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2. Undergraduate
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4. Spanish

Course Fact File

Code	Subject available through multiple programmes
Subject Title	Spanish
Duration	3 years
Teaching Mode	Full-time
Qualifications	BA (Hons)
NFQ Level	Level 8

Course Outline

Course Outline

In the Department of SPLAS you can study Spanish and the languages and culture of Spain, Portugal and Latin America through literature, art, theatre, film, music, history and media.

You do not need to have studied Spanish before coming to us. About half of our students are beginners when they start their studies.

If you are studying Spanish as part of the BA (International) or BA (World Languages) you can spend Year 3 in Spain or Mexico.

Key aspects of the course:

• Spanish language at all levels
• Spanish as a global language
• contemporary Spanish narrative
• aspects of contemporary Iberian and Latin American culture and society
• pedagogy and teaching of Spanish
• the work of Cervantes and Golden Age writers
• Latino writers in the US from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba
• Spanish and Latin American theatre and film, among others

You can also study Portuguese, Catalan, Basque or Galician (Gallego).

Year 1

Beginners Modules:

• HS1101 First Year Spanish Language for Beginners (15 credits)

Non-Beginners Modules:

• HS1102 First Year Spanish Language for Non-Beginners (10 credits);
• HS1030 Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Studies (5 credits) (for Non-Beginners Only); 

As well as your language learning, you will work in small groups to prepare a written project on an aspect of Spanish or Latin American culture, including history, politics, language, literature, music, art, film or theatre. 

Year 2 Modules: 

Core:

HS2101 Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex-Beginners) or HS2102 Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex-Non Beginners)

Electives:

Culture in the Spanish Golden Age; Contemporary Writing from Spain; Contemporary Hispanic Theatre; Iberian Identities; Understanding Latin America; Gender in the Spanish Golden Age; Creative Practices on Social Justice and Marginalities in Latin America; Basque Language & Culture; Catalan Language & Culture; Galician Language & Culture; Linguistic Aspects of Spanish; US Latino Literatures; Cinema and Identity in Spain and Latin America.

Year 3*4 Modules

Core:

HS3001 Final Year Spanish Language

Electives:

Translating Business, Culture and Society in the Hispanic World; History & Society in Spanish Literature; Aspects of Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language; Linguistic Aspects of Spanish as a Global Language; Stages of Exile in the Hispanic World; Text & Performance in Contemporary Iberia; Spanish & Portuguese-speaking Art World(s); Basque Language & Culture; Catalan Language & Culture; Galician Language & Culture; Love & Sex in the Spanish Golden Age; The Body & Senses in the Spanish Golden Age; Gender, Violence & Power on the US-Mexico Border; Latin American & Caribbean Environmental Cultures in a Global Context; Advanced Research Project in Spanish & Latin American Studies

* BA International students spend third year studying in an approved foreign university in a country of the student's major language or subject.  They will return to complete their final year in UCC in year 4.

Academic Programme Catalogue

See the Academic Programme Catalogue for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year-to-year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules.

 

Course Practicalities

Expected lecture hours: Contact hours will vary depending on levels and course combinations. However, you will always have about three hours per week of language classes if you come to us as a non-beginner and four hours per week if you are a beginner in Spanish. Most of the options are taught in one semester and involve two hours per week of contact.

Expected reading/lab/practical hours: Additional hours will be required for reading, class preparation, laboratory practice and group work.

Assessment

Written exams will take place before Christmas and in May.  Not all modules will have written examinations.  Many modules use other types of assessment including written and oral examinations, essays, group projects, presentations, learning journals and others.

Who teaches this course?

Our teaching staff are internationally recognised experts in their field and include, among others, specialists on:

• the history and culture of Spain’s Golden Age
• Spanish and Latin American theatre
• Mexican culture
• Galician language and literature
• Hispanic cinemas
• Latin American cultural and social history
• contemporary Spanish poetry and narrative
• pedagogy and applied linguistics

You can find out more here.

Why Choose This Course

Spanish is the world's second most widely spoken language with an estimated 350 million speakers. An increasing number of these are in the United States, as well as Mexico, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and elsewhere. Speaking Spanish opens up a vast new world of rich cultures that can be seen in many walks of life including music, fashion, sports, cinema, literature and the arts.

Studying Spanish can lead to exciting job opportunities in business, education, tourism and media. UCC is home to the country’s only Centre for Mexican Studies and the Irish Centre for Galician Studies. We are also the only course in Ireland to offer Portuguese, Catalan and Galician (Gallego) alongside our modules in culture, linguistics and history of the Hispanic world.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

Study abroad: 

 If you are studying through the BA International, you will have the option of spending Year 3 studying at any one of our partner institutions in Spain or Mexico. These include:

• Alicante
• Barcelona
• Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)
• Burgos
• Bilbao
• Oviedo
• Santiago de Compostela 
• A Coruña 
• Guadalajara, Mexico

We are the only university in Ireland to offer study abroad opportunities in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Scholarships are also available for study-abroad summer courses.  

Work placement: If you study through the BA or the BA International, you will have the opportunity to avail of a work placement in Year 2. You can find out more here.

Skills and Careers Information

Our degree equips you with the language, intercultural, communication and technological skills needed to compete in the global workplace.

We provide intensive language training with cutting-edge technologies, including e-learning and other online initiatives, intensive laboratory training and skills training in translation and writing for professional purposes. We have recently refurbished our language training facilities to offer optimum conditions for student learning.

Our students have pursued successful careers in international business, teaching, marketing, translating, public service, tourism, recruitment, journalism and media. These opportunities are available to you at home, in Europe and across the Americas.

Requirements

Refer to CK101, CK108 and CK110.

Students wishing to take Beginners' Spanish must have obtained a Grade H4 in the Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) in another modern continental language or Irish, Latin or Greek. Students wishing to take Non-Beginners' Spanish must have obtained a minimum Grade H4 in Spanish in the Leaving Certificate Examination (or equivalent). 

Fees and Costs

How To Apply

Refer to CK101, CK108 and CK110.