Spanish Program

Professors: Jason Bartles, Maria José Cabrera, Marcos Campillo-Fenoll, Cristóbal Cardemil-Krause, Megan Corbin, Gloria Hernández, Daniela Johannes, Meg Niiler, Iliana Pagán-Teitelbaum, Ana Sánchez, Israel Sanz-Sánchez, Maria Van Liew.

The Spanish Undergraduate Program

We offer a major and minor option in our Spanish program:

  • The Spanish language concentration in the Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Cultures major consists of 10 courses in Spanish, a second language requirement of 4 courses (through the 202 level), and two courses in English (Linguistics and Cultural Studies). The Spanish concentration starts with SPA 202. You can consult the advising sheet for Spanish here.
  • The Spanish language minor consists of 18 credits in the language (any six 3-credit courses). You can start your minor in SPA 101. Courses must taken in consultation with the Spanish minor program advisor (See minor advisors).

You can also complete the language requirement for other departmental majors with our Spanish courses. Additionally, you can transfer in up to 50% of the courses for the Spanish major and minor, from other institutions, through study abroad, etc.

Course Offerings

In general, for Spanish majors and minors, we offer courses in Grammar and Conversation, Spanish and Latin American Cultures and Civilization, Peninsular and Latin American Literatures, Linguistics and Phonetics, and Film, among other advanced courses.

At the basic Spanish level we offer SPA 101 and SPA 102.

At the intermediate level, we offer SPA 201 and SPA 202.

Advanced courses that may be used for the major (BALC, Spanish track) and minor include:

  • SPA 301 Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition
  • SPA 302 Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition
  • SPA 303 Spanish for Heritage Speakers
  • SPA 315 Advanced Readings in Spanish
  • SPA 320 Cultures of Spain
  • SPA 321 Cultures of Spanish America
  • SPA 322 Latin America on Film (in Spanish)
  • SPA 330 Spanish Narrative
  • SPA 331 Latin American Narrative
  • SPA 332 Exile, Land, Language, and Love in Medieval and Early Modern Spain
  • SPA 340 Study of Bilingualism: An Introduction
  • SPA 353 Introduction to the Study of Language: Spanish
  • SPA 365 Spanish Phonetics
  • SPA 370 History of the Spanish Language

Students with a concentration in Spanish need to take advanced courses at the 400 level (seminars). You can consult the complete course catalog for descriptions. Spanish majors must take SPA 444 (Advanced Spanish Proficiency Development) and one seminar course at the 400 level, to choose from:

  • SPA 402 Spanish Comedia of the Golden Age
  • SPA 405 Modern Hispanic Literature (18th and 19th Centuries)
  • SPA 407 Contemporary Spain
  • SPA 456 Senior Seminar in Hispanic Literary, Film, and Cultural Studies I 
  • SPA 457 Senior Seminar in Hispanic Literary, Film, and Cultural Studies II
  • SPA 472 Nobel Laureates in Hispanic Letters

Certification

Students can also obtain Pennsylvania K-12 teaching certification in Spanish, in conjunction with the College of Education here at West Chester University. You can consult the Certification page for further information and requirements.

Study Abroad Options and Student Activities

Students can participate in a study abroad program as part of their curriculum. 

Check the Spanish Study Abroad site for updated information, as well as the Global Engagement Office site for other programs abroad that you can select.

The Spanish Club is quite active on campus and off, holding weekly meetings, movie nights, fundraisers, field trips to NYC and elsewhere, to sites of interest and significant events regarding Hispanic cultures. Students play an important role in the club, deciding which activities are of interest and organizing events.

Graduate Program

We offer courses toward the master's degree, with or without certification, in our Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures (MALC). Please consult the Graduate Programs site for more specific information.

Apart from courses in Spanish, we also offer courses in Second Language Acquisition at the Graduate level, such as LAN 500 (Research in 2nd Language Education) and LAN 503 (Techniques of 2nd Language Teaching).

For more information, contact Dr. Marcos Campillo-Fenoll, Spanish Coordinator, and Dr. Jason Bartles, Graduate Coordinator.

Spanish in Healthcare Program

Our department is offering a whole new range of courses in Spanish for people who are planning or are currently working in healthcare-related or healthcare-adjacent fields. These courses are meant to help students acquire the Spanish language while preparing themselves professionally. Anyone who is thinking about starting a career in healthcare (Medicine, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Sports Medicine, Speech Pathology, Audiology, Dentistry, Nutrition) or healthcare-adjacent (Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, School Counseling, Public Health) will benefit from these opportunities.

Currently, our department is offering Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced courses. All have the mission of teaching Spanish with an emphasis on the professions, particularly in healthcare related fields, with an emphasis on the Health Humanities.

Students can complete the Spanish minor by taking HSP 101, HSP 102, HSP 201, HSP 202, SPA 301, and SPA 302. 101 through 202 will also allow students to complete the second language requirement for any majors that require one.

For students who have completed SPA 301 and 302, or who have the adequate level to start with an Advanced course in the language already, the Undergraduate Certificate in Spanish in Healthcare is a fantastic choice.

You can complete the certificate by taking HSP 339 (a required course) and 9 more credits of advanced HSP coursework, study abroad credits, or internships. Students in this program will develop effective communication in bilingual environments, while learning about different approaches to Healthcare in Latinx communities in the US and Latin America, all though a Health Humanities lens.

You can see the Health Humanities advising sheet here.

A first-year student with a strong desire to complete HSP coursework can start at the HSP 101 level and reach the 12 credits of the undergraduate certificate in Spanish by the end of their fourth year when carefully planning each step.

Please contact Dr. Cristóbal Cardemil-Krause (ccardemil-krause@wcupa.edu), Director of the Spanish in Healthcare Program, with any questions you may have.

Spanish in Healthcare Program Course List:

  • HSP 101 – Basic Spanish for Healthcare I
  • HSP 102 – Basic Spanish for Healthcare II
  • HSP 201 – Intermediate Spanish for Healthcare I
  • HSP 202 – Intermediate Spanish for Healthcare II
  • HSP 339 – Advanced Spanish for Healthcare Professionals (Speaking Emphasis course)
  • HSP 381 – Health and the Hispanic Community
  • HSP 440 – Hispanic Health Humanities
  • HSP 450 – Integrating Spanish in Healthcare within an Interdisciplinary Framework
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