Hispanic Studies majors acquire a broad knowledge of the diverse literatures, cultural products, and cultural histories of Spanish-speaking peoples. In consultation with the faculty in Hispanic Studies, students select courses in a variety of areas.

Beginning with the Class of 2024 students major in Hispanic studies. Students in the classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023 major in Spanish. Both majors consist of ten courses above HISP 202, plus a thesis or portfolio, including:

1) HISP 205. Advanced Spanish, which may be waived for heritage speakers, for students who have completed part of their secondary education in a Spanish-speaking country.

2) HISP 210. Writing Spanish (W2).

3) HISP 211 Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis.

4) Four elective courses, which may include a combination of the following:

a) 200-level courses above HISP 211.

b) one Short term course offered by the Hispanic Studies department.

c) courses taken in an approved off-campus study program in a Spanish-speaking country (see Off-campus Study).

5) Three 300-level courses on cultural productions of the Spanish-speaking world, taken on campus and offered by taught in Hispanic studies by Bates faculty; these may include courses taught in Spanish or English and cross-listed in Hispanic studies and other departments or interdisciplinary programs (e.g., Africana, Asian studies, American studies, European studies, gender and sexuality studies, Latin American and Latinx studies); the required 200-level courses should be completed prior to taking these courses. Students studying off-campus for two semesters in a Spanish-speaking country need only complete two 300-level courses.

6) A capstone project (thesis or portfolio) that demonstrates proficiency in Spanish and competency in Hispanic cultural studies. This may be a literary or cultural analysis of a topic related to the Hispanic world, a creative project, a translation, or a digital portfolio. Thesis writers register for HISP 457 in the fall, and for HISP 457 and 458 if completing an honors thesis. For more information, see Capstone.

For student double-majoring in Hispanic Studies and Latin American and Latinx studies: No more than one course may be applied to both the Hispanic studies major and the Latin American and Latinx studies major.

Off-campus study. Hispanic Studies majors are encouraged to gain proficiency in the language through the experience of studying in a Spanish-speaking country. For the major, a maximum of three credits are normally recognized for one semester, and five for two semesters of study in an approved program. In addition to Bates Off-Campus Study Office staff, students must also seek the guidance of their Hispanic Studies major adviser when selecting a program and designing a course of study abroad. For more information, see Off-Campus Study. Credits for off-campus study are transferred as 200-level HISP-designated courses and may not be used to fulfill the 300-level requirements.

Pass/Fail Grading Option. The use of the pass/fail option is restricted to one course, but may not be elected for the 300-level.

Credit Transfer. Courses taken at other institutions in Languages other than Spanish are not given credit by the department.