Course Minor

Requirements

  1. All minors must take a total of five courses and/or seminar offerings numbered 008 and above. Only one of these may overlap with the student’s major or other minor. Note that AP and IB credits will not count towards the minor.
  2. Courses taught in English will not count towards fulfillment of the minor.
  3. All minors must take either SPAN 022 or  SPAN 023, except in special cases when the department waives this requirement.
  4. Minors must maintain a curricular balance in their overall program. Students are encouraged to choose courses representing the following areas: Caribbean, Mexico/Central America, South America, and Spain.
  5. Students may count only one of these courses toward the minor: SPAN 008 or SPAN 012. Note that neither AP nor IB credits will count towards the minor.
  6. All minors are strongly encouraged to take seminars offered by the department. Students can take a seminar after they have completed one advanced course (numbered 040 to 089). Seminars count as one credit toward the minor.
  7. Completion of at least one semester of off-campus study in a Spanish-speaking country in a program approved by the Department of Spanish. Only two courses taken abroad that pertain to the curriculum of the department may count towards fulfillment of the minor. To ensure full immersion, all courses taken abroad must be taken in Spanish. Only advanced language courses taken abroad may receive Spanish credit. Exceptions to the study abroad requirement: In special cases, depending on the student’s language proficiency, this requirement may be waived or fulfilled with a summer-long study abroad program identified and approved by the Department of Spanish. (For summer programs, only one relevant course taken abroad may count towards fulfillment of the minor.) The requirement will be waived for students who have recently arrived in the US and/or have had extensive schooling in Spanish in Spanish–speaking countries. Spanish/English bilingual students who have grown up in Spanish-speaking environments in the United States may petition to have the requirement waived or fulfilled with a summer-long off-campus study program. The Spanish faculty will evaluate each case individually.
  8. Upon returning from study abroad, students are expected to register in a one-credit advanced course in the department.
  9. To graduate with a minor in Spanish, a student must maintain a minimum grade of B in the discipline, and a C average in course work outside the department.

Review Spanish academic requirements chart.

Acceptance Criteria

For admission to the Course Minor, the student needs a minimum of B level work in courses taken at Swarthmore in Spanish language, demonstrated ability and interest in language and literature, and a C average in course work outside the department.

Prerequisite: SPAN 004 or its equivalent is the language prerequisite for entering the Spanish minor. It does not count as one of the 5 credits required for the minor.

Application Process Notes

In addition to the process described by the Student Affairs Division and the Registrar's Office for how to apply for a major/minor, please complete the Spanish minor application form available in the menu.

If after applying you are denied admission to the major/minor, you may apply again once you have addressed the recommendations made by the Department of Spanish. If your application is deferred, the department will make a decision immediately after you have taken the necessary steps to address the reasons for being deferred.