Table of Contents
- About the Bulletin
- Introduction to Stony Brook
- Student Services
- Admissions
- Financial Information
- Scholarships and Awards
- Degree Requirements
- Academic Policies and Regulations
- Special Academic Programs
- Approved Majors, Minors & Programs
- Supplement
- Courses by Department
- Courses by Designator
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- Schedule of Classes
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- Campus Map
- 1999-2001 Bulletin
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Last Modified 04/09/2001 11:16:41 AM EDT
Spanish Language and Literature
Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature
College of Arts and Sciences
Chairperson: Román de la Campa
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Elizabeth Monasterios
Undergraduate Secretary: Betty DeSimone
Office: N-3017 Melville Library
Phone: 631-632-6959
WEB Address: www.sunysb.edu/hispanic
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Spanish: comparative literature (CLT), international studies (LIS), Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LAC)
Spanish studies involves language, literature, cultural history, and linguistics as applied to Spain, Spanish America, and Latino communities in the United States. The field combines the humanities and the social sciences to give the student an understanding of the diverse aspects of Hispanic culture.
Because so many facets of American life -- business, industry, commerce, communications media, the arts, science, and technology -- have become truly international in scope, many career opportunities exist for persons with language skills and knowledge of other cultures. A student majoring in Spanish could begin preparation for a career in any of these fields as well as in teaching. A student minoring in Spanish could combine such studies with plans for governmental service, international business, the health professions, or a major in another language and literature.
The department offers a major program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish language and literature, a minor in Spanish, and courses in Portuguese. Students wishing to major in Spanish should consult with a departmental advisor to choose individual programs.
Placement
Entering students who wish to continue the study of Spanish started in high school should consult a departmental advisor to help them choose the appropriate course.
Courses Offered in Spanish
Courses Offered in Spanish Literature and Culture Taught in English
Requirements for the Major in Spanish Language and Literature (SPN)
The major in Spanish language and literature leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses offered for the major must be taken for a letter grade (except that S is acceptable for SPN 221 and 222 completed through Challenge examinations). All upper-division courses in Spanish must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.
Completion of the major requires 36 credits.
The Honors Program in Spanish
or SPN 310 Spanish Grammar and Composition for Students of Hispanic-American Background
b. SPN 312 Introduction to Literary Studies
(Note: Challenge examinations are given only for SPN 311. See notes 1 and 2, below).
or SPN 392 The Culture and Civilization of Spanish America
Twelve additional credits in upper-division SPN courses chosen in consultation with the departmental advisor. (HUL 424 is also acceptable. A maximum of three credits of SPN 447 is applicable toward this requirement.) At least three of the upper-division courses for the major must be 400-level.
In order to demonstrate their proficiency in writing English, Spanish majors must present a dossier consisting of a minimum of two papers of at least three to five pages each. This dossier must be submitted before the end of the second semester of their junior year to the director of undergraduate studies. The papers consist of translations of essays submitted as part of the work for upper-division courses. 300- or 400-level courses in the above list that are in excess of the required number may also count in this category. Papers are judged for clarity, accuracy, and appropriateness of style by a faculty committee. Students may resubmit in their senior year.
Notes:
To be awarded honors, a department major must 1) maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average of at least 3.50 in Spanish courses taken for the major; and 2) write a senior thesis judged worthy of honors. Students eligible to write a senior thesis must find a member of the department faculty to act as a thesis advisor and enroll in SPN 495. The thesis topic must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies, the chairperson, and the thesis advisor. The thesis is evaluated by the thesis advisor, another member of the Spanish faculty, and a third reader from outside the department. Prerequisites to register in SPN 495 are 1. the same as requirement 1, above; 2. senior standing; and 3. permission of department. Application to the honors program must be made during Prime Time the semester prior to registering for the program.
Spanish Secondary Teacher Preparation Program
See the Education and Teacher Certification entry in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs.
Minor in Spanish Language, Culture, and Literature (SPN)
All upper-division courses in Spanish offered to fulfill minor requirements must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. At least nine credits of upper-division Spanish courses must be earned at Stony Brook to complete the minor.
Completion of the minor requires 24 credits.
Study Abroad
or SPN 220 Spanish Grammar and Composition for Students of Hispanic-American Background
Language majors and other interested students who would like to spend a semester or a year studying abroad should consult the director of undergraduate studies prior to going abroad. See also the Study Abroad entry in the chapter entitled "Special Academic Opportunities."
Román de la Campa, Professor, Ph.D., University of Minnesota: Latin American and Caribbean literature; contemporary critical theory.
Lou Charnon-Deutsch, Professor, Ph.D., University of Chicago: 18th- and 19th- century Peninsular literature; feminist theory. Recipient of the State University Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1990, and the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1990.
Flora Klein-Andreu, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Columbia University: Linguistic meaning; language evolution and variation; standardization; research methods.
Cora Lagos, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Michigan: Colonial Latin American literature.
Pedro Lastra, Professor Emeritus, University of Chile; (University Professor, University of Chile, 1960-1973): Colonial, modern, and contemporary Spanish-American literature.
James B. McKenna, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Harvard University: 20th-century Hispanic culture and literature.
Elizabeth Monasterios, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Toronto: Modern and contemporary Spanish-American literature; Latin American poetry.
Maria Luisa Nunes, Professor Emerita, Ph.D., City University of New York: 19th- and 20th-century Luso-Brazilian literatures; women’s studies.
Malcolm K. Read, Professor, Ph.D., University of Wales: Sociology of culture; Marxist and psychoanalytic literary criticism.
Elias L. Rivers, Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., Yale University: 16th- and 17th-century literature of Spain; sociolinguistic theory of literature.
Victoriano Roncero-López, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Universidad Complutense: 16th- and 17th-century literature of Spain.
Georgina Sabat-Rivers, Professor Emerita, Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University: Spanish Golden Age and Spanish-American colonial literature.
Lilla Ruiz-Debbe, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Universite Geneve, Switzerland: Applied linguistics and language pedagogy; second language acquistion and research.
Benigno Trigo, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Yale University: Nineteenth-century Latin American literature; contemporary critical theory.
Antonio Vera-León, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Princeton University: 19th- and 20th-century Caribbean literatures; literary theory; interdisciplinary study of narrative.
Kathleen Vernon, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Chicago: 20th-century Hispanic narrative and film.
Affiliated Faculty
Temma Kaplan, History and Women’s Studies
Mikle Ledgerwood, European Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Louise Vasvari, Comparative Studies
Adjunct Faculty
Estimated number: 10
Teaching Assistants
Estimated number: 23
