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Hispanic Studies

Gaudi construction in Barcelona, Spain.

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Learning Goals for Hispanic Studies

Curriculum Overview

Hispanic Studies at Brandeis is the Spanish language, and much more. A major in Hispanic Studies allows students to wrestle with such questions as: how does artistic production allow a community to examine its origins, identity, and memory? How do literature and the arts in the Hispanic world engage with socio-economic and political history at both a local and a transnational level? How to think across cultures? What do works of the imagination say about the world in which we live that other texts and practices cannot articulate?

Hispanic Studies courses involve literature and film, art and politics, cultures and places from Spain to Latin America and the United States, from the remote past to today. Students engage in the analysis of cultural artifacts and movements as they learn more about language and their own place in the world.

The major consists of nine semester courses:

A. HISP 106b (Spanish Composition, Grammar, and Stylistics) or HISP 108a (Spanish for Bilingual Students).

B. At least one, but no more than two, of the following: HISP 109b (Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies), HISP 110a (Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature: Gender, Class, Religion, Power), or HISP 111b (Introduction to Latin American Literature and Culture), to be completed as early as possible.

C. One HISP 92a (Internship and Analysis) course may count as an elective. The additional courses must be from the Hispanic Studies literature or film offerings numbered above 111, at least two of which must deal with Spanish or Latin American literature before 1900. No more than two of the electives may be taken in English. Courses conducted in English include those abbreviated HECS (Hispanic and European Cultural Studies).

D. HISP 198a (Experiential Seminar in Literary and Cultural Studies) in the fall semester, normally, of the senior year. Those seeking departmental honors will also take HISP 99b in the spring to complete the senior thesis. Honors students must have maintained a 3.60 GPA in Hispanic Studies courses previous to the senior year. Honors are awarded based on cumulative excellence in all courses taken in the major, including the senior thesis.

Notes: 

• Students may petition the undergraduate advising head for changes in the above program. Students wishing to receive credit toward the Hispanic Studies major for courses that are cross-listed under ECS (abbreviated HECS) will be required to do the reading and writing in Spanish.
• Enrollment in the Hispanic Studies major must be completed by the end of the first semester of the senior year.
• All students pursuing a Hispanic Studies major will be assigned an adviser in the department.

The minor consists of five semester courses:

A. HISP 106b (Spanish Composition, Grammar, and Stylistics) or HISP 108a (Spanish for Bilingual Students).

B. At least one, but no more than two, of the following: HISP 109b (Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies), HISP 110a (Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature: Gender, Class, Religion, Power), or HISP 111b (Introduction to Latin American Literature and Culture).

C. The additional courses must be from the Hispanic Studies literature or film offerings numbered above 111. No more than one of these electives may be taken in English. Courses conducted in English include those abbreviated HECS (Hispanic and European Cultural Studies).

Notes: 

• Enrollment in the Hispanic Studies minor must be completed by the end of the first semester of the senior year.
• All students pursuing a Hispanic Studies minor will be assigned an adviser in the department.

Hands-on Learning Experience

Most of our students choose to study abroad during all or part of the junior year. Students may count up to four courses taken abroad—two courses per semester—toward the major and two toward the minor. These courses must be taught entirely in Spanish and must correspond to our definition of
upper-level courses.

Areas of Special Interest

Students are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary and intercultural connections across campus. Faculty in the program are involved in different programs on campus, such as film studies, Latin American studies, women’s and gender studies, and peace, conflict, and coexistence studies. Each faculty member is happy to provide academic advising and help students form personal connections.

Career and Education Opportunities

Career opportunities for students who major in Hispanic studies are diverse and multifaceted. Our majors find jobs in government agencies (the FBI, the United Nations, and various offices in Washington, D.C.); as Foreign Service officers and translators; in social services and public relations in the United States and abroad; and in the Peace Corps, the armed forces, and law enforcement. There are also professional career opportunities for our majors in private business (international relations and marketing in this country and overseas) and in the paramedical and paralegal professions. Majors in Hispanic studies pursue teaching careers at all levels, while others continue on for graduate studies in such fields as law, medicine, business, international relations, education and social services.

The Hiatt Career Center has a page devoted to Hispanic studies, which has a host of information specific to majors.