Goals
The Department of Spanish and Latino Studies has several distinct missions to fulfill at Montclair State University on the undergraduate and graduate levels. Foremost among its goals is to provide Spanish majors and minors, as well as Portuguese Studies and LALS minors, with the opportunity to achieve fluency in the target language and a deep understanding of the Spanish and Latin American literatures and cultures.
World Language and Culture Requirement Courses
The Department of Spanish and Latino Studies offers courses for students to fulfill the University’s World Language and Cultures requirements.
Courses fulfilling the World Languages requirement: SPAN 101, 102, 103, 104, 110, 135, 145 or higher; and PORT 101, 102, and 103.
Courses fulfilling the World Cultures requirement: LALS 201, LALS 205, SPAN 376 and SPAN 472.
Major Programs
Language, literature, and culture requirements as well as elective courses prepare our majors for professional careers and broaden their intellectual horizons by developing their analytical and critical abilities. The major program in Spanish consists of 36-39 credit hours.
Minor Programs
The minors in Spanish, Portuguese Studies, and LALS consist of an 18-credit course of study, which provides a balance of language, literature and culture, as well as Spanish and International Business. Students majoring in such diverse fields as Business Administration, English, Sociology, and Psychology find that a minor in Spanish, Portuguese Studies and LALS provide a rich addition to their major field as well as greater possibilities in the job market.
Master of Arts and Graduate Programs
The Department of Spanish and Latino Studies offers a Master of Arts in Spanish with emphases in (a) literature, literary theory and cultural studies, (b) Hispanic linguistics and pedagogy, (c) translation and interpreting. Conferences and lectures by Latin American and Spanish writers, scholars and translators are an integral part of the cultural life of the M.A. program. Students frequently have the opportunity to meet authors and critics they have studied in class. The M.A. in Spanish consists of 33 credit hours and a Comprehensive Exam.
Several M.A.T. programs, post B.A. Instructional Certification Programs with Teacher Certification, P-12, and a post B.A. Certificate Program in Translation and Interpreting are also available.
Conferences and Lectures
Conferences, lectures, and performances by Latin American, Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian writers, film directors, and artists are an integral part of the cultural life of the Department of Spanish and Latino Studies. Presentations by invited speakers directly relate to the literature and cultural history courses offered by the Department and allow students and alumni from Montclair State University and the region to meet and converse with eminent figures.
Our department uses Wordfast technology for its translation needs, courtesy of Wordfast LLC and Yves Champollion.