Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2005-2006 
    
Undergraduate Record 2005-2006 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Languages and Literatures


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Italian


Requirements for Minor in Italian


18 credits, exclusive of ITAL 101-202, and including: one ITTR course from the range 226-263; ITAL 301 and 302; ITAL 311 and 312; and one 300- or 400-level course. Substitutions: by agreement with the Italian undergraduate advisor.

Requirements for Major in Italian


Prerequisite for enrolling in the Program: ITAL 202 or equivalent. Course requirements for the B.A. degree in Italian language and literature: 27 credits (beyond ITAL 202), including: ITAL 301, 302, 311 and 312; one ITTR course from the range 226-263; two ITAL 300-level courses (one of which may be substituted with ARTH 231 or HIEU 321), and two ITAL 400-level courses. Substitutions by agreement with the Italian undergraduate advisor.

Distinguished Major in Italian


Prerequisites and curricular requirements are the same as for the major. In addition, students must have, at graduation, a GPA of 3.500 in all major courses, and must take 3 credits (thus reaching a total of 30) in connection with the senior thesis, to be written in Italian, of a length and nature accepted by the sponsor (selected by the student), and evaluated by a committee of three faculty.

Distinctions


The Italian program recognizes outstanding students of Italian through its chapter of Gamma Kappa Alpha, the National Italian Honor Society. Each spring (in April), the program awards the Lola Pelliccia Prize, the Sonia Kaiziss Prize, and the Guiliano Prize.

Additional Information


For more information, contact Christina della Coletta, Associate Professor of Italian, 115 Wilson Hall, P.O. Box 400777, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4777; (434) 924-7159; www.virginia.edu/span-ital-port.

Portuguese


The Portuguese program functions primarily as a service to other programs, including Spanish, Latin American Studies, the Latin American program in the department of Government and Foreign Affairs, Anthropology, and others. Students interested in beginning Portuguese at the University should have considerable prior experience with Spanish or French. Students interested in the minor are strongly encouraged to spend a semester studying abroad in Brazil or in Portugal.

Requirements for Minor in Portuguese


The Portuguese minor consists of eighteen credits beyond PORT 212.

Additional Information


For more information, contact the department, 115 Wilson Hall, P.O. Box 400777, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4777; (434) 924-7159; www.virginia.edu/span-ital-port.

Spanish


Prerequisites for Majoring in Spanish


In order to declare a major in Spanish, a student must have completed SPAN 202 or the equivalent, with a grade of C or better. A C- is insufficient. Native speakers of Spanish must consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies before taking any Spanish courses in order to determine how best to proceed.

Requirements for the Major in Spanish


 

The Spanish major consists of thirty credits completed above the 200 level with a grade of C or better. Courses in which a student receives a C- or less will not count toward the major. When declaring the Spanish major, all students are required to choose one of the three tracks described below (the general track, the literature and culture track, and the linguistics and philology track) to give structure to their Spanish studies. All three tracks require students to complete three core courses that provide basic skills and knowledge: SPAN 311 Grammar Review; SPAN 330 Literary Analysis; and one of SPAN 340/341/342/343 Spanish and Spanish American literary surveys. Students must fulfill these core courses (311, 330 and a literary survey) at the University of Virginia or through a study-abroad program recommended, not merely approved, by the department (See below for distinction). SPAN 311 must be completed before students take 330. These prerequisites for subsequent coursework may not be taken concurrently, and must be completed before students can proceed in the major. Students who have completed 202 or who have scored 4 on the Spanish Language AP exam will begin the major in SPAN 311. Students who have scored 5 on the same exam may not take SPAN 311 for credit. They may proceed to any course for which SPAN 311 is a pre-requisite. Students with a score of 4 or 5 on the Spanish Literature AP exam may not take SPAN 330 for credit, but may proceed to any course for which SPAN 330 is a pre-requisite. Students who are placed out of 311 and/or 330 must still earn 30 credits of upper-division Spanish to complete the major, substituting another language course for 311, and/or another literature course for 330. All students who incorrectly place themselves, may lose credit for the courses in which they enroll without departmental permission. Only one conversation course (313, 315, 413) may be counted toward the major. Native speakers of Spanish may not enroll in conversation courses.

It is expected, but not required, that all Spanish majors will complete at least a summer of study-abroad. All are highly encouraged to study abroad for a semester or a year. The department distinguishes between recommended study-abroad programs and approved programs. The recommended programs are UVA in Valencia,   UVA in Peru, and UVA in Costa Rica. Consult the Director of Undergraduate Programs for an up-to-date list of approved programs. Students who wish to study in a program that does not appear on this list must go through the petition process run by the International Studies Office, and provide a compelling academic reason for studying in a non-approved program. Students who study in a recommended program may count up to 15 credits per semester of study abroad or 24 credits per year of study abroad toward their Spanish major. Students who study in an approved program in Spain or Latin America may count up to 9 credits for a semester of study abroad or 15 credits for a year of study abroad toward their Spanish major. All study-abroad courses taken for major credit must be taught in Spanish, but the language of instruction alone does not qualify any course for SPAN credit.

 

General Spanish Major


Two language courses with a number higher than 300


  • Only one of these courses may be a conversation course (313, 315, 413)

Four courses of any kind at the 400 level or above. Credits: 12


Major in Literature and Culture


One seminar (SPAN 492, SPAN 493) whose topics can include:


  • Peninsular Spanish Dialectology
  • Latin American Spanish Dialectology
  • Spanish in the United States
  • Modern Spanish Syntax
  • Sociolinguistics II
  • Comparative Oral Discourse
  • Contrastive Analysis
  • Second Language Acquisition
  • External History of Spanish Semantic Change
  • Problems in Historical Phonology
  • Problems in Historical Morphology
  • Problems in Historical Syntax
  • Problems in Spanish Etymology

Requirements for the Minor in Spanish


The Spanish minor consists of 6 Spanish courses beyond the 202 level completed with a grade of C or better. Courses in which a student receives a C- or less will not count toward the minor. SPAN 311 (or placement out of 311 through AP scores) is a requirement for the minor, and it must be completed before students can take a course with a number higher than 311. Students may count up to 9 credits of study abroad toward their Spanish minor. Only one conversation course (313, 315, 413) can be counted toward the minor. 

Study Abroad


 

All students wishing to earn SPAN credit for work done abroad must have this credit approved by the Spanish program. Students wishing to study in Spain for major or minor credit must enroll in a program recommended or approved by the department. The department distinguishes between recommended study-abroad programs and approved programs. The recommended programs are UVA in Valencia,   UVA in Peru, and UVA in Costa Rica. Consult the Director of Undergraduate Programs for an up-to-date list of approved programs. Students who wish to study in a program that does not appear on this list must go through the petition process run by the International Studies Office, and provide a compelling academic reason for studying in a non-approved program. For information about how to count study-abroad credit toward the major or minor in Spanish, please consult the sections on the major and/or minor above.

 

Independent Study


Independent study with a faculty advisor is available to advanced students who wish to pursue specific areas in depth that are not included in the regular curriculum. All of these courses are taught in Spanish.

Distinguished Majors Program


Spanish majors of exceptional ability and dedication are encouraged to enroll in the Distinguished Major Program. Like other Spanish majors, the DMPs are required to take ten courses (30 credits) at the 300-level or above. However, three of these courses must be 400-level seminars or, with the approval of the DMP Coordinator, 500-level courses. In the fall semester of their 4th year, DMP’s enroll in the DMP Colloquium (a 3-credit credit/no credit course), meeting regularly with the Coordinator to discuss research strategies and set intermediate goals. In the second semester of their 4th year, DMPs meet regularly with a faculty adviser to receive guidance on advanced research techniques, critical thinking skills, and effective writing strategies. DMPs receive 3 additional credits upon the successful completion of a thesis. At the end of this year they present their research results to faculty, graduate students, and invited guests. A departmental committee determines different levels of distinction (Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction), based on the quality of the student’s thesis, the student’s overall work in the major field of study, and the student’s overall college record (minimum GPA of 3.4).

Language Requirement


SPAN 101 and 102 are courses reserved exclusively for students who present no entrance credits in the language. Students who enter with two or more entrance credits and who wish to continue in Spanish will be placed according to scores obtained on the College Entrance Examination Board SAT II tests, the AP Exam, or the UVa Spanish placement exam. The sequence of courses, depending on the level at which the student begins, is as follows: SPAN 101, 102, 201, 202; or SPAN 106, 201, 202; or SPAN 201, 202; or SPAN 202. The sequence must be followed to complete the language requirement. Students who place themselves incorrectly will not receive credit for the courses in which they enroll without permission.

Five-year Teacher Education Program


Students wishing to enroll in the five-year B.A./M.T. Teacher Education Program should contact Professor Alicia Belozerco in the Curry School of Education or Professor David T. Gies, the program advisor in Spanish. The five-year program leads toward teaching certification and has special requirements, including a mandatory study abroad and diagnostic and evaluative proficiency exams in Spanish.

Major in Latin-American Studies


For major and minor requirements see the section on Latin American Studies.

Additional Information


For more information, contact the Department of Spanish, 115 Wilson Hall, P.O. Box 400777, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4777; (434) 924-7159; www.virginia.edu/span-ital-port.

Course Descriptions


Italian


In Italian, the sequence satisfying the language requirement is: ITAL 101, 102, 201, 202. Advanced standing is determined by an interview with the Italian undergraduate advisor.

Portuguese in Translation


Spanish


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