Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures Major

Requirements for the Major

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A major in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures requires a minimum of nine courses including senior thesis.

Students may choose to pursue one of three tracks.  Study abroad is required.

1. Latin American, Caribbean or Peninsular (Spain) Literature
2. Latin American, Caribbean or Peninsular Culture
3. Translation: Language, Power and Culture (Lengua, poder y cultura)

1. Literature Track

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Prerequisite:

• SPAN044 SC Advanced Spanish: Readings in Literature and Civilization  

a. One course in Civilization:

• SPAN110 SC Introduction to Spanish Civilization  or equivalent/topic
• SPAN102 CM Latin American Culture and Civilization  or equivalent/topic course (abroad or at Pitzer SPAN152 PZ , SPAN158 PZ , SPAN187 PZ ).
• SPAN100 SC Sciences and Cultural Competence  or equivalent/topic

b. One survey literature course:

• SPAN120A SC Survey of Spanish Literature  or equivalent/topic
• SPAN120B PO Survey of Spanish Literature  or equivalent/topic
• SPAN125A PO Survey of Spanish-American Literature  or equivalent/topic
• SPAN125B PO Survey of Spanish-American Literature  or equivalent/topic

c. Four literature courses above 100, selected in consultation with the academic adviser.

d. Two courses selected from the fields of anthropology, art, Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies, economics, history, international relations, literature, music, politics, sociology. Only one of these may be taken in English.

e. Senior Thesis - SPAN191

• Required one-year thesis for students hoping to achieve honors in Spanish.
• Senior Thesis for non-honor students can be taken in the fall or spring of senior year.

2. Culture Track

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Prerequisite:

• SPAN044 SC Advanced Spanish: Readings in Literature and Civilization  

a. One course in Civilization:

• SPAN110 SC Introduction to Spanish Civilization  or equivalent/topic
• SPAN102 CM Latin American Culture and Civilization  or equivalent/topic course (abroad or at Pitzer SPAN152 PZ , SPAN158 PZ , SPAN187 PZ ).
• SPAN100 SC Sciences and Cultural Competence  or equivalent/topic

b. One survey literature course:

• SPAN120A SC Survey of Spanish Literature  or equivalent/topic course
• SPAN120B PO Survey of Spanish Literature  or equivalent/topic course
• SPAN125A PO Survey of Spanish-American Literature  or equivalent/topic course
• SPAN125B PO Survey of Spanish-American Literature  or equivalent/topic course

c. Six courses from the fields of anthropology, art, Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies, economics, history, international relations, literature, music, politics, sociology. Only one of these may be taken in English.

d. Senior Thesis - SPAN191

• Required one-year thesis for students hoping to achieve honors in Spanish.
• Senior Thesis for non-honor students can be taken in the fall or spring of senior year.

3. Translation: Language, Power and Culture Track (Lengua, poder y cultura)

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The aim of this track is to analyze cultural practices that are in constant fluctuation and crossing multiple kinds of borders putting into question rigid and normative definitions of translatability and untranslatability and of cross-cultural exchanges and interactions. Our first 4 required courses aim to study the asymmetric power relations that keep defining the practices of certain languages, forms of speaking and writing and their translatability in specific geographies where colonial and patriarchal languages keep dominating.

Prerequisite: 

• SPAN044 SC Advanced Spanish: Readings in Literature and Civilization  

Required courses:

a. Requisite: The following four classes or equivalent topic courses taught in Spanish:

• SPAN133 SC Translation and the Right to Language  
• SPAN152 SC Border Thinking and Multicultural Ethnic Europe/Pensamiento de frontera  
• SPAN154 SC Trans-Caribbean Formations: Translating Identity, Race, and Gender in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico  
• SPAN183 SC Interculturality and Bilingualism in the Andes  

**All classes that may satisfy the above requirements will need the department’s chair approval and will go through a departmental petition process that will require a detailed syllabus for the course substitution.

b. Electives:  Four elective courses 100 and above selected with major adviser. 

Courses should be selected from the fields of cultural translation, language translation and translation studies, linguistics, transnational literatures and translation.  Two classes taught in another language than Spanish will be accepted.  Students can also take elective classes taught in Euskera and Catalán or other languages spoken by diverse ethnic groups in Spain, or other languages spoken by diverse ethnic groups in Latin America, and the Caribbean during their study abroad or when offered at the Claremont Colleges.

Among the classes currently taught in Spanish at the 5-Colleges the following sample of courses can satisfy the elective requirement: SPAN100 SC , SPAN127 CH , SPAN134 SC , SPAN183 PZ , SPAN186 PZ , SPAN102 PO , SPAN128 PO , SPAN130 PO , SPAN141 PO , SPAN142 PO , SPAN172 PO .

c. Senior Thesis - SPAN191

• Required one-year thesis for students hoping to achieve honors in Spanish.
• Senior thesis for non-honor students can be taken in the fall or spring of senior year.

Honors Requirements

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As early as the first semester of the sophomore year, a student may choose to become a candidate for the Honors Program in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures. The Honors Program includes the normal course requirements, as stated above, as well as a two-semester thesis written in Spanish or English, in the case of a dual thesis, supervised by three faculty readers and followed by a successful thesis defense before the faculty and majors of Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures. In order to graduate with Honors in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures, the candidate must have a minimum general GPA of 9.0 and a GPA of 11.0 (A-) or above in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures major. A senior thesis grade of at least A- is required.