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Spanish Studies Curriculum

Spanish Studies Curriculum

Prior to Moderation, students should have completed three semesters of Spanish language at Bard, or the equivalent. Students should also have taken two literature courses, which may include Spanish 301 or 302, Introduction to Spanish Literature or Introduction to Latin American Literature, respectively. After Moderation, majors should complete a minimum of three seminars in the program (in addition to any coursework completed abroad). They are also highly encouraged to take one or more courses in literature taught in English, including literary theory. The Senior Project should be written under the direction of a Spanish Studies Program faculty member, and should be either a critical analysis of a literary work or a translation of a text originally published in Spanish with a carefully researched critical introduction. Additionally, these projects often explore an innovative dialogue with other forms of cultural expression, such as dance, film, or photography.

Spanish Studies Curriculum

Moderation Requirements:

Native speakers of Spanish and students who have previously studied Spanish should consult with their adviser to determine which courses will fulfill the language requirements. 

 1.  SPAN 106 Basic Intensive Spanish (12 credits) or SPAN 110 Accelerated First-Year Spanish (or the equivalent)
 2.  SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish I (or the equivalent)
 3.  SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish II (or the equivalent)
 4.  Spanish literature course (may be taught in English)
 5.  Spanish literature course (may be taught in English) 

When possible, students should take SPAN 301 Introduction to Spanish Literature or SPAN 302 Introduction to Latin American Literature to fulfill one of the two Spanish literature requirements for moderation.

Graduation Requirements:

 6.  Spanish Studies seminar
 7.  Spanish Studies seminar
 8.  Spanish Studies seminar
 9.  Senior Project I
10. Senior Project II

In addition to the three required post-moderation Spanish Studies seminars, students are highly encouraged to take one or more courses in literature taught in English, including literary theory. Study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country for at least one semester is highly recommended for this program.


Spanish Studies as a Second Focus

  • Thinking of adding Spanish as a second focus?
    Students who wish to pursue a second focus in Spanish Studies must complete six relevant courses, four of which must be taught in Spanish. The two courses that may be taught in English can be taken in any discipline, but must pertain to the Spanish-speaking world. One of these courses may be on the theory or practice of translation.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Please note that there are many different paths through the Spanish Studies major. Talk to your academic adviser about your own situation and goals.

Sample Four-Year Plan

First Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

 • SPAN 106 (12 credits)
 • SPAN 201
 • FYSEM I (fall)
 • FYSEM II (spring)

 • SPAN 202
 • SPAN 301
 • SPAN/LIT 240
 • Moderation (spring)

 • SPAN 235
 • SPAN 302
 • SPAN 306
 • LIT 390

 • Sr. Project I (fall)
 • Sr. Project II (spring)
 • SPAN 356 


Sample Courses, Seminar Topics, and Senior Projects

Sample Courses

Spanish Language Sequence

  • 106 Basic Intensive Spanish (OR 110 Accelerated First-Year Spanish)
  • 201 Intermediate Spanish I
  • 202 Intermediate Spanish II
Courses Taught in Spanish
  • 220 Hispanic Presence in the United States
  • 221 Literature, Film, and Theater in Spain's Transition to Democracy
  • 229 Travelers, Gypsies, and Tricksters: 19th-Century Spain
  • 230 Latin American Short Narrative
  • 234 / Film 234 Buñuel, Saura, Almodóvar: Spanish Auteurs
  • 235 The Moral of the Story
  • 236 Representations of the Spanish Civil War
  • 240 Testimonial Literature
  • 265 Introduction to Literary Analysis
  • 301 Introduction to Spanish Literature
  • 302 Introduction to Latin American Literature
  • 319 Federico Garci­a Lorca
  • 323 / LIT 323 The 20th-Century Latin American Novel
  • 334 Introduction to Central American Literature
  • 344 Love, Honor, and Power in the Spanish Drama
  • 352 Mapping the City in Latin American Literature
  • 353 Contemporary Spain: Literature, Film, and Culture
  • 357 Writing Toward Hope: The Literature of Human Rights in Latin America
Courses Taught in English
  • LIT/Span 2027 Introduction to Latin American Poetry
  • LIT/Span 2261 Blurring the Boundaries: Magical Realism in World Literature
  • LIT/Span 245 Is the Author Dead?  Haunted by the Ghost of Cervantes

Recent Spanish Seminar Topics

Recent Spanish seminar topics include:

  • Spanish Literary Translation
  • Five Latin American Poets
  • The Twentieth-Century Latin American Novel
  • “The Sweet Waist of the Americas”: Introduction to Central American Literature
  • Inventing Latin America: The Essay
  • Writing Towards Hope: The Literature of Human Rights
  • Mapping the City in Central American Literature
  • Contemporary Auto/biography in Literature and the Visual Arts
  • Federico García Lorca

Recent Senior Projects in Spanish Studies

(for archive, click here)

Barandiaran, Midori (2020) Spanish Studies
"La impresión de la constante transformación de la figura del autor a través del lector"
Project Adviser(s): Patricia López-Gay

Luchsinger, Paola (2020) Spanish Studies
"The Reawakening of the Sleeping Voices: Spanish Women's Experiences Under the Franco Regime" 
Project Adviser(s): Patricia López-Gay

Castillo, Saulo (2019)
"The Nostalgic City : An Interdisciplinary Study of the Nuyorican Condition"
Project Adviser(s): Melanie Nicholson

Benning, Nick (2018)
"The Absent Image: A Translation and Analysis of Isabel Cadenas Cañón's También eso era el verano"
Project Adviser(s): Patricia López-Gay

Silva, Amanda (2018)
"Petra and Carina: A Translation from the Spanish"
Project Adviser(s): Melanie Nicholson

Calhoun, Madeleine (2016)
"Piecing Together the Puzzle of Contemporary Spanish Fiction: A Translation and Critical Analysis of Fricciones by Pablo Martín Sánchez"
Project Adviser(s): Patricia López-Gay

Berkowitz, Emily (May 2015)
Literature and Human Rights (401 & 402)
Project Adviser(s):  Nicole Caso

Lubic, Alice (2015)
"Al verte las flores lloran: An Exploration of the Poetry in Flamenco"
Project Adviser(s): Patricia López-Gay

Murray, James (Diego)  (May 2015)
Spanish (401 & 402) 
Project Adviser(s):  Nicole Caso

Russo, Alessio (2015)
 "A Translation of Gómez Glez’s Fuga Mundi, 1609" 
Project Adviser(s): Patricia López-Gay

Mowlds, Alison (December 2014)
Human Rights (401 & 402)
Project Adviser(s):  Nicole Caso

Canney, Tara (May 2014)
“Memory and Invention: A Translation of Mariana Enríquez’s The Children Have Come Back”
Project Adviser(s): Melanie Nicholson

Jacobs-Meyer, Molly (May 2014)
“Occupied Bodies and Political Space: Argentina's Abortion Enigma” Spanish and Political Studies (401 & 402)
Project Adviser(s):  Nicole Caso

Schaffer, Kay (May 2014)
“Human Betterment”: The Fight For and Against 50 Years of Sterilization in North Carolina Human Rights (401)  
Project Adviser(s):  Nicole Caso

Whitney, Amanda (Tess)  (May 2014)
“Deconstructing the Trujillo Theater and Moving Beyond Silences” Literature
Project Adviser(s):  Nicole Caso

In-House Language Support

  • Language Lab
    Monday–Friday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
    Saturday–Sunday: 1:00–6:00 pm

    Contact: Stephanie Kufner
    Email: [email protected]
    Phone: 845-758-7443
    Visit the Language Lab
  • Language Tutors and Tables
    Language Tutor: Spanish tutoring is available each semester. Please contact the program for more information.
    Language Table: Wednesdays, 12:00–1:30 pm on Zoom
    Join the weekly Spanish table to talk about matters related to the Hispanic culture. Also for those pupils who want to put their Spanish into practice in an informal environment. 
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