Spanish, Minor | University of Alabama

The Spanish Minor provides students with an attractive mixture of introductory, intermediate, and advanced classes that focus on the Spanish-speaking world, both globally (Latin America, Spain) and in the United States. Studies include language, culture, literature, and linguistics content to provide a broad spectrum of Spanish knowledge.

In addition to content, students in this Minor will acquire durable and transferrable skills essential for the 21st century. Classes focus on developing creative and critical thinking abilities, effective written and oral communication, and deep intercultural understanding. Students will learn to identify and avoid logical fallacies and cognitive biases, and exercise careful human judgment to successfully engage in creative problem-solving. They will be able to express ideas clearly and effectively across a wide range of audiences, as well as collaborate with diverse partners. The Spanish Minor fosters intercultural understanding in our students to position them for success in localized, globalized, and international workforces.

For more information, check the Requirements tab in this catalog entry, visit https://mlc.ua.edu/, or come to 200 B. B. Comer Hall.

Admission into the Minor

Students are expected to formally declare a minor by completing the Change of Major/Minor Application online under the Student tab of myBama. Students are strongly advised to meet with the department advisor each semester to plan their course of study.

Special Opportunities

The Spanish program at The University of Alabama offers a quality education and a range of learning opportunities. These include the Alabama in Spain and Alabama in Colombia summer abroad programs and the Spanish Outreach program in the Tuscaloosa/Northport area. The Department of Modern Languages and Classics also offers honors courses in Spanish.

The Spanish Minor requires 15 hours between required courses and electives. It also requires the completion of 12 hours of ancillary courses. Instruction of all courses must be in Spanish to be computed into the minor GPA. Minors must maintain a GPA average of 2.0. A minimum of six (6) hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned in residence at The University of Alabama. Courses taken in UA summer programs (such as Spain and/or Colombia) may be used to satisfy the residency requirement. Other requirements, including Grade Point Average, Upper-level Residency, and other general BCAS requirements can be found here.

Code and Title		Hours
Minor Courses
Select three of the following Cornerstone courses:		9
SP 353 or	Spanish Conversation ¹
SP 355	Spanish for Native Speakers
SP 356	Adv Grammar And Compos
SP 364 or	Cultures of Spain
SP 366	Cultures of Latin America
Electives ²
Select two SP elective courses at the 300 or 400 level		6
Credit Hours Subtotal:		15
Ancillary Courses
The major and minor in Spanish require the successful completion of the courses below. Students may start directly at the 300 level provided they satisfy the requirements explained in the Course Placement section. Grades in ancillary courses are not computed into the minor GPA.
SP 101	Spanish Language & Culture I	3
SP 102	Spanish Language & Culture II	3
SP 201	Spanish Language & Culture III	3
SP 202	Spanish Language & Culture IV	3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		12
Total Hours		27

Native or heritage speakers cannot take SP 353 Spanish Conversation; they must enroll in SP 355 Spanish for Native Speakers.

SP 361 Intro Romance Linguistic is taught in English and does not count towards the Spanish major or minor.

Course Placement

The course level at which students begin their study of Spanish is determined by the language placement score, AP score, and/or IB score. All students who do not have an AP or IB score should take the UA placement test. The UA placement test is available online at myBama.ua.edu by clicking on the search box and typing "Foreign Language Assessment."

For more detailed placement guidelines, see the College website or Spanish program website: https://mlc.ua.edu/spanish/undergraduate/course-placement/.

Credit Option
Placement	Credit received with grade of "Pass" (C- or better)
SP 101	No prior instruction in Spanish.
SP 102	UA placement test, or SP 101 completed at UA with a C- or higher, or an IB score of 4
SP 201	UA placement test, or SP 102 completed at UA with a C- or higher, or an IB score of 5, or an AP score of 3
SP 202	UA placement test, or SP 201 completed at UA with a C- or higher, or an IB score of 6, or an AP score of 4
SP 353 / SP 356	UA placement test, or SP 202 completed at UA with a C- or higher, or an IB score of 7, or an AP score of 5

Credit Option

Departmental placement credit petition: If placed in SP 201, or above, students are potentially eligible to receive placement credit upon written petition. The placement credit form is available here, and it must be submitted to the appropriate faculty member listed in it.

Additional Minor Requirements

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University, College, major, and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the minor department for academic planning and to be approved for registration each semester. College advisers are also available for additional assistance with College, and University requirements. For more details, regarding the completion of the Spanish minor, check the departmental website.