Biology - Major in Biology Program

Required Courses:
SPA 300 Advanced Spanish: Oral Communication

This is an active and immersive course focused on the intensive use and analysis of spoken Spanish, including phonetics and phonology, designed to help students work on pronunciation. Classroom activities promote oral skills such as summarizing, telling, narrating, explaining, arguing a point, discussion, and presentations. Students who have been placed into SPA 311 may not take this course. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or placement into 300-level or higher according to the placement test. 3 credits.

One of the following:
SPA 310 Advanced Grammar and Writing

This course is an advanced course designed to help students develop communication, writing, and reading skills in Spanish, as well as an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic culture(s). It takes an interactive communicative approach and stresses cultural competency in language learning and successful communication. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or placement into 300-level or higher according to the placement test. 3 credits.

SPA 311 Spanish for Heritage Speakers

This is a special course for Hispanic, Latinos or students that have been exposed to Spanish consistently at home while growing up, have listened to it and want to develop the formal aspects like grammar, more extensive vocabulary and cultural information about their own places of origin. This class will include readings, movies and studies of geographical areas and maps in order to examine historical and social events represented in the students' countries of origin and will require work outside class in the Latino community. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or placement into 300-level or higher according to the placement test; permission of the instructor or chair. 3 credits.

30 Additional credits from the following:
SPA 305 Summer Study Abroad in Costa Rica

This four-week Spanish language and culture course provides students intermediate and advanced proficiency in Spanish language with emphasis on cultural immersion in an authentic Hispanic environment. This course combines a four-hour daily classroom instruction with cultural activities, field trips, and community engagement. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or equivalent, permission of the instructor. 6 credits.

SPA 323 Spanish for Healthcare Professionals

The number of Spanish-speaking patients entering the healthcare system continues to grow every year. This fact points to how important it is for healthcare providers to know medical Spanish, not only because it expands their career opportunities but also because it allows them to communicate and empathize directly with their patients. This course is organized in terms of specific medical themes, which include building of the patient-practitioner relationship, documenting medical history, injuries, mental health, and diet and nutrition. This course is intended for students who plan to work in the healthcare field and need to develop an awareness of the Hispanic culture. This course will introduce the student to a wide array of vocabulary particular to the medical field, as well as help the student develop a cultural understanding of medicine and illness in the Spanish-speaking world to prepare for potential work with Spanish-speaking patients in future careers in medicine, physical training, speech pathology, nursing, social work, translation/interpretation, or mental health settings. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or placement test. 3 credits.

SPA 324 Spanish for Healthcare Professionals II

SPA 324 is the sequence of Spanish for the Healthcare Professionals course. The course will continue the study of medical Spanish terminology and the cultural issues related to interactions with Spanish-speaking patients and their families in the clinical encounter. It will introduce the student to a wide array of vocabulary particular to the medical field, as well as help the student develop a cultural understanding of medicine and illness in the Spanish-speaking world to prepare for potential work with Spanish-speaking patients in future careers in medicine, physical training, speech pathology, nursing, social work, translation/interpretation, or mental health settings. These themes will allow participants to learn necessary vocabulary while learning essential grammar. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or placement test. 3 credits.

SPA 330 Literatures in Spanish

This course is an introduction to Literatures in Spanish, which offers a selection of authors and genres, introducing students to literary analysis through reading a selection of texts including novels, plays, short fiction, poetry, and lyrics. The primary objective of this course is to acquire communication skills in Spanish, and to develop an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic literature and cultures. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or placement test. 3 credits.

SPA 355 Cultural Studies

Cultural Studies focuses on the analysis of written and visual representations in order to analyze how Hispanic cultures have been represented, experienced and interpreted during different decades until the present moment. It takes and interactive communicative approach and stresses cultural competency in language learning and successful communication. Fulfills requirement: Intercultural Competence. Prerequisite: SPA 300, 310 or 311. 3 credits.

SPA 365 Global Hot Topics

Global Hot Topics offers a study of the major issues confronting the world today, from the perspective of Hispanic cultures. This provides a means of better understanding both the origin of, and potential solutions to, those global issues and problems faced by contemporary societies. It takes an interactive communicative approach and stresses cultural competency in language learning and successful communication. Fulfills requirement: Language and Culture. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: SPA 310 or SPA 311. 3 credits.

SPA 385 Latinx in the United States

This course examines definitions of Latinx literature and culture by reviewing some of the canonical and non-canonical texts, film and visual arts produced by or about a selection of Central Americans, Mexican Americans, Chicano and Hispanic Caribbean Diasporic writers. It will also give students a glimpse into the roots of this population right here in central PA. This course will be crosslisted as IDS # and SPA 385. Students taking this course as IDS # will complete course components in English. Students taking the course as SPA 385 will complete course components in Spanish. Fulfills requirement: Human Diversity. Prerequisite: SPA 300, 310, or SPA 311. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with IDS 385)

SPA 390 Special Topics

This course is designed to engage students to the theory and practice of literary and cultural study and analysis applied to representative works and topics from Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, and/or its diasporas. The course will cover works from a broad range of historical periods and different textual forms. Topics will be analyzed through the lenses of art, film, history, literature, and music. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: SPA 300, 310, or 311. 1-3 credits.

Special Topics

At least 15 credits must be obtained at LVC. Language majors are strongly encouraged to fulfill an Immersive Experience requirement by studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. Students take courses in Spanish language, history, civilization, economics, and art.