2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog
Spanish, BA
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Return to: Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
The undergraduate program in Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Pittsburgh prepares students with varying career goals to succeed in an increasingly multilingual and multicultural world by developing a critical understanding of the languages and cultures of: Latin America and the Caribbean, the Iberian Peninsula, Lusophone Africa, and U.S. Latino communities. Spanish majors complete 30 SPAN credits. The major ensures that students graduate with advanced oral and written Spanish, intercultural competence, some proficiency in Portuguese, and a broad understanding of the histories, cultures, literatures, and arts of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds. Spanish classes at the 104 level or above count for the major. Eligible majors may earn an honors distinction, and those who plan to teach may obtain a teacher certification through the School of Education. Students may choose to enroll in the Spanish minor or the Hispanic Language and Culture minor, which require fewer courses and enhance career options, communication skills, and cultural understanding. Students may gain real-world experience through community-based internships and examine specific topics by completing independent studies. The department also offers a Portuguese Language and Luso-Brazilian Culture minor, thereby opening channels of communication with Brazil, Latin America’s largest and most populated country. Study abroad in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country is always encouraged. For non-Spanish speakers we offer engaging courses taught in English. Students are welcome to participate in many co-curricular campus activities, such as the Spanish Club, the Brazil Nuts Student Association, El Centro (The Spanish Hub at Pitt), the Undergraduate Research Colloquium, conversation tables, and film series.
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Prerequisites
Before declaring the major, students must complete four Spanish language courses in order to gain the indispensable skills to effectively read, write and discuss in a second language. Students with any previous knowledge of Spanish must take a placement test. Please note that a grade of B- or higher starting in SPAN 0104 or the equivalent is required to declare the major. The Spanish major requires students to complete 30 credits of coursework as detailed below.
Required Courses for the Spanish major (10 classes or 30 credits) for students starting with SPAN 104
Basic level courses (4 classes -12 credits)
Mid-level courses (4 classes-12 credits)
All of the following courses are required. SPAN 1055 meets the writing requirement.
Upper-level courses (2 classes-6 credits)
Courses in the 1400 level and above:
- SPAN 14XX or above
- SPAN 14XX or above
Required Courses for the Spanish major (10 classes or 30 credits) for students starting with SPAN 120, 125, 126
Basic level courses (3 classes - 9 credits)
Mid-level courses (4 classes-12 credits)
Upper-level courses (3 classes-9 credits)
Courses in the 1400 level and above:
- SPAN 14XX or above
- SPAN 14XX or above
Required Courses for the Spanish major for students (10 classes or 30 credits) starting with SPAN 1055 or above
Basic level courses (1 class - 3 credits)
Mid-level courses (4-5 classes-12-15 credits)
Upper-level courses (4-5 classes-12-15 credits)
Courses in the 1400 level and above:
- SPAN 14XX or above
- SPAN 14XX or above
Additional information and requirements
- Spanish majors and Spanish or Hispanic Languages and Cultures minors may complete a 3-credit community-based internship, an independent study or an honors thesis as part of the requirements for their major or minor.
- W requirement: Spanish majors must complete one writing-intensive (W) course in the major. The following courses satisfy this requirement.
- Grade requirements: Students must maintain an average GPA of 2.0 or above in all department courses. No courses with a grade of C- or lower will count toward the major.
- Satisfactory/No-Credit option: Majors may take one required course on an S/NC basis.
- Language of instruction: Spanish majors can take up to one course offered by the department that is taught in English. In order to have it count toward minor requirements, written assignments must be submitted in Spanish.
- Study Abroad: At least one term of study abroad is recommended.
- Credits in residence: To complete the Spanish major, students are required to take at least half of the credits required for the major while in residence in the Dietrich School.
- Placement into language courses: For the Spanish placement test, please contact the Spanish Language Coordinator, Dolores Lima, dlima@pitt.edu. For the Portuguese placement test, please contact the Portuguese Language Coordinator, Adam Demaray, a.demaray@pitt.edu.
- Credit by examination: Students may receive credit by examination for some Spanish language courses. Similar credits may be earned in Portuguese.
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