Major
For students declaring a Hispanic Studies major in or after September 2009, the core requirements are the following:
- at least 11 courses (33 hours);
- these should include at least 8 courses above the 200 level taught in Spanish, including two 400- level courses taken at Oberlin.
Further requirements:
- The major should present a balanced distribution of work taken in Peninsular and Latin American areas, and include the study of various genres, literary movements, and historical periods.
- Before taking a 400-level course, students should have taken at least two of the four survey courses combining one Spanish and one Latin American survey, as well as one pre-19th century and one post-19th century survey (i.e., HISP 309 and 318, or HISP 310 and 317).
- All majors will designate one 400-level course taken in their senior year as their capstone course. In addition to the normal coursework, the capstone includes a substantive individual project and a public presentation.
Additional stipulations:
- Language courses at the beginning or intermediate levels (taken at Oberlin, abroad, or at other institutions) will not count toward the major.
- Up to 3 AP credits may be counted toward the major at the 300-level for scores of 4 or 5 on the Spanish language or literature exams.
- Courses in the First-Year Seminar Program (FYSP) taught by Hispanic Studies faculty on topics related to the Spanish-speaking world may count toward the major, as may any other course taught at Oberlin (e.g. in History, Politics, Anthropology, Comparative American Studies, etc.) whose central focus falls within Latin American, Latino/a, and Iberian Studies.
- Up to 18 credits from Oberlin's PRESHCO program may be counted toward the major.
- Up to 9 hours of transfer credit per semester, including coursework done abroad, may be counted toward the major, for a total of 15 hours. For Oberlin's program in Puebla, México, up to 18 hours may counted.
- No course in which the student has earned a grade lower than a C-/CR/P can be used to fulfill the requirements of the major.
- Courses taken abroad or at other institutions cannot be counted as 400-level credit.
The major portfolio
Students declaring a Hispanic Studies major will be assigned an online portfolio in which they record and reflect on their progress through the major. The online portfolio should be updated at least once a semester, in preparation for class registration. In addition to students' reflections, the portfolio may serve to upload academic work or other related activities and accomplishments.
Study abroad and double majors
All Hispanic Studies majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester in a Spanish-speaking country (see below). Students may pursue a double major, or a major/minor combination with Latin American Studies or other related fields such as Classics and the other modern languages, Sociology, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Art, History, Comparative American Studies, or Politics. Studies in Hebrew present a Hispanic Studies major with a rare opportunity for research in the Medieval area, while combining Italian and Spanish is both useful and important for studies in the Renaissance and Golden Age.
Note: Students who declared their major before September 2009 may choose to opt into these new requirements, and should notify the department chair of their intention.
Minor
For students declaring a Hispanic Studies minor in or after September 2009, the core requirements are the following:
- at least 6 courses (18 hours);
- these should include at least 5 courses above the 200 level taught in Spanish, including at least one course at the 400 level taken at Oberlin.
Further information about the minor:
- Language courses at the beginning or intermediate levels (taken at Oberlin, abroad or at other institutions) will not count toward the minor.
- Up to 3 AP credits may be counted toward the minor at the 300-level for scores of 4 or 5 on the Spanish language or literature exams.
- Courses in the First-Year Seminar Program (FYSP) taught by Hispanic Studies faculty on topics related to the Spanish-speaking world may count toward the minor, as may any other course taught at Oberlin (e.g. in History, Politics, Anthropology, Comparative American Studies, etc.) whose central focus falls within Latin American, Latino/a, and Iberian Studies.
- Up to 9 credits from Oberlin's PRESHCO program may be counted toward the minor.
- Up to 6 hours of transfer credit, including coursework done abroad, may be counted toward the minor. For Oberlin's program in Puebla, México, up to 9 hours may be counted.
- The minor should present a balanced distribution of work taken in Peninsular and Latin American areas, and include the study of various genres, literary movements, and historical periods.
- Before taking a 400-level course, students should have taken at least two of the four survey courses combining one Spanish and one Latin American survey, as well as one pre-19th century and one post-19th century survey (i.e., HISP 309 and 318, or HISP 310 and 317).
- No course in which the student has earned a grade lower than a C-/CR/P can be used to fulfill the requirements of the minor.
Note: Students who declared their minor before September 2009 may choose to opt into these new requirements, and should notify the department chair of their intention.
Advanced Placement
Students qualifying under this program will be assigned advanced standing on the basis of results in the qualifying examinations administered by the College Board and credit will be awarded for HISP 300. Scores of 4 and 5 on the Spanish language exam automatically receive three hours of college credit as Hispanic Studies 300, qualifying students to work at the 300 level. First-and second-year students having taken the AP exams are encouraged to take HISP 306 before taking HISP 309, 310, 317, or 318. HISP 300 counts toward the total number of academic credits required for the major.
Initial Placement
Students who begin Hispanic Studies at Oberlin will take HISP 101 (five hours). Beyond HISP 101 the particular entry point within the sequence of language courses depends upon a student's background in Spanish and upon the results of a placement test, administered at the beginning of each semester for those beginning HISP 102, 202, 203, and 304. The placement test is required of every student with a prior knowledge of Spanish who wishes to enroll, except for students who have taken the AP exam (see above) or the SAT II exam in Spanish. Students who have taken the SAT II exam in Spanish should enroll in courses according to their score:
800-675 - HISP 300 level
675-625 - HISP 304
520-625 - HISP 202 or 204
The placement exam will be available online during registration. Please see the department's web site at http://new.oberlin.edu/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic_studies/language_placement.dot
Honors
The Honors Program in Hispanic Studies is a two-semester sequence of six hours of independent study, in consultation with a faculty sponsor, culminating in either an honors thesis or a special project, e.g., a translation, creative writing, or video project. Qualified students are invited to participate in the program during their junior year. Admission is determined on the basis of the quality of the proposal, faculty recommendations and grade-point averages. For the complete Guidelines for the Senior Honors Program click here.
