Undergraduate Program in Hispanic Studies

Undergraduate Major

The undergraduate major (B.A. in Spanish) offers students a flexible program which combines the traditional focus on language and literature along with offerings in cultural studies and professional uses of Spanish. Hear from some of out recent B.A. graduates  about their experiences. 

Majors complete a minimum of 33 hours in Spanish numbered above 2102, including

Recent Spanish elective courses include: SPAN 3015 Advanced Oral Communication, SPAN 3980 Cultural Environment, Faith and Gusto in the Americas and Spain, SPAN 3043 Introduction to Latin American Literature I, and SPAN 4602 Spanish Phonetics. 

Majors must see the Spanish undergraduate advisor prior to registration and for all questions regarding requirements *(spanishua@lsu.edu). Please see an academic advisor in your college for questions about general degree requirements. 

Native speakers of Spanish (attended high school in a Spanish speaking country) must substitute higher numbers Spanish courses for 2155 and 2156. Heritage Spanish speakers (grew up with exposure to Spanish in the home) have the option to take SPAN 2155 and 2156 or substitute higher-level courses. Please see the Spanish undergraduate advisor for assistance. 

News! The Spanish program is developing courses designed for Heritage Spanish speakers. For Fall 2024 SPAN 2155 section 2 will pilot this new design. 

Undergraduate Minor

The undergraduate minor in Spanish consists of 18 semester hours above Spanish 2102, including Spanish 2155, 2156, 3010 and nine hours of courses at the 3000-4000-level. Native speakers minoring in Spanish must substitute any 3000 or 4000-level Spanish elective for 2155 and 2156. Minors are encouraged to see the Undergraduate Advisor before registration and for all questions regarding requirements. 

Sequence of courses and prerequisites in course requirements for Majors and Minors is as follows:

• SPAN 2155: prerequisite 2102
• SPAN 2156: may be taken with SPAN 2155
• SPAN 3010: may be taken with SPAN 2155 and/or SPAN 2156
• SPAN 3020: prerequisite SPAN 2155, SPAN 2156, & SPAN 3010 . SPAN 3020 is a prerequisite for all 3000-level literature courses
• SPAN 4005: prerequisite SPAN 3010
• All 4000 level literature courses: prerequisite one of the following: 3043, 3044, 3071, 3072

Organizations, Activities, and Scholarships

LSU has an active Spanish Club and qualifying students can join Spanish honor society Sigma Delta Pi. Undergraduates majoring in Spanish can apply for the James M. Smith, Jr. or the Corinne Saucier Endowed Scholarship. Our faculty partner with Gardere Initiative and local schools to provide tutors and mentors for Spanish speaking youth.

Summer & Long-term Study Abroad 

Study abroad in summer with faculty-led programs such as LSU in Argentina (jking@lsu.edu) and LSU in Spain (cmattza@lsu.edu). Past programs have been held in Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica. Consult with LSU Office of Global Engagement for information about long or short-term study abroad and how to apply existing financial aid. A domestic exchange program in Puerto Rico is also an option! Spanish majors and minors can apply for the Maria I. Duke Dos-Santos scholarship to cover study abroad expenses.

Join us for events!

Spanish faculty and students organize film series, research presentations, and workshops on topics such as migration, creative writing, percussion and dance. Spring 2024 featured a movie night with "Bajo la misma luna," a lecture on Latin American literature by Dr. Pablo Baisotti, and a creative writing workshop and Q&A session with Dominican writer Aurora Arias.

 Questions may also be directed to worldlang@lsu.edu