Spanish and Portuguese (BA)

Program Description

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures boasts one of the most prestigious and innovative programs in the country. Students with an interest in the Spanish and Portuguese languages and/or the cultural production of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain take a wide range of courses with a world-class faculty, who frequently collaborate with NYU’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the King Juan Carlos I Center, and the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics.

The department offers a range of majors and minors. Highly qualified students may participate in the honors program, which culminates in the writing of a thesis during the student’s senior year under the supervision of a faculty member. Internships are offered for credit with educational and cultural institutions throughout the city. Students are encouraged to study away at NYU Madrid and NYU Buenos Aires, where they may fulfill many major or minor requirements through site-specific classes and immersive experiences.

In addition, the department collaborates on programs with the Residential Life Exploration Program’s Spanish language floor for freshmen, and publishes the online undergraduate journal wp.nyu.edu/esferas.

Honors Program

To qualify for the honors program in the department, students must maintain at least a 3.65 general average and a 3.65 major average; they must consult 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), formerly SPAN-UA 995 , in the fall and then enroll in SPAN-UA 499 , formerly SPAN-UA 996 , the following spring. The honors thesis is an extended research paper written on a topic of the student’s choice and directed by a faculty adviser. The two-semester honors seminar sequence covers such areas as choosing a topic, compiling a bibliography, conducting library and web-based research, properly documenting sources, and developing research and writing methods for graduate- or professional-level study. Students give an oral presentation on the honors thesis and its bibliography.

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 requirements comprise 36 credits above the intermediate level. All students concentrate in either Spanish or Portuguese and must take at least five courses conducted in their language of concentration.

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. All courses in Spanish and Portuguese above the intermediate level fall into the following categories:

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

100-level courses are advanced language courses in which students can acquire specific skills in translation, creative writing, and professional vocabularies while they reinforce and deepen their knowledge and proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese. The 100 level also includes 2-credit courses, independent study, and internships.

200-level courses are content courses that provide (a) historical foundations and frameworks for the study of Hispanic and Lusophone cultures; (b) critical, theoretical, and methodological tools for the study of cultural works; and (c) an emphasis on writing in the discipline. Some are taught in English.

300-level courses combine the acquisition of critical and methodological skills with a writing-intensive component, offering students the opportunity to learn and practice critical skills and expand historical knowledge at the same time as they acquire proficiency in writing in the fields of Hispanic and Lusophone cultural and critical studies. These courses are taught only in Spanish or Portuguese, and require departmental permission (an access code) to register.

400-level courses focus on critical debates and methodological skills applied to specific cultural artifacts or historical periods. These courses, some of which are taught in English, utilize research skills learned in previous courses and develop new ones; expand students’ command of critical vocabularies and debates; and emphasize the presentation of research results in a variety of formats and genres, from research papers to journalistic reports and multimedia projects. This level also includes the honors seminar and thesis course for honors-track students.

Admission to Courses above Intermediate Spanish

Students who have completed Intermediate Spanish I and II (SPAN-UA 3 and SPAN-UA 4) or Intensive Intermediate Spanish (SPAN-UA 20) must take Advanced Spanish (SPAN-UA 50; 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 Spanish.

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 is a prerequisite for entering the major. Does not count toward major requirements.

²

Must be a course related to Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean, Luso-Brazilian studies, or Latino studies.

³

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

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 Portuguese that will enable them to communicate their ideas clearly, both orally and in writing.
2. The ability to structure and develop analytical arguments and analyses based on close reading of primary sources ranging from literature, to photography and film, to social activism.
3. A clear understanding of some of the primary cultural, literary, and historical developments within Spain, Portugal, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
4. Experience actively participating in critical discussions within the field and an awareness of an array of theoretical and methodological approaches to cultural production, particularly in relation to the Iberian, Latin American, Caribbean, and Luso-Brazilian worlds.
5. Experience in engaging with the diversity of ever-evolving Latin American, US Latina/o/x, Caribbean, and Iberian diasporic communities in and around New York City.

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. They must first secure permission from both the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the other major or minor department or program.

Policies Applying to All Departmental Majors

For all majors in this department, students must discuss and plan their program of study with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS). All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better (courses graded Pass/Fail do not count). 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 Spanish for Beginners I (SPAN-UA 1). 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 Spanish for Spanish Speakers (SPAN-UA 11) or Advanced Spanish for Spanish Speakers (SPAN-UA 51; 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, as.nyu.edu/spanish. To contact the director of the language program (DLP), call 212-998-8770 or write to spanish.dlp@nyu.edu.

Advanced Placement Policies

Students who score a 4 or 5 on the Spanish Language exam earn 4 credits for Intermediate Spanish II (SPAN-UA 4) 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 Advanced Spanish (SPAN-UA 50; formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100). Students who score less than 59 on the online test will be required to take Advanced Spanish Conversation (SPAN-UA 60; formerly SPAN-UA 101) before enrolling in SPAN-UA 50. 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 Advanced Spanish (SPAN-UA 50; 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

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 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 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.

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.