Hispanic Studies

Claire T. Solomon, Associate Professor, Chair
Ana María Díaz Burgos, Assistant Professor
Yorki Encalada-Egúsquiza, Lecturer
Sebastiaan Faber, Professor
Sergio Gutiérrez Negrón, Assistant Professor
Patrick O’Connor, Associate Professor
Carmen Tovar, Visiting Assistant Professor
Kim Tungseth-Faber, Instructor

Visit the department webpage for up-to-date information on department faculty, visiting lecturers and special events.

The Department of Hispanic Studies at Oberlin College offers an outstanding liberal-arts education in the literatures, cultures, and histories of Latin America, Spain, and the United States, based on a solid and thorough knowledge of the Spanish language. Along with the Latin American Studies and Comparative Literature programs, it is one of several majors available that allow Oberlin students to engage with the Spanish-speaking world.

Many Hispanic Studies majors take advantage of opportunities for experiential learning. The SITES program (Spanish in the Elementary Schools), for example, offered by the Education Program (see elsewhere in this catalog under EDUA) provides students with a rigorous training to teach Spanish in Oberlin’s elementary schools. Recent Hispanic Studies internships have included positions working with Spanish-speakers in Lorain, Ohio; editorial work; and work with refugees.

In short, participation in the Hispanic Studies Program at Oberlin opens up a wide spectrum of personal and professional opportunities. Recent graduates have gone on to graduate school and found jobs in a broad range of fields from journalism to social work, medicine, law, public health and education.

See information about Research, Internships, Study Away and Experiential Learning (RISE).

Advanced Placement

A score of 5 on the Spanish language or literature AP exam - or a score of a 6 or 7 on the Spanish (Advanced) exam of the IB curriculum - automatically receives credit for one full academic course as Hispanic Studies 300. HISP 300 counts toward the total number of academic courses required for the major and minor. We encourage these students to consider taking HISP 304 before taking HISP 306, 310, 317, or 318.

Initial Placement

Students who begin learning Spanish at Oberlin will take HISP 101. Beyond HISP 101 the particular entry point within the sequence of language courses depends upon a student’s background in Spanish and upon the results of the placement test. The placement test is required of every student with a prior knowledge of Spanish who wishes to enroll, except for students who qualify for Hispanic Studies 300 credit through the AP or IB exams (see above). The placement exam will be available online during registration.

Visit the department’s web site for more information.

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Hispanic Studies

Advanced Placement

Initial Placement

Majors and Minors

Courses