Jul 27, 2024  
Course Catalog 2023-2024 
    
Course Catalog 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Hispanic Studies Major


The major consists of a minimum of 9.5 full courses (or the equivalent).

Note: Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.


arrow View the catalog page for the Hispanic studies department.  


Participation in the Hispanic studies program at Oberlin opens up a wide spectrum of personal and professional opportunities. Many students majoring in Hispanic studies pursue a double major or a major/minor combination with Latin American studies, classics, other modern languages, sociology, anthropology, comparative literature, art history, history, comparative American studies, or politics. 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.

Note(s) on Requirements


  • At least 7 of the 9.5 courses must be courses conducted in Spanish.
  • Language courses taken at the 100- and 200-level do not count toward the major.

Transfer of Credit Toward the Major


  • Courses taken abroad or at other institutions cannot be counted toward the 400-level Spanish-taught course requirement.
  • Up to three full courses of transfer credit per semester, including coursework done abroad but not including HISP 300, may be counted toward the major, up to a maximum of five full courses.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Credit


Transferred credit for HISP 300 counts toward the major as a Spanish-taught Hispanic studies course.

Study Away


All Hispanic studies majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester in a Spanish-speaking country. Students interested in studying away should consult their major advisor about opportunities to transfer credit from such an experience toward the major.

Detailed Major Requirements


Hispanic Studies Major Course Lists


Spanish-Taught Hispanic Studies Courses


Return to the summary of requirements.

English-Taught Related Courses


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Hispanic Studies Major Elective Courses


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Capstone Requirement


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Students who major in Hispanic Studies will do a capstone project based on a 400-level seminar taken in the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year. In the spring of their senior year (the last semester for summer graduates, the penultimate semester for December graduates) they will enroll in HISP 501 . As part of this course, which is a 2-credit course meeting once per week for a 1.5-hour period, students will expand the term paper of their 400-level seminar into a 15-20 page research paper (written in Spanish) and prepare a 15-minute oral presentation based on the paper, to be given at the end of the semester.

In consultation with their Hispanic Studies advisor, students may request permission to base their capstone work on a course taught outside of the Hispanic studies department. An honors project in Hispanic studies (HISP 505H HISP 505F ) automatically fulfills the capstone requirement.