Spanish and Portuguese Studies

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies offers an A.B. in Spanish and Portuguese Studies.

Major in Spanish and Portuguese Studies

Requirements for the A.B. in Spanish and Portuguese Studies

10 courses (minimum, students who place below Advanced Spanish and/or Advanced Portuguese will require additional courses) as follows:

  • One course to demonstrate mastery of Advanced Spanish
    • SPAN 2004 (Advanced Spanish II) or SPAN 2011 (Intensive Advanced Spanish)

Students who begin their study of Spanish above the advanced level may substitute a 3000-level elective. Heritage speakers of Spanish may substitute SPAN 2105 or SPAN 2204 (Advanced Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture for Heritage Speakers I or II).

  • One semester of Advanced Portuguese (PORT 2101)
  • One semester of PORT 2151 (Advanced Conversation) or PORT 2199 (Cultures of the Portuguese-Speaking World)
  • Two literature and culture courses (These courses must be taken on campus.*) Students may select from:
    • PORT 3261 (Film & Writing: Portuguese Speaking World)
    • SPAN 3241 or SPAN 3242 (Spain: Literature and Culture I or II); or
    • SPAN 3261 or SPAN 3262 (Latin America: Literature and Culture I or II)
  • 2 linguistics courses, one in Spanish linguistics and one in Portuguese linguistics
  • 2 courses at the 3000-4000 level taught in Portuguese (may be cross-listed)
  • 1 course at the 4000-level taught in Spanish or Portuguese (may be cross-listed)

*Note: Students attending the Quito Summer program can substitute these courses for the content courses offered by the Quito program. Students may count one 3000–4000 level course taught in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese in a language other than Spanish and Portuguese (e.g., English or Catalan) towards the major. Alternatively, with the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, students may count a maximum of one course taken outside the department, if the course subject is deemed relevant to the Spanish major. 

Note: Native or heritage speakers of Spanish or Portuguese, transfer students, or students who have placed out of required language classes should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for major approval. They may be required to substitute courses at the 3000 level or above to complete the requirements for the major.

Integrated Writing Requirement

Writing is an integral part of each of the three majors offered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (Spanish, Portuguese, and Spanish and Portuguese Studies) and central to all levels of study in our course offerings. Beyond demonstrating linguistic competence and cultural literacy, the Department views writing as an essential tool for the development of critical thinking and its expression. Importantly, learning to write well in Spanish and/or Portuguese develops skills that are transferable to many post-college careers.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of four courses taken at other institutions can be transferred toward the major. Transfer students must have the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies in order to receive credit for courses taken at another institution.

Students may receive AP credit for Advanced Spanish I and II. In those cases, students may substitute courses at the 3000 level or above to complete the course count for the major.

Students may apply a maximum of two summer courses taken at other institutions in the United States or abroad toward the major, except for the Department courses offered in Quito and Barcelona, which count as regular Georgetown courses. Summer courses taken abroad can be used to fulfill 3000-level elective requirements.

Study Abroad

Spanish and Portuguese Studies majors are required to study in Spain, Portugal or Latin America for a semester or, ideally, for an academic year. With the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Spanish and Portuguese Studies majors may substitute summer study in Georgetown University’s programs in Quito (Ecuador) or Barcelona (Spain) for a semester abroad. These courses can be used to fulfill 3000-level elective requirements, provided they are taught in Spanish or Portuguese and deal with Spain or Latin America (or any aspects of the Lusophone countries). A maximum of four courses, with a total of two per semester, taken overseas may be counted toward the major. Students should consult their advisers to develop a well-balanced program. No credit is given to majors for Spanish or Portuguese language courses or oral reviews taken abroad in Spanish/Portuguese-speaking countries. Students must obtain the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies for their courses before going overseas; failure to do so may result in the student not receiving credit for those courses. Upon returning, students may be required to show the syllabi and coursework of courses taken abroad to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in order to receive credit.

Accelerated Bachelor/Master Degree Program

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers qualified undergraduate students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelors and a Masters degree at an accelerated pace by counting two graduate-level courses taken in the undergraduate program toward the Masters degree. Students with a minimum of a 3.5 in the major are eligible to apply for the program at the end of their junior year. Interested applicants should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies. Applications are available in the Spanish and Portuguese Department. Applications are available in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. (See the Accelerated Bachelors/Master Degree section on this topic in the Bulletin.)

Latin American Studies and European Studies Certificates

(See the Latin American Studies Certificate and European Studies Certificate sections in the Bulletin.)