Bachelor of Arts: Languages and Literatures - Spanish Language and Literature Emphasis
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Demonstrate linguistic proficiency in their chosen language. Students will attain a (pre-)advanced reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency in the language studies;
- Demonstrate cultural knowledge in their area of study and how those cultures relate to others in a regional and global context. Students will obtain a broad base of knowledge and perspectives on civilizations and their respective cultures- literature, the arts, socio-historical, political and economic structures etc. - within a variety of interpretive frameworks. They will understand aspects of language and culture in the world as part of all human communication, and within interdisciplinary context;
- Analyze cultural products. Students will develop skills in critical thinking and analysis, including but not limited to, textual analysis.
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | ||
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only) | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Math Pathway (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Mathematics For Liberal Arts | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus (5 credit hours) | ||
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course | ||
ACT Math Subscore of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Subscore of 660 or higher | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Intensive Course (300-level or above): | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Major Requirements
Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 12 hours of the noted upper division (300+) course requirements completed at UMKC.
Total: 36 credits at or above the 200-level
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Prerequisites (may not be required depending on placement*): | ||
| SPANISH 110 | Elementary Spanish I | 3 |
| SPANISH 120 | Elementary Spanish II | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
*To determine the correct placement in a foreign language, please visit: /undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/foreign-language-placement/
The Language and Literatures major consists of two parts: an Emphasis and a Breadth Requirement.
Language and Literatures majors must complete 30 credit hours at or above the 200-level in one emphases.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Two Spanish 200-level courses or higher, such as: | 6 | |
| Second Year Spanish I | ||
| Second Year Spanish II | ||
or SPANISH 216 | Spanish For The Health Sciences | |
| Required Major Courses: | ||
| SPANISH 315 | Intermediate Conversation And Composition I | 3 |
| or SPANISH 316 | Spanish for Health Sciences II | |
| SPANISH 325 | Intermediate Conversation And Composition II | 3 |
| SPANISH 415 | Advanced Conversation And Composition I | 3 |
| Two 300-level SPANISH courses | 6 | |
| Introduction to Literary Studies | ||
| Latin American Civilization | ||
| The Search for Mexican Identity | ||
| Spanish Literature and Culture II | ||
| Spanish American Literature and Culture I | ||
| Spanish American Literature and Cultures II | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Two 400-level SPANISH courses | 6 | |
| History of the Spanish Language | ||
| Early 20th Century Peninsular Literature | ||
| Advanced Conversation And Composition II | ||
| Pre-Columbian And Spanish Colonial Literature | ||
| Contemporary Spanish Poetry | ||
| Spain's Transition to Democracy: Literature and Film | ||
| Spanish-American Short Story | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Breadth Requirement (see below) | 6 | |
| SPANISH 499 | Senior Seminar (Capstone) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Breadth Requirement
The Breadth Requirement may be met by completing one of the following:
- A second Language and Literatures emphasis in French, Classical Languages and Cultures, or International Studies;
- A minor in French, Classical and Ancient Studies, or International Studies;
- Six (6) credit hours of coursework selected from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
Any courses in CLASSICS, FRENCH, or GERMAN | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| World Currents of Contemporary Art | ||
| Arts Of African and New World Cultures | ||
| Asian Art | ||
| Northern European Art: 15th and 16th Centuries | ||
| Cross-Cultural Interaction: Experience and Understanding | ||
| Cross-Cultural Journalism & Mass Media | ||
| Global Journalism: Cultures, Trends, and Conflicts | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| World Literature in English | ||
| Introduction To Linguistics/Language Science | ||
| Classical Studies | ||
| Themes in World Cultures | ||
| Themes in World Languages | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages | ||
| World History since 1450 | ||
| The French Revolution and Napoleon | ||
| World War One through its Artifacts | ||
| Comparative Histories of Modern Germany | ||
| Ancient Egypt | ||
| Ancient Greece | ||
| Ancient Rome | ||
| Medieval Jewish History | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| Buddhist Philosophy | ||
| Plato | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Politics of Developing Countries | ||
| Western European Politics | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| Concepts in International Relations | ||
| Gender, Health, and Development in Senegal | ||
Other Requirements and Regulations
- Higher-level courses may be substituted for lower-level coursework, e.g. a 300-level course can be taken instead of a 200-level course.
- A 2.0 grade-point-average in Languages and Literatures courses is required for graduation.
- Study abroad is strongly recommended for all departmental majors and minors, but not required for degree completion.
- Native speakers studying their own languages will complete a minimum of 21 credit hours in courses numbered 300 and above, but normally not including 315 or 325, and they will complete the Breadth Requirement. A native speaker is defined as a person who speaks the target language fluently and who has completed formal schooling through the secondary school level, or equivalent, in the target language.
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 42 | |
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).
