UWM Schedule of Classes – Spanish
The Spanish Undergraduate Program consists of courses in language, literature, linguistics, and culture. Courses are offered regularly in the day as well as in the evening in order to meet the scheduling needs of all students.
Students who have never taken Spanish should begin their study of the language with Spanish 103. Students who have taken some Spanish in high school can begin at a more advanced level, depending on the results of the placement test and on how many years of high school Spanish they have had.
It is possible to receive up to fourteen retroactive credits of Spanish if, after having been placed in a certain course because of previous work in the language, the student passes with a grade of at least B; in other words, s/he may receive credit for all the courses leading up to the one s/he placed in. The courses that generate L&S credits for demonstrated equivalent preparation (retroactive credits) are 104 (4 credits), 203 (8 credits), 204 (11 credits) 308, 318, 319 or 341 (14 credits).
The basic four-semester sequence of Spanish courses, 103, 104, 203 and 204 prepares students to do more advanced work in language, literature, and culture. The basic sequence is designed to give students a working level of ability in the four basic skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. The Program also offers an alternative 4-semester language sequence (Spanish 110, 111, 210, and 211) for students who wish to focus on their speaking and listening skills, but these courses do not generate retroactive credits, nor do they prepare students to advance to 300-level courses.
In Spanish 308 and 318, students continue to develop their language skills through advanced reading and writing and in advanced speaking and listening. For students that have fluency in the language because of speaking it at home, the department offers Spanish 319, Advanced Speaking and Listening for Heritage Speakers, instead of Spanish 318. Spanish 319 is designed to develop the proficiency of speakers in speaking and listening.
More advanced 300-level courses cover introductions to the fields of linguistics, literature and culture, and language for special purposes (translation, business and medicine). Advanced courses at the 400- and 500-levels offer students the opportunity to pursue more in-depth study of these fields, while continuing to perfect their command of Spanish.