Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Spanish and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

GW and the D.C. area are ideal locations for learning about Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. Through our program, you will be prepared to be a global citizen from multiple perspectives—our courses cover a variety of topics, including imperial and post-colonial literary and cultural history, poetry, drama, cinema, and prose narratives, as well as all aspects of language learning. You’ll gain access to symposia, exhibits, and film festivals dedicated to furthering the understanding and appreciation of Spanish and Latin cultures. As a graduate, you can go on to pursue careers in a variety of fields, including education, medicine, politics, journalism, publishing, law, and business. Our alumni work within the State Department, non-governmental organizations, the Organization of American States, the United Nations, and many other international organizations.

For more information on the admission process, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications may be submitted via the Common Application.
Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st Street NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20052
Contact for questions:
gwadm@gwu.edu or 202-994-6040

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

The major-specific curriculum.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Major requirements
Required
SPAN 2006	Advanced Spanish II
or SPAN 2026	Advanced Spanish for Heritage Learners
or SPAN 2056	Intensive Advanced Spanish
or SPAN 2156	Intensive Advanced Spanish for Heritage Learners
SPAN 2500	The Spanish-Speaking World: Spain, Latin America, and the United States
SPAN 3100W	Texts and Contexts of the Spanish-Speaking World
SPAN 4910W	Senior Seminar (required of all Spanish majors in the fall semester of the senior year)
Two courses (6 credits) selected from the following:
SPAN 3500	Medieval Iberia in the Modern World
SPAN 3510	Heresy and the Other in Early Modern Iberia
SPAN 3520	Decolonizing the Empire: Colonial Latin America
SPAN 3530	Enlightenment Spain
SPAN 3600	Special Topics
SPAN 4510	Cervantes Don Quixote
Four courses (12 credits) selected from the following. With the approval of the major advisor, two of these courses may be taken outside the program.
SPAN 3200	Bilingualism in the Spanish-Speaking World
SPAN 3400	Theatre of Spain and Latin America
SPAN 3410	Latin American Short Fiction
SPAN 3420	The Essay in Spain and Latin America
SPAN 3430	Afro-Latin America in the Diaspora
SPAN 3440	Caribbean Literature and Culture
SPAN 3540	Major Authors of Spain and Latin America
SPAN 3550	Queer Latin America
SPAN 3570	Women Writers of Spain and Latin America
SPAN 3650	Literature and Dictatorship
SPAN 3700	Cinema of Spain and Latin America
SPAN 4200	Spanish Applied Linguistics
SPAN 4410	Contemporary Narrative in Latin America
SPAN 4450	Mexican Literature and Culture
SPAN 4460	Southern Cone Literature and Culture
SPAN 4480	Studies in Latinx Cultural Production
SPAN 4520	Experimental Literature
SPAN 4540	The Myth of the Two Spains
SPAN 4550	1898 to 1998: Spain's First Century without Empire
SPAN 4560	Modern Poetry of Spain and Latin America
SPAN 4600	Special Topics
SPAN 4650	Literary Translation
SPAN 4700	Film as Text in Latin America
SPAN 4800	Independent Study
Excluding courses taught at GW Study Centers abroad, no more than four courses taken abroad or at another institution may count toward the major.

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as CCAS 1001. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

• Writing—4 credits in UW 1020 University Writing and 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number.
• Humanities—one approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills.
• Mathematics or statistics—one approved course in either mathematics or statistics.
• Natural or physical science—one approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry.

• Social Sciences—two approved courses in the social sciences that employ critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning.

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

• Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
• Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
• Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
• Oral communication—one approved course in oral communication.
• Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
• Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
• CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.

In addition to the general requirements stated under University Regulations, in order to be considered for graduation with Special Honors in Spanish and Latin American languages, literatures, and cultures, candidates must have attained a 3.75 GPA in the major and at least a 3.0 average overall. Qualified students may be invited to write an honors thesis by the Director of the Spanish and Latin American Literatures and Cultures program by the end of the spring semester of their junior year. Students writing an honors thesis complete thesis research in the fall of the senior year and thesis writing in the spring of the senior year.