Study paths

MAJOR & MINOR

The Spanish Programme at HKU offers two possible study paths for undergraduates, one of them leading to a Major in Spanish and the other one leading to a Minor. First of all let’s consider the question Why Major in Spanish? There are many reasons:

  • Most students at HKU opt for a double Major and languages are a good combination with most subjects
  • Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, the second in terms of native speakers (over 500 million around the world)
  • It’s an official language in 21 countries and the 2nd language of use in USA
  • It’s one of the 6 official languages in the UN
  • It’s the second language for international communication
  • A language Major enhances a CV because international companies look for employees who can communicate across cultures
  • A language Major can demonstrate interculturality and an international outlook
  • A Major in Spanish opens doors for those wishing to embark on an international career, particularly in the American continent

THE MAJOR

Those considering a Major in Spanish need to take a total of 66 credits (11 Spanish courses) over a period of 4 years plus an additional 6 credits of an Arts introductory course. There are 6 core language courses plus a capstone course (also compulsory) to be taken in the final year of studies. Below you can see a table which shows the progression of courses in order to obtain a Major in Spanish:

YEAR I /II
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN1001 (core course)SPAN1002 (core course)
YEAR II /III
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN2001 (core course)SPAN2002 (core course)
+ 2 ELECTIVES – CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING:
SPAN2021 – The Sounds of SpanishSPAN2027 – Cultural Icons from the  Hispanic World (*)
SPAN2025 – Spanish Writing Workshop ISPAN2028 – Spanish for Professional Purposes
SPAN2029 – Culture and History of Latin America through Texts (in English) (*)
SPAN2030 – Key Topics in Spanish Grammar (*)
IMPORTANT: Year 2 electives can only be taken alongside SPAN2001 & SPAN2002 because they are designed for students at that language level. They cannot be taken in year 3 (with the exception of SPAN2027, SPAN2029 and SPAN2030)
YEAR III /IV
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN3001 (core course)SPAN3002 (core course)
+ 2 ELECTIVES – CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING:
SPAN3026 – Spanish in Latin America and Bilingualism in the U.S.SPAN3021 – The Art of Translation
SPAN3028 – Spanish for business and intercultural communicationSPAN3023 – Hispanic Film and Literature
SPAN3031 – Contemporary Spain: Cultural and Societal changes
SPAN3119 – Overseas immersion language course – Spanish (*)
IMPORTANT: Year 3 electives can be taken alongside SPAN3001, SPAN3002 or SPAN4001 SPAN3119 is a course which does not have any classes at HKU (can only be taken after an intensive summer course abroad. Check Spanish website for information)
YEAR IV (final year of studies at HKU)
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN4001 (language elective)SPAN4003 – Developing Autonomy in Spanish Language Learning (capstone)
SPAN4004 – Hispanic culture research project (capstone)
SPAN4005 – Internship for Students of Spanish (capstone)
IMPORTANT: SPAN4001 is an elective course for students interested in progressing with their language learning SPAN4003, SPAN4004 & SPAN4005 are capstone courses. Students majoring in Spanish must take one of them. SPAN4004 & SPAN4005 can be taken in semester 1 or 2 while SPAN4003 is only available in semester 2

The suggested path for a student majoring in Spanish would be as follows:

  • Core courses SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 (12 credits) in their first or second year of studies at HKU
  • Core courses SPAN2001 & SPAN2002 (12 credits) in their second or third year of studies at HKU + 2 electives ( 1 per semester)
  • Core courses SPAN3001 & SPAN3002 (12 credits) in their third or final year of studies at HKU + 1 or 2 electives ( 1 per semester)
  • Students majoring in Spanish who started studying Spanish in year 1 would have the option of taking SPAN4001 in semester 1 and a capstone course either in semester 1 (SPAN4004/SPAN4005) or semester 2 (SPAN4003/SPAN4004/SPAN4005).
  • Students with previous knowledge of Spanish can be exempted from taking SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 but they will need to take other electives instead

PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL COURSES ARE AVAILABLE EVERY YEAR. STUDENTS MUST CHECK ON THE SIS SYSTEM OR CONSULT TEACHERS IN THE SPANISH PROGRAMME.

THE MINOR

Students wishing to Minor in Spanish only need to complete a total of 36 credits of language core courses as shown below:

YEAR I /II
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN1001 (core course)SPAN1002 (core course)
YEAR II /III
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN2001 (core course)SPAN2002 (core course)
YEAR III /IV
SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 2
SPAN3001 (core course)SPAN3002 (core course)

Students with previous knowledge of Spanish may be exempted from taking SPAN1001 & SPAN1002 but will need to take other Spanish courses instead (except SPAN2029)

LEARNING SPANISH ABROAD

HKU has exchange agreements with hundreds of universities around the world and so do all the Faculties. Students learning a language are encouraged to apply for a semester or year- long exchange at one of the many institutions in every continent. HKU has agreements with various universities in Spanish-speaking countries and students who have had the opportunity to study abroad really treasure their experience. The following are the universities where you can study a semester or a year abroad:

  • In Europe – Spain:
    • Universidad de Navarra (Pamplona)
    • Universidad de Alicante (Alicante)
    • Universidad Nebrija (Madrid)
    • Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    • Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
  • In Central America – Mexico:
    • Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tech Monterrey), with 33 campuses around Mexico
    • Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM)
  • In South America – Chile:
    • Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago)
  • In South America – Uruguay:
    • Universidad de Montevideo

In addition to that, the Spanish Programme strives to offer opportunities for students to go abroad in the summer and enroll in intensive courses in order to improve language skills. These courses are recommended for the summer after completing SPAN2002 at HKU. We have a number of awards / scholarships for our students to help them with expenses and each year we try to increase their number. You may check our website for further information