Eligibility
You must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher for the core or advanced program in Spain. Enrollment in the programs is limited and juniors and seniors are given preference, but are not guaranteed admission.
To study in the advanced program, you must have completed SPAN 301. There are no prerequisites for the Fall core program.
Accommodations:
For either the Advanced or Core program, you will stay with a family in Denia within walking distance of the La Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (U.N.E.D.) The family will provide all three of your meals each day.
Core program: Fall 2009
(offered every other Fall)
Cost:
The cost for the Fall 2009 core program in Spain is $16,850*. This price includes:
- A deposit of $500
- Round trip transportation Grand Rapids/Denia
- Field trips to Barcelona, Cantabria, and Extremadura
- Tuition, room and board
Additional expenses not included in the program fee: passport, visa, books, some weekend meals, independent travel and spending money.
*This cost is approximate, due largely to the volatility of the Euro's relationship to the US Dollar. If the cost changes, it will be posted on this webpage by mid-April.
Courses
Students can fulfill Calvin College's foreign language requirement through an intensive immersion program in Spain. The core language program begins with a week of orientation and concentrated language instruction in the city of Barcelona before moving to Denia, where students will stay individually with Spanish families. In addition to the foreign language requirement, students may fulfill both the Cross-Cultural engagement and the Global and Historical Studies core requirements. The program also includes excursions to the regions of Cantabria and Extremadura, as well as a week-long fall break. Students who successfully complete all the courses will earn 15 semester hours of credit. You do not need to have an background in the Spanish language to participate in this semester program.
Courses:
STSP 151: Core Spanish I (4 semester hours)
STSP 152: Core Spanish II (4 semester hours)
STSP 203: Core Spanish III (4 semester hours)
STSP 270: History and Culture of Spain (3 semester hours)
Apply
First, submit a preliminary application to the the Off-Campus Program Office. If your preliminary application is approved (the usual processing time is 1-2 weeks), you will be sent an application and recommendations via e-mail. The final application deadline for this program is March 18, 2009.
Contact
Program Director, Fall 2009:
Professor Cynthia Slagter, Spanish Department
616.526.6426
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Advanced Program: Interim/Spring 2010
(offered each spring)
To study in the advanced program, you must have completed SPAN 301. The following course is taught by Calvin professors during interim:
| STSP 312: Regions of Spain | |
| This course will focus on the regions, both historical and contemporary, in Spain. In addition to an introduction to the geography and climate of Spain, students will examine how language, custom and world view vary throughout Spain according to region. The course will finish with an excursion to the region of Cataluña, where students will have the opportunity to experience this region first hand. | 3 semester hours |
During the semester, you will take at least 12 credits of coursework. The following course is required:
| STSP 316: Contemporary Spanish Civilization | |
| This course will focus on the examination of cultural axiologies of contemporary Spanish civilization through the study of issues related to religious belief and practice, sex and gender, crime, the welfare state, immigration, education, housing, and mass media. Course requirements include reading, discussion with host families about course topics, attention to the local media and keeping a journal while on field trips to Barcelona, Granada/Córdoba, and Madrid/Toledo/Segovia. | 3 semester hours |
Other courses you may take:
| STSP 302: Advanced Conversation | |
| This course increases fluency in spoken Spanish through vocabulary acquisition, readings, conversation, debates, and oral presentations. | 3 semester hours |
| STSP 308: Introduction to the Hispanic World I | |
| This course introduces students to major developments of the Hispanic world from antiquity to the independence of the American colonies in the early 19th century. Discussions center on the relationship of major literary and artistic works to economic, political, religious, and social developments in the Iberian Peninsula and the Castilian colonies in the Americas. This course is normally the first in a sequence of two and is designed to prepare students for advanced-level culture and literature courses in the Spanish Department. | 4 semester hours, global and historical studies core |
| STSP 309: Introduction to the Hispanic World II | |
| This course introduces students to major developments of the Hispanic world from the independence of the Spanish-American colonies to the present day. Particular attention is paid to the literary search for voice and identity. Discussions center on the relationship of major literary and artistic works to economic, political, religious, and social developments in Spain and Spanish America. This course is normally the second course in a sequence of two and is designed to prepare students for advanced-level culture and literature courses in the Spanish Department. | 4 semester hours, literature core |
| STSP 336: Art History | |
| A study of the art and architecture of Spain from prehistoric times through the present. | 3 semester hours, art core |
| STSP 340 or 341: Linguistics | |
| STSP 368: Spanish Literature from the 18th Century to the Present | |
| This course focuses on the Spanish literature of the eighteenth century to the present. The following genres are analyzed: Neoclassic drama, Romantic drama and poetry, essays and poetry of the Generation of '98, and twentieth century poetry, drama, and novel. Research paper required. Prerequisite: Spanish 308 and 309, or permission of the instructor. | 3 semester hours |
| STSP 393: Independent Ethnographic Study | |
| Placement in a local agency, school or business to observe and/or participate in a work setting. Prerequisite: permission of the director. | 2 semester hours |
Apply
Submit a preliminary application to the the Off-Campus Programs office by September 21, 2009. Once your eligibility for the program is determined (within 1–2 weeks), you will be sent an application. The final application deadline for this program is October 5, 2009.
This program cost will be between $18,000 and $18,500 (subject to the exchange rate, enrollment figures, and transportation costs; it will be finalized in November 2009).
Contact
Program Director Spring 2010:
Professor Marilyn Bierling, Spanish
Phone (616) 526-8540
Email: mbierlin@calvin.edu
