You are reading the 2024/25 Academic Calendar. The 2023/24 version remains in effect until August 31, 2024 and is available here.

Spanish, Faculty of Arts

SPAN: Spanish

Prior to registration in SPAN courses, students are encouraged to review the Spanish Placement Guidelines availalbe at https://fhis.ubc.ca/undergraduate/advising/placement-in-language-course… and take the Language Placement Questionnaire to determine their entry level. All 400-level Spanish courses titled "Topics in..." may be taken twice for credit, with different content, to a maximum of 6 credits. Note: The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a reference tool developed by the Council of Europe to provide a common basis for the development of modern language curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. It describes in a comprehensive way what language learners have to learn in order to use a language for communication and what knowledge and skills they have to develop so as to be able to do so effectively.


  1. SPAN 101 (3) Beginners' Spanish I

    Fundamentals of the Spanish language. Communicate with basic vocabulary in common tasks and situations related to present and future events. Aligned with CEFR level A1 objectives. Credit will be granted for either SPAN 103 or both SPAN 101, SPAN 102.

  2. SPAN 102 (3) Beginners' Spanish II

    Continuation of foundational elements of the language. Communicate using essential vocabulary in common tasks and situations related to past, present and future events. Aligned with CEFR level A1 objectives. Credit will be granted for either SPAN 103 or both SPAN 101, SPAN 102. Recommended pre-requisite: SPAN 101.

  3. SPAN 103 (3) Intensive Beginners' Spanish

    Fundamentals of the Spanish language. Ideal for students with Spanish 12 or expertise in another Romance language. Aligned with CEFR level A1 objectives. Credit will be granted for SPAN 103 or both SPAN 101, SPAN 102.

    Prerequisite: Grade 12 Spanish or for native or near-native speakers of other Romance Languages.

  4. SPAN 201 (3) Elementary Spanish I

    Expansion of fundamentals. Enhanced ability to exchange information, discuss the past and future, and express wishes, hopes and feelings in common personal and social contexts. Aligned with CEFR level A1-A2 objectives. Credit will be granted for either SPAN 203 or both SPAN 201, SPAN 202. Recommended pre-requisites: one of SPAN 102, SPAN 103, SPAN 11.

  5. SPAN 202 (3) Elementary Spanish II

    Expansion of fundamental notions and presentation of more elaborate structures in a variety of tenses and modes. Communicate to explore Hispanic culture and to hypothesize about present and past situations. Aligned with CEFR level A2 objectives. Credit will be granted for either SPAN 203 or both SPAN 201, SPAN 202. Recommended pre-requisite: SPAN 201.

  6. SPAN 203 (3) Intensive Elementary Spanish

    Continuation of SPAN 103. Aligned with CEFR level A2 objectives. Credits will be granted for SPAN 203 or both SPAN 201, SPAN 202. Recommended pre-requisites: one of SPAN 103, SPAN 102, or placement test for native or near-native speakers of other Romance Languages.

  7. SPAN 206 (3) Conversational Spanish I

    Emphasizes communication skills through discussion, debate, and presentations; developing oral fluency and listening comprehension, through discussion of written texts and films. May include experiential learning projects involving native speakers from the Hispanic community. Prerequisite: One of BC High School Spanish Grade 12, SPAN 202, or SPAN 203.

  8. SPAN 207 (3) Conversational Spanish II

    Builds on communication skills through discussion, debate, and presentations; exploration of cultural topics through discussion of written texts and other media. May include experiential learning projects involving native speakers from the Hispanic community. Aligned with CEFR A2 objectives. Prerequisite: One of BC High School Spanish Grade 12, SPAN 202, SPAN 203 or SPAN 206.

  9. SPAN 221 (3) Introduction to Hispanic Literature

    Major texts, authors, periods, and genres of Hispanic literature; key concepts, terminology, and practices of literary analysis that serve as a foundation for higher-level Spanish literature courses. Prerequisite: One of BC High School Spanish Grade 12, SPAN 202, SPAN 203, or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  10. SPAN 222 (3) Introduction to Hispanic Culture

    Media, figures, periods, and genres of Hispanic culture; key concepts, theories, and practices of cultural analysis that serve as a foundation for higher-level Spanish culture courses. Prerequisite: One of BC High School Spanish Grade 12, SPAN 202, SPAN 203 or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  11. SPAN 280 (3) Revolution! (in English)

    Concepts, theories, and practice of protest, revolt, and revolution in the Hispanic world, highlighting the intersection of politics and culture through novels, poetry, letters, diaries, and/or historical accounts of specific revolutionary uprisings. Credit will be granted for only one of SPAN 280 or RMST 280.

  12. SPAN 301 (3) Intermediate Spanish I

    Complex grammatical structures in context to enhance proficiency. Explores relevant cultural topics through reading, writing, and discussion. Aligned with CEFR level B1 objectives. Prerequisite: One of BC High School Spanish Grade 12, SPAN 202, SPAN 203, SPAN 206, SPAN 207 or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  13. SPAN 302 (3) Intermediate Spanish II

    Expansion of and reflection on the use of complex grammatical structures in context to broaden lexical repertoire. Enhances proficiency through reading, writing, and discussion of relevant cultural topics. Aligned with CEFR level B1 objectives. Prerequisite: SPAN 301 or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  14. SPAN 303 (3) Conversational Spanish for Advanced Speakers

    Expands the comprehension and communicative skills of upper-level students and heritage speakers through topics drawn from Hispanic culture and current events. Aligned with CEFR B1 objectives. Prerequisite: One of SPAN 206, 207, 302, or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  15. SPAN 308 (3) Spanish for Business

    Language of commerce, finance, marketing, and economics. Competence in business practices of the Hispanic world. Prerequisite: One of SPAN 206, 207, 301, 302 or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  16. SPAN 309 (3) Business Spanish of International Trade in the Hispanic World (in Spanish)

    Language of international commerce through real world business practices in the Hispanic world; key issues concerning business practices, engaging with real-world materials, and interacting with professionals specializing in trade with the Hispanic world.

    Prerequisite: One of SPAN 206, SPAN 207, SPAN 301, SPAN 302, SPAN 308. Or successful completion of a language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  17. SPAN 312 (3) Hopscotch: Topics in Hispanic Literature (in English)

    Spain and Latin America's contributions to global culture through popular Hispanic literature in translation. Credit will be granted for only one of SPAN 312 or RMST 372.

  18. SPAN 321 (3) Tradition and Diversity in Spanish History and Culture

    Conservation and progress on the Iberian Peninsula, from the Middle Ages to the present. Includes the first modern European state and its diverse cultures. Prerequisite: One of SPAN 202, SPAN 203 or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  19. SPAN 322 (3) Dependency and Revolution in Latin American History and Culture

    Continuities and changes in the Americas from before Columbus to the present. Includes the first modern global empire and its ambivalent legacies. Prerequisite: SPAN 202, SPAN 203 or successful completion of language placement exam or an assessment interview.

  20. SPAN 357 (3) The Golden Age of Peninsular Literature and Culture

    Tradition, faith, conflict, prosperity, and decadence in literature and everyday life from the Middle Ages to 1700. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  21. SPAN 358 (3) Divergent Visions: Peninsular Literature and Culture since 1700

    Modern Spanish literature and culture, from Empire to the European Union. Includes Romanticism, Modernism, Republicanism, and Separatism. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  22. SPAN 364 (3) Colonial Encounters in Spanish-American Literature and Culture

    Spanish colonialism in the Americas from the Conquest to the 1820's and the dawn of Independence. Includes coloniality, hybridity, subalternity, and autonomy. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  23. SPAN 365 (3) Modern Magics: Spanish-American Literature and Culture since the 1820s

    Literary engagements with modernity in the Spanish Americas, from the 1820's to the present. Includes civilization, progress, politicization, and violence. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  24. SPAN 395 (3-6) Special Topics Abroad

    Study of Hispanic literature, history, culture, or communities in an authentic context. Topics and locations may vary. Consult Department for current offerings. Recommendation: CEFR A2 Spanish proficiency level

  25. SPAN 401 (3) Upper Intermediate Spanish I

    Strengthening fluency and accuracy in spoken and written communication. Emphasis on mediation, interpretation, and metalinguistic competencies through translation and comparative stylistics. Aligned with CEFR level B2 objectives. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 302 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  26. SPAN 402 (3) Upper Intermediate Spanish II

    Continued strengthening of fluency, accuracy, and spontaneity in spoken and written communication. Emphasis on contextualized grammar and vocabulary; critical reading and discussion of texts. Aligned with CEFR level B2 objectives. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 302 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  27. SPAN 403 (3) History of the Spanish Language

    Major features of the development of the Spanish language, from its origins to the present. Includes the history of Spanish phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and dialectology. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 302 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  28. SPAN 404 (3-6) From World to Screen: Topics in Hispanic Cinema

    Selected areas of study relating to Hispanic Cinema. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  29. SPAN 405 (3-6) Celebrating Diversity: Topics in Peninsular and Latin-American Culture

    Selected topics relating to the diversity of cultural production in Peninsular and Latin American Culture. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  30. SPAN 406 (3) Breaking the Mold: Gender Representation(s) in Hispanic Literature and Culture

    Gender and sexuality in Spain and Latin America. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  31. SPAN 409 (3) From Text to Stage: Topics in Hispanic Theatre

    Selected areas of study relating to Hispanic Theatre. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  32. SPAN 410 (3-6) Multicultural Beginnings: Topics in Medieval Literature and Culture

    Selected areas of study relating to literature and culture of the Iberian Peninsula to the 15th century. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  33. SPAN 411 (3) Hispanic Linguistics

    Spanish as a linguistic system. Includes the structure of Spanish words and sentences, dialectal varieties in both Spain and Latin America, and linguistic theory. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 302 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish..

  34. SPAN 420 (3-6) Ascent and Decline: Topics in Golden-Age Peninsular Literature and Culture

    Selected areas of study relating to sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spain. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  35. SPAN 430 (3-6) Modernization and Autonomy: Topics in Peninsular Literature and Culture since the 18th Century

    Selected areas of study relating to the literature and culture of modern Spain. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  36. SPAN 450 (3-6) d Discourse and Dialect: Topics in Spanish Language

    Selected areas of study relating to Spanish linguistics or its relation to other languages spoken in the Hispanic world. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 302 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  37. SPAN 470 (3-6) Imperial Eyes and Foundational Fictions: Topics in Spanish-American Colonial and Nineteenth-Century Culture

    Selected areas of study relating to colonial and/or nineteenth-century Spanish America. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  38. SPAN 490 (3-6) Peoples and Nations: Topics in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century Spanish-American Culture

    Selected areas of study relating to modern and/or contemporary Spanish America. Consult the Department for this year's offerings. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  39. SPAN 495 (3-6) Research Intensive Seminar in Hispanic Literature and Culture

    Theories and methodologies of the discipline. Consult the Department for this year's offering. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  40. SPAN 498 (3-6) Directed Reading

    Focus on a topic agreed on by both Faculty Supervisor and student. Restricted to students with 4th year standing and permission from both the Department Head and Faculty Supervisor. Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

  41. SPAN 499 (3) Honours Essay

  42. SPAN 501 (3/6) d Literary and Cultural Theory

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  43. SPAN 502 (3-6) d Gender Representations in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  44. SPAN 504 (3-6) d Hispanic Cinema

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  45. SPAN 505 (3-6) d Transatlantic Hispanic Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  46. SPAN 520 (3-6) d Golden-Age Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  47. SPAN 527 (3-6) d Medieval Hispanic Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  48. SPAN 530 (3/6) d Peninsular Literature of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  49. SPAN 549 (6) Master's Thesis

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  50. SPAN 550 (3-6) d Hispanic Languages, Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  51. SPAN 570 (3-6) d Colonial Latin-American Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  52. SPAN 580 (3-6) d Nineteenth-Century Latin-American Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  53. SPAN 590 (3-6) d Contemporary Latin-American Literatures and Cultures

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  54. SPAN 591 (1.5) Proseminar I: Research Skills and Scholarly Practices

    Credit will only be granted for only one of SPAN 591 or FREN 591. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  55. SPAN 592 (1.5) Proseminar I: Literary and Cultural Theory

    Credit will only be granted for only one of SPAN 592 or FREN 592. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

    Prerequisite: SPAN 591.

  56. SPAN 649 (0) Doctoral Dissertation

    This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.


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