Requirements for the Major in Spanish
Spanish: Eight transitional and upper-division courses are required in addition to a senior exercise option: SPAN 191 PO (the Senior Thesis) or SPAN 192 PO (the Senior Research Paper). Five of the required courses must be taken at Pomona College or through the Pomona College Study Abroad Program. SPAN 044 PO will be counted towards the major if taken at Pomona College. SPAN 101 PO , SPAN 120A PO and SPAN 125A PO are specifically required. One of the upper-division electives must focus on Hispanic linguistics. SPAN 101 PO , or a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Spanish Literature exam, is a prerequisite for courses numbered SPAN 110 SC or above. Only courses in Spanish in the areas of linguistics, literature, film or cultural studies will be counted for major credit. Normally no more than two upper-division courses taken through study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country can be counted for major credit.
Students completing a major in Spanish are required to complete senior exercises as described below. They are expected to have an advisor in the department, to participate in the Study Abroad Program and to reside in Oldenborg Center for one year.
Senior Exercises: Detailed information concerning the senior exercises for this major is contained in the information packets, available in the department office. All majors should obtain a copy of the appropriate document during their junior year.
Majors in Spanish are required to write a Senior Research Paper (SPAN 192 PO ) or Senior Thesis (SPAN 191 PO ) in Spanish. The senior research paper will be based on a seminal paper that the student has written in the context of a Pomona College upper-division course (SPAN 120A PO or higher). The senior research paper counts as half-course and must be at least 25 pages in length, exclusive of bibliography and notes. By the end of the first week of the semester (fall or spring of the senior year) in which the research paper will be completed, the student must submit a description of the project, which will be reviewed by the Spanish section Senior Exercise Committee for approval. A director, ideally the professor of the course in which the seminal paper was written and a second reader will oversee the exercise. Students who wish to write a senior thesis must present a senior thesis proposal by the 13th week of their junior year. The thesis proposal must be approved by the Spanish section Senior Exercise Committee. If the senior thesis proposal is not approved, the student must complete a senior research paper. The senior thesis earns one course credit (one-half course credit per semester) and must be at least 35 pages in length, exclusive of bibliography and notes. Approximately one-half of the thesis (bibliography and 15-20 pages of the thesis itself) must be completed during the first semester of the senior year and the remainder will be completed during the second semester. At the end of the fall semester, the grade for the thesis will indicate that the course is in progress (N) and the grade earned upon completion of the thesis will replace the ‘N’ grade. Students who complete the senior thesis meritoriously will be eligible to obtain distinction in the senior exercise.
