors or minors.

Department of Spanish and Portuguese: Policies Applying to All Majors

For all majors in this department, students must discuss and plan their program of study with the director of undergraduate studies. All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. Courses taken Pass/Fail will not count toward the major. Transfer students must complete at least half of the major in residence at New York University.

Placement in Spanish Language Courses

Note: All SAT Subject Examinations were discontinued in the U.S. as of January 2021 and after June 2021 internationally.

For full details, students must consult the website of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, as well as the Spanish language program's polices on course placement and on AP, IB, and A Level exams in this department's section in this Bulletin. To enroll in one's first Spanish language course at NYU, students must have taken the SAT Subject Test in Spanish; have advanced standing credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, A Levels, or equivalent; or have taken the placement examination administered by the University. The exception is students with no previous study of Spanish or who took no more than one year of Spanish in high school, who may enroll in SPAN-UA 1 Spanish for Beginners- Level I. Students from a Spanish-speaking background who wish to study the language may not enroll in any level of Spanish for Beginners (SPAN-UA 1, SPAN-UA 2, and SPAN-UA 10) or Intermediate Spanish (SPAN-UA 3, SPAN-UA 4, and SPAN-UA 20), but must instead enroll in SPAN-UA 11 Intermediate Spanish for Spanish Speakers or SPAN-UA 51 Advanced Spanish for Spanish-Speaking Students (formerly SPAN-UA 111) after taking a special written placement test in the department. Students with transfer credit in Spanish must take a placement test if they intend to register for the language in CAS. Note that after 18 months, a completed SPAN-UA course no longer serves as a prerequisite for more advanced courses; students must take or retake the placement exam. In addition, test scores are valid for only 18 months.

For more information and tables showing appropriate course placement for specific test scores, consult the section on language placement at the department's website. To contact the director of the language program (DLP), write to spanish.dlp@nyu.edu.

Advanced Placement Policies in Spanish

Students who score a 4 or 5 on the Spanish Language exam earn 4 credits for SPAN-UA 4 Intermediate Spanish II and are exempt from the College's language requirement.

Students who are not native speakers, who earned a 4 on the Spanish Language AP exam, and who intend to continue studying Spanish are required to take the NYU online language placement exam to confirm placement into SPAN-UA 50 Advanced Spanish (formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100). Students who score less than 59 on the online test will be required to take SPAN-UA 60 Advanced Conversation (formerly SPAN-UA 101) before enrolling in SPAN-UA 50 Advanced Spanish. On the first day of classes they will also take an in-class exam to finalize proper course placement. This may result in dropping to a lower level and losing the AP credit. AP scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement. Native speakers who earned a 4 on the Spanish Language AP exam and intend to continue studying Spanish will need to take a written assessment with the director of the language program (spanish.dlp@nyu.edu) to finalize placement.  

Students who are not native speakers, who earned a 5 on the Spanish Language AP exam, and who intend to continue studying Spanish may register for Advanced Spanish (SPAN-UA 50; formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100). On the first day of classes they will take an in-class exam to finalize proper course placement. This may result in dropping to a lower level and losing the AP credit. AP scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement. Native speakers who earned a 5 on the Spanish Language AP exam and intend to continue studying Spanish will need to take a written assessment with the director of the language program (spanish.dlp@nyu.edu) to finalize placement.

Students who obtain a score of 4 or 5 on the Spanish Literature exam receive 4 credits for SPAN-UA 50 Advanced Spanish (formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100) and satisfy the Core language requirement. If they wish to continue taking Spanish classes, they must take a special, advanced language placement evaluation at the Spanish department (not the online placement or usual written exemption exam) and consult with the director of the Spanish language program (spanish.dlp@nyu.edu).

International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Level (A Level) Examinations Policies in Spanish

Students who present a score of 6 or 7 on the High Level International Baccalaureate exam in Spanish "B," or who present a score of B or higher on the Advanced Level exam in Spanish, earn 8 credits for Intermediate Spanish I and II (SPAN-UA 3 and 4) and are exempt from the College's language requirement.

Students in these two categories who are not native speakers and intend to continue studying Spanish may register for SPAN-UA 50 Advanced Spanish (formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100). On the first day of classes they will take an in-class exam to finalize proper course placement. This may result in dropping to a lower level and losing the IB or A Level credit. IB and A Level scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement. Native speakers with IB or A Level credit who intend to continue studying Spanish will need to take a written assessment with the director of the language program (spanish.dlp@nyu.edu) to finalize placement.

Placement in Portuguese Language Courses

For further information please consult the section on language placement at the department's website. To contact the director of the language program (DLP), write to spanish.dlp@nyu.edu.

Registering for Portuguese classes:

• Spanish speakers with no formal training in Portuguese may register directly for PORT-UA 11 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers.
• Other students with no formal training in Portuguese may register for PORT-UA 1 Elementary Portuguese I or PORT UA 10 Intensive Elementary Portuguese.
• Students with previous formal training in and/or familiarity with Portuguese must take the CAS online placement exam in Portuguese. Students will receive a score placing them in a certain level and must register for that level.
• Students with a placement score of 69 or higher wishing to continue their study of Portuguese at NYU should contact the directors of the language Program at spanish.dlp@nyu.edu for further guidance.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

College of Arts and Science Policies

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.