Spanish Language, Literary & Cultural Studies, BA, Minor

Planning your Program

• When to Participate in a Study Abroad Program

  Spanish majors and minors can participate in study abroad any term, and for multiple terms.  DU students typically study abroad Fall of Junior Year.

• Advice and Considerations

  Advice from Spanish Language, Literary & Cultural Studies

  If you are a major or minor in Spanish, we strongly encourage you to challenge yourself while abroad and embrace living, thinking, and being in Spanish as much possible. Choose programs in which you’ll be with a host family. Work to develop relationships, ask questions and have conversations, be curious, go places, avoid socializing only in English with other study abroad students, push yourself beyond your comfort zone!  
  
  If you are going abroad and have a declared minor, you may be able to complete a significant number of courses toward the program. It’s often easier than you might think to transform that minor into a major! For guidance on what that might look like for you, write to Chad Leahy, Chair of SLLCS (chad.leahy@du.edu).  
  
  If you are not a declared minor, you can also make significant process toward the minor while abroad. Again, for guidance on navigating the degree we encourage you to speak with Professor Leahy. 
  
  Whether you are already a declared major or minor, or are considering declaring, please consult the Spanish program webpage to understand our program and its requirements and opportunities.  
  
  For specifics on study abroad course transfer guidelines for the major, see the “Course Considerations for Your Major” drop-down below.

  Advice from the Office of International Education

  Attend a First Step Session 

  1. Attend our mandatory info session First Step if this is your first time studying abroad through the OIE. Learn about how to find programs, how DU's system works & important considerations.

  Research programs 

  1. Start by considering what you want out of a program. See Things to Consider to get an idea of what you should be asking yourself. Once you have an idea of what you want, search for programs in DU Passport. 
  2. Read the entire online program brochure for each program in DU Passport that interests you – be sure to check the Eligibility section. 
  3. Visit each program's website for more details (course lists, extracurriculars, etc.) 

  Stop by Drop-in Advising hours to get help with getting started 

  1. Come by our office during drop-in advising hours to speak to someone about how to get started, how to narrow down your program choices and review what steps you need to take in order to study abroad. 
• Meet with Your Academic Advisor

  How to make an appointment

  For any specific questions on how a given course might transfer, please submit a formal request and a designated credit approver from our department will be able to respond with a decision. We encourage you to review the Registrar’s database of courses pre-approved for your program (TIERS). If you identify courses offered by your program not in TIERS, or courses in TIERS come back differently than you would like, you can request new course approvals.  
  
  For all general questions relating to how study abroad might complement your path toward the major or minor, or how course transfers work in the department, please make an appointment with Chad Leahy, Chair of SLLCS (chad.leahy@du.edu) or with your assigned SPAN advisor.  
  
  If you are unsure of who your advisor might be, please reach out to Sarah Humphries, Assistant to the Chair (sarah.humphries@du.edu). 

  Key questions to ask

  • What are my remaining degree requirements?
  • How many upper-division credits do I still need to complete for my degree?
  • How many elective credits (lower vs. upper division) do I have left to complete my major?
  • What remaining prerequisites must I fulfill, and how will a study abroad program impact my progress?
  • Which of my remaining degree requirements could I complete abroad?  Are there any that I cannot take abroad?
  • Can I receive academic credit for an internship abroad?
  • Are there any in-residence requirements I need to be aware of before I go abroad?
• Meet with the Office of International Education

  Our advisors are dedicated to helping you find the perfect program for your academic and personal goals, and can help provide you with the preparation necessary to excel once you arrive. 

  First Step Session 

  Ready to get started with your study abroad planning? Your first step is to attend an in-person First Step Session where you will learn how to choose a program & get started on your DU Abroad application. See Events for times.

  Drop-In Advising 

  This is where you start! Have general questions about studying abroad? Want help on how to narrow down to the right program for you? Come to our Drop-in Advising sessions! Bring your questions. Our Peer Advisors will help answer your questions & help you determine next steps. 

  1-on-1 Meetings 

  Once you have narrowed it down to a program, learn more specifics about the program by Making an Appointment with an OIE Advisor. Before meeting with an OIE advisor you are required to attend our First Step Session (see above). OIE advisors help guide you through the study abroad application & pre-departure steps. 

• Course Considerations for Your Major

  Review major or minor degree requirements

  We are the Department of Spanish Language, Literary & Cultural Studies. We can only accept credit toward the program for courses that fall within those broad disciplinary boundaries. Please ensure that you are familiar with the nature of our program, and the specific requirements for the major and minor.   

  Finding courses and course approvals 

  Review the Registrar’s database of courses pre-approved for your program (TIERS). 

  If you identify courses offered by your program not in TIERS, or courses in TIERS come back differently than you would like, you can request new course approvals. 

  1. Obtain syllabi for the courses you are seeking to be approved. 
  2. Utilize the Additional Comments field of the course approval form to clearly explain what type of credit you are trying to receive for the departmental reviewer.   
  3. Advising and course approvals occur during the academic year when faculty are on campus. Make sure to submit course approvals at least five weeks before Summer or you may not have a response until the following Fall.  

  It is important to identify and seek approval for backup courses.  Your program may not have registration until you arrive on site, or courses could be changed, cancelled, or have time conflicts.   

  If necessary, you can submit course approvals anytime, including while you are abroad and after you return.   

  Departmental Considerations

  • The only way to be confident about how a particular course that is not already pre-approved might transfer is to submit a request. For instructions on this process, see above. We highly encourage you to always submit requests before your program abroad begins, and to avoid assumptions about how you think a particular should transfer. 
  • Courses must be academically substantive and must be offered at the appropriate language level to be considered for SPAN major or minor credit. Wherever possible, courses should be comparable to the curriculum offered in the Spanish program, and should align with one or more of the broad areas of inquiry that are core to the fields we teach here on campus: Spanish language, linguistics, literary studies, and cultural studies.   
  • Classes offered at an appropriate level in Business Spanish, Medical Spanish, Legal Spanish or on Art History will generally be transferred back as SPAN 2000-level credit, and these courses can count towards the Spanish major or minor. The 3000-level is reserved in our department for courses dedicated to advanced topics in literary, film, and cultural studies, and sociolinguistics.  
  • Content courses taught in Spanish in fields other than those listed above which are not designed for structured language development (ie: a local psychology course), cannot be transferred back as SPAN major or minor credit, but would count as general electives and count towards your total credit count.  
  • Classes in English on any topic cannot be transferred back as SPAN major or minor credit under any circumstance.  
  • When registering for Spanish courses upon return, please be aware of prerequisites for each course. Students will not be allowed to register for or remain in courses without having completed the prerequisite. In some cases, it may be necessary to email a professor during the registration period to be granted a ‘registration override’ if you took a class abroad that is a prerequisite.   
  • Students are encouraged to take just 2 different levels of courses simultaneously while studying abroad:   
    • Intermediate language: SPAN 2001, SPAN 2002, 2003  
    • Conversation & Composition: SPAN 2100  
    • The culture sequence: SPAN 2300 (Iberian Culture and Civilization); SPAN 2350 (Latin American Cultures and Societies); SPAN 2400 (Latino Cultures in the U.S.)  
    • Upper-division: SPAN 3000 courses (literature, film, cultural studies, sociolinguistics courses on topics related to the histories of Spain, Latin America or Latinos in the US)   
    • For example: A student who took Span 2003 as the last course at DU prior to going abroad is encouraged to take courses at the Span 2100-level and/or Span 2300/2350/2400-level while abroad. These courses represent the following 2 levels in the curriculum and could be taken at the same time. This is given as a general rule of thumb rather than a strict rule that must be followed.  
  • SPAN 3990 (Senior Seminar) must be taken on campus. We cannot accept study abroad credit to satisfy 3990. 
  • Additional SLLCS considerations can be found here.
• Research Funding

  Cost is an important factor to consider when choosing an international experience. Not only should you understand the costs of your program but you should also anticipate the other costs that will be associated with your travel. Please visit our Financial Planning page regarding tuition, housing, and meal costs of DU Partner Programs (DUPP) and unaffiliated programs. It is important that you understand all of the items and services that will and will not be included in your program. 

  Studying abroad doesn't have to be more expensive than staying at DU. If you plan ahead, few locations are out of reach, even with a limited budget. You need to be realistic about how cost-of-living varies around the world, but that can work in your favor. Sometimes, it's even possible to save money by studying abroad! 

  Most students are able to utilize most of their financial aid while studying abroad. We encourage you to speak directly with the Financial Aid Office for details on your specific aid package. 

  Details of how Financial Aid applies to your study abroad program can be found on our Financial Aid page. 

  Many general scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study in the U.S. can be applied to study abroad. You should check to see if you are eligible to apply for general scholarships that are not specific to, but can be applied, to study abroad. There also are a huge number of study abroad specific scholarships available with varying eligibility criteria and deadlines. If finances for studying abroad are a concern, you are encouraged to begin searching and applying for scholarships as soon as possible. 

  More details on available scholarships can be found on our Scholarships page.