Major

The BA Major in Spanish is open to all undergraduate students at the university. The objective of the programme is to bring participants to a high level of proficiency in the language, and to provide them with a sound knowledge of the cultures and societies in the Spanish-speaking world.

First & Second Years (12 + 6 credits)

To declare a major in Spanish, applicants must initially complete two foundation courses, SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 (12 credits) in their First or Second Year. They must also take one Arts introductory course, not Spanish (6 credits).

Second, Third and Fourth Years (54 credits)

In their second, third, and fourth years of study, students pursuing a major in Spanish must take a total of 54 credits of Spanish courses which should normally be distributed as follows (this is only a suggestion, students may take more courses at level 3XXX if they so wish):

  • 24 credits from courses at Level 2XXX, of which 12 credits must be from the core language courses, i.e., SPAN2001 (Spanish II.1) and SPAN2002 (Spanish II.2).
  • 30 credits from courses at Level 3XXX, of which 12 credits must be from the core language courses, i.e., SPAN3001 (Spanish III.1) and SPAN3002 (Spanish III.2) plus 6 credits from SPAN4003, SPAN4004 or SPAN4005, 3 very different ‘capstone’ courses designed to allow the application of disciplinary knowledge and principles learned in the first, second and third years. The ‘capstone’ course must be taken in the last year of studies.
  • A recommended (optional) 3 to 4-week language course in Spain or a Spanish-speaking country in the summer following completion of SPAN2002.

Course list

Course schedule

Important changes to the Major in Spanish

Starting in the coming academic year 2024-25, Spanish will be offered as part of the Global and Area Studies Major (GLAS), a new programme which will combine and replace some Majors and Minors. As a result, Spanish will no longer be offered as a Major.

For further information about the new Global and Area Studies Major click on this link: https://www.globalba.hku.hk/

Students who have already declared a Major or Minor in Spanish, and also those who intend to do so, please note the following:

1.- The Minor in Spanish will continue to be offered to all undergraduate students in HKU. Students will need to complete 6 core language courses (36 credits) to declare a Minor in Spanish.

2.- All language Majors (including Spanish) will be phased out over the next 3 years. What are the implications for current students Majoring in Spanish?

  • Students in years 2, 3 and 4 who have declared a Major in Spanish can continue their studies with the prescribed core language courses (36 credits), electives (24 credits) and capstone course (6 credits).
  • All electives will be offered to Major students just like they have been up until now.
  • Students going on exchange will be able to take courses abroad and transfer credits.

3.- What happens to students who started their studies at HKU in 2023-24?

  • All year 1 students who have enrolled in SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 in the academic year 2023-24 can continue their Spanish studies and declare a Major, taking language core courses and electives to fulfill the credit requirements of the Spanish Major in the following 3 years.
  • All year 1 students who have NOT enrolled in SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 in the academic year 2023-24 but intend to enroll in SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 in 2024-25 can still declare a Major in Spanish and complete the required courses and credits within the following three years of study.

4.- Will the Spanish Major run concurrently with the new GLAS Major so that all students who started studying Spanish in 2023-24 can finish the Major?

  • The answer is YES. All language Majors will continue running until the 2023-24 cohort graduates in the year 2026-27. Students will be able to complete their studies in their chosen language Major.
  • Students in Year 2 beginning their Spanish studies in 2024-25 will also be able to declare and complete a Major in Spanish.

5.- When will the Spanish Major disappear?

  • The Spanish Major will not be offered to students entering HKU in the 2024-25 cohort. However, students will still be able to study Spanish either as a Minor or as part of the GLAS Major, where they will be able to choose a language concentration in Spanish (https://www.globalba.hku.hk/)

6.- Can students from the 2023-24 cohort choose the GLAS Major?

  • Yes, Students from the 2023-24 cohort can choose the new Major as of the 2024-25 academic year. They should approach SMLC office to get further information.