Foreign Languages and Literatures at UAB

Click here to download The Major At A Glance flyer. (PDF)

The major consists of...
UAB Core Curriculum	41 hours
Arts and Humanities Core Requirements	6 hous
Foreign Language Major Common Core	21 hours
Track in Spanish or French	21 hours
Electives	31 hours
TOTAL:	120 hours

Foreign Languages Major Common Core	21 hours
Foreign Cultures (FLL 120)	3 hours
Additional Introductory Foreign Language Course (any 101)	3 hours
Foreign Literatures in Translation (EH 218 or FLL 220)	3 hours
Introduction to Linguistics (LING 250 or EH 250)	3 hours
Foreign Language Seminar (FLL 485)	3 hours
Study Abroad/Foreign Language Internship (FR or SPA 190-590)	6 hours

French Track	21 hours beyond the minor
French Courses at 200-level or above	12 hours
French Courses at 300-level	12 hours
French Courses at 400-level	9 hours

Spanish Track	21 hours beyond the minor
Spanish Courses at 200-level or above	12 hours
Spanish Courses at 300-level	12 hours
Spanish Courses at 400-level	9 hours

Students must receive a grade of “C” or higher in each course they wish to apply toward the degree.

In the student guide, see page 13 for a complete list of courses and page 31 for the Foreign Language major checklist.
Click here for the guide.

MINORING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The minor consists of 12 hours from 200-level or higher courses, of which no less than 6 hours must be at the 200 level.  The remainder may be comprised of any combination of courses and/or Study Abroad (See below).  Any French, German, or Spanish course in which the student receives a grade of “C” or higher may be applied toward the minor in that language. 

Spanish (SPA)

Beginning Level (SPA 101 and SPA 111 are co-requisites, while SPA 102 and 108 include a lab requirement)

SPA 101. Introductory Spanish I—Co-req: Taken concurrently with SPA 111 (see below). Essentials of language and culture needed for communication. Includes listening comprehension, speaking, writing and reading. Conducted in Spanish. 2 hours.

SPA 102. Introductory Spanish II—Continuation of SPA 101. Preq: SPA 101 or equivalent. 4 hours.

SPA 108. Intensive Spanish—Accelerated essentials of language and culture needed for communication. Includes listening comprehension, speaking, writing, and reading.  Fast-paced review of SPA 101 and SPA 102. SPA 108 includes a one-hour lab requirement. Preq: 2.5 GPA or above. Conducted in Spanish. 4 hours.

SPA 111. Introductory Spanish I Lab—Involves active participation in the four skills (reading and writing, listening and speaking) with an emphasis on oral and written production in an interactive, communicative context. Co-req: Taken concurrently with SPA 101. Students must pass lecture and lab. 2 hours.

SPA 190. Study Abroad—Approved program in a Spanish-speaking country. Preq:  Permission of Department Chair. 1 to 6 hours.

Minor Level

Prerequisite: 8 hours of Spanish at the beginning level or equivalent.

SPA201. Intermediate Spanish I—Continued development of grammar, composition, reading, writing, listening comprehension, speaking and cultural proficiency. Conducted in Spanish. Preq:  SPA 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.

SPA 202. Intermediate Spanish II—Continuation of SPA 201. Preq: SPA 201 or equivalent. 3 hours.

SPA 206. Intermediate Spanish for the Professions—Focusing on Spanish-speaking professional culture, course emphasizes elementary-level conversation acquisition and vocabulary. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: SPA 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.

SPA 210. Conversation and Culture—Development of oral expression within the context of contemporary Spanish-speaking cultures. Preq: SPA 201 and 202 or concurrent enrollment. 3 hours.

SPA 233. Intermediate Spanish Composition and Conversation—Foundational composition and conversation, which focuses on correct written and oral expression in Spanish. Preq: SPA 201 and 202 or concurrent enrollment. 3 hours.

SPA 280 (cross-listed as NUR 379). Spanish for Health Professionals—Focusing on the Spanish-speaking health-related culture, course emphasizes intensive conversation, technical reading and vocabulary acquisition. Preq: SPA 201 or equivalent. 3 hours.

SPA 290. Study Abroad—Approved study-abroad program in a Spanish-speaking country. Preq: Permission of Department Chair. 1 to 6 hours.

SPA 299. Special Readings in Spanish—Directed readings in intermediate Spanish. Studies select texts of the Spanish-speaking world to increase overall literacy in Spanish. Preq: SPA 202 or equivalent. 3 hours.

Major Level

SPA 300. Advanced Grammar and Composition—Analysis and practice of basic grammatical structures of Spanish in diverse contexts.  Development of writing skills. Preq: 6 hours of SPA at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 304. Phonetics and Phonemics—Course focuses on how the Spanish sound system functions in various regions. Development of pronunciation through oral practice. Preq: 6 hours of Spanish at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 310. Cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World—Historical overview of the heritage of Spain, Latin America and the Hispanic US with emphasis on social, political and economic institutions. Preq: 6 hours of Spanish at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 311. Survey of Spanish Peninsular Literature—Overview of Spanish literature from the medieval era to contemporary periods.  Representative works of various authors with emphasis on fundamental literary concepts and distinctive stylistic features of Spanish discourse. Preq: 6 semester hours of Spanish at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 312. Survey of Latin American Literature—Overview of Latin American literature from the Pre-Colombian era to the contemporary period. Representative works of various authors with emphasis on fundamental literary concepts and distinctive stylistic features of Latin American discourse. Preq: 6 semester hours of Spanish at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 313. Business Spanish—Vocabulary, idioms, protocol and style characteristic of speaking and writing commercial Spanish.  Concentration on writing letters, job descriptions, advertisements and import-export documents. Preq: 6 semester hours at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 314. Spanish Translation and Interpretation—History, principles, theory and practice of translation and interpretation, including a systematic study and contrastive exercises in Spanish-English translation and interpretation.  A wide variety of conceptual fields with emphasis on vocabulary building. Preq: 6 semester hours of Spanish at the minor level. 3 hours.

SPA 390. Study Abroad—Approved study-abroad program in a Spanish-speaking country. Preq: Permission of Department Chair. 1 to 6 hours.

SPA 399. Special Readings in Spanish—Directed readings in Spanish. Preq: Permission of Department Chair.  3 hours.

SPA 401. Voices of Imperial Spain—Culture and civilization of Imperial Spain from the age of the Catholic Monarchs to the close of the Hapsburg Dynasty (1469-1716). Includes a study of the art, historical documents, and literature from both the center and periphery of the Empire.  Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor.  3 hours.
SPA 402. Voices of Colonial Latin America—Culture and civilization of Colonial Latin America from the advent of European dominance to the decades following the Spanish  American War (1492-1920). Emphasis on the blending of Spanish, Amerindian and African cultural forms and their diverse literary expressions. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 403. Contemporary Spanish Literature and Film—Cultural and literary trends of Spain from the transformation of Spanish society in the late nineteenth century to the post-Franco era. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 405. US Latino Writers—Focuses on the growing body of literature written by Latinos in the United States. Explores Latino issues and cultural identity through the analysis of their narrative works and experience. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor.   3 hours.

SPA 407. Indigenous and Indigenist Latin America—Cultural and literary forms of Amerindian, Hispanic or mixed-descent writers of Latin America. Focus on the concepts of hybridity, syncretism and mestizaje. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 409. Spanish-speaking Nobel Laureates—Literary masterpieces of the Spanish-speaking world. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 411. Cervantes and Imperial Spanish Society—Civilization of Golden Age Spain as reflected in Miguel Cervante’s El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha and select Novelas ejemplares. Development of modern novel and importance of Don Quixote as national hero and recurring figure in international art, music, film and literature. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 412. Voices of Contemporary Latin America, 1920-Present—Cultural and literary trends of Latin America from la nueva narrativa through the Boom and post-Boom periods. Focus on Mexico, Northern Latin America and the Southern Cone. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 414. African Hispanophone Writers—Cultural and literary forms of African-descended writers in the Spanish-speaking world. Focus on African presence in medieval and Golden Age Spain, contemporary Spain, Equatorial Guinea, Latin America and the Caribbean. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 416. Special Topics in Spanish—Seminar on individual authors, specific genres, linguistic, literary and cultural movements, literary discourse/theory or transatlantic studies.  May be repeated for credit. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 420. Advanced Spanish Linguistics—Analyze, clarify, and expand upon critical aspects of the Spanish language (grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics) and related cultural aspects in relation to the second language acquisition processes. Preq: Advanced undergraduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 490. Study Abroad—Approved program in a Spanish-speaking country. Preq: Permission of Department Chair. 1 to 6 hours.

SPA 499. Directed Studies—Directed readings in Spanish. Preq: Permission of Department Chair. 3 hours.

Graduate Level

SPA 501. Voices of Imperial Spain— Culture and civilization of Imperial Spain from the age of the Catholic Monarchs to the close of the Hapsburg Dynasty (1469-1716). Includes a study of the art, historical documents, and literature from both the center and periphery of the Empire.  Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 502. Voices of Colonial Latin America—Culture and civilization of Colonial Latin America from the advent of European dominance to the decades following the Spanish American War (1492-1920). Emphasis on the blending of Spanish, Amerindian and African cultural forms and their diverse literary expressions. Selected works by representative authors will vary according to instructor. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 503. Contemporary Spanish Literature and Film—Cultural and literary trends of Spain from the transformation of Spanish society in the late-nineteenth century to the post-Franco era. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 505. US Latino Writers—Focuses on the growing body of literature written by Latinos in the United States. Explores Latino issues and cultural identity through the analysis of their narrative works and experience. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 507. Indigenous and Indigenist Latin America—Cultural and literary forms of Amerindian, Hispanic or mixed descent writers of Latin America. Focus on the concepts of hybridity, syncretism and mestizaje. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 509. Spanish-speaking Nobel Laureates—Literary masterpieces of the Spanish-speaking world. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 511. Cervantes and Imperial Spanish Society—Civilization of Golden Age Spain as reflected in Miguel de Cervante’s El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha and select Novelas ejemplares. Development of the modern novel and importance of Don Quixote as national hero and recurring figure in international art, music, film and literature. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 512. Voices of Contemporary Latin America, 1920-Present—Cultural and literary trends of Latin America from la nueva narrativa through the Boom and post-Boom periods. Focus on Mexico, Northern Latin America, and the Southern Cone. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 514. African Hispanophone Writers—Cultural and literary forms of African-descended writers in the Spanish-speaking world. Focus on the African presence in medieval and Golden Age Spain, contemporary Spain, Equatorial Guinea, Latin America and/or the Caribbean. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 516. Special Topics in Spanish—Seminar on individual authors, specific genres, literary movements, literary discourse/theory, or transatlantic studies. May be repeated for credit. Conducted in Spanish. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 520. Advanced Spanish Linguistics—Analyze, clarify, and expand upon critical aspects of the Spanish language (grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics) and related cultural aspects in relation to the second language acquisition processes. Preq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. 3 hours.

SPA 590. Study Abroad—Approved graduate program in a Spanish-speaking country. Preq: Graduate standing. 1 to 6 hours.

SPA 599. Independent Studies—Individual studies in Spanish. Preq: Permission of Department Chair and graduate standing. 3 hours.

LANGUAGE PLACEMENT

To assure that students taking foreign language courses are properly placed, students who have had one or more years of a foreign language in high school within the last two years must take a placement test in that language before enrolling in the 100-level sequence. Individual placement tests in French, Spanish and German are available on the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures website. The exam is on-line, free, and reports your score instantaneously.

For information and a link to the WebCAPE Exam, see the following web page: http://www.uab.edu/foreignlang/placement.html. A user name and password for UAB students are listed below the words WebCAPE.  Click on the preferred language, complete the survey information, fill in your student identification information, complete exam, and click on post results.

Native speakers of French, German, and Spanish will not be permitted to take courses for credit in their native language at the beginning level. The level at which they may begin will be determined by the appropriate foreign language adviser after the student has taken the on-line placement exam.

At the beginning levels, native speakers of French, German, or Spanish are permitted to seek credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). At the intermediate level, exceptional native/heritage language students may apply for Credit by Examination (CBE).