Course offerings and content are subject to change.
All students are required to register for the 2-credit workshop Spain
Through Its Culture and Language. View the NEW Fast-track Spanish for
Beginners program .
All students must take a language course unless they have already
completed V95.0100.
Click on a course name to see a course description and a sample syllabus from a past semester. (Current syllabi may differ.)
You should consult the NYU Registrar's web site for the scheduled class times and days.
Mandatory Course for ALL students
Students are connected to life in Spain through language and cultural history in multiple activities: museum visits; a day trip to Segovia; practical training workshops (students choose one) in cuisine, wine, dance; and lectures with experts in Spanish cinema, literature, politics, history, and sociology.
Sample Syllabus
Elementary and Intermediate Spanish
Open to students with no previous training in Spanish and to others on
assignment by placement test. NYU students: After completing this course,
students who wish to continue studying Spanish must take a qualifying exam.
Students who pass the exam may go into A95.0020. Students who do not pass the
qualifying exam go into A95.0018. (Not offered in Madrid.) Completes the
equivalent of a year's elementary course in one semester.
Sample Syllabus
Completes the MAP language requirement for NYU students. Prerequisite for NYU students: V95.0002 or V95.0010 and passing grade on qualifying exam.
Promotes proficiency in reading and writing as well as oral performance.
Completes the equivalent of a year's intermediate course in one semester.
Sample Syllabus
Continuation of V95.0003 or V95.0003A. Readings and discussions of contemporary Hispanic texts and review of the main grammatical concepts of Spanish. Completion of this course fulfills the MAP foreign language requirement.
Courses Taught in Spanish at the Intermediate Level
To be taken concurrently with Intensive Intermediate Spanish (V95.9020)
Only for students concurrently registered in V95.9020.
The course is designed for students in V95.9020.001 that would like to perfect their Spanish, as they expand their knowledge regarding literature, cinema, and social and political problems that exist today within modern Spanish society. The reading of different dramatic texts and viewing of various films throughout the semester will serve to expand lexicon, strengthen grammar and improve the student's style. The objective of this course is that the students familiarize themselves with everyday language of current newspapers and magazines, at the same time as they enter into the world of Spanish literature.
The most important goal of the course is to offer a methodologically simple approximation that helps the student to develop a greater verbal and communicative dexterity. To this end, every week the students will analyze and debate the cultural and literary content texts that are to be studied and every two weeks the students will present a written composition of the topics covered in class. In the classroom linguistic correction will be emphasized along with auditory practice through the use of a wide range of materials and resources: theoretical explanations, comprehension and vocabulary exercises, film viewing, as well as exercises that highlight certain morphological aspects or grammatical usage of Spanish.
Sample Syllabus
Only for students concurrently registered in V95.9020.
This course is directed to students in V95.9020 that would like to perfect their Spanish and acquire knowledge about Hispanic language and culture in the United States. The study and debate in class on a variety of materials (literary texts and periodicals, advertisements, radio programs from the Internet, movies) will permit us to take on current topics related to the Hispanic presence in American society, for example, emigration, border culture, Hispanic media, "Latin" identity, problems of gender and ethnicity, the political importance of Hispanic communities and bilingualism.
The principal objective of the course is the development of the student's communicative capacity through written and oral presentations, debates, and commentaries on each week's materials, as well as listening comprehension and vocabulary exercises. As a secondary objective, the student should acquire a consciousness of the reality of the United States as a place of encounter and transformation of different cultures, including Hispanic cultures that today play a predominant role.
Sample Syllabus
Courses Taught in English
This course examines the interaction between two coupled systems, the Earth system and humanity’s political systems. Beginning with an analysis of the effects of anthropogenic industrial carbon dioxide gas emissions on the Earth system as derived from the scientific evidence this course attempts to understand the reaction of the global, European and Spanish political governance systems to these transformations. In order to understand something as apparently specific as the impact of climate change in the Iberian peninsula and the Spanish state’s response to it we must first understand, therefore, how the United Nations and the European Union are responding to climate change since the Spanish political system’s control and mitigation policies are largely determined by these two larger governance systems’ responses.
Sample Syllabus
Art History Students: This course counts for Art History elective credit.
A gallery course focusing on the baroque schools of Rubens and Rembrandt, "tenebrist"
painting, Velázquez, and the etchings and paintings of Goya. Ends with a survey
of the painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sample Syllabus
Studies the principal poetry and dramatic works in relation to the historical
period culminating in the Spanish Civil War and contemporary literary movements
from impressionism to surrealism.
Sample Syllabus
Introduces the basic concepts used in the study of social change by examining
the ethnographic diversity of the various regions of Spain and Portugal.
Knowledge of this underlying diversity is essential in comprehending the
importance that regionalism has played in Iberian history and its relevance to
the understanding of the acceptance or rejection of change by the different
regions in contemporary Spain and Portugal. The course specifically examines the
rapidly changing role of women in both countries.
Sample Syllabus
This course cannot be taken for NYU Economics Major Credit
Provides students with the necessary tools in order to understand the global
economic environment, world economics and integration trends. The first part of
the course focuses on the European Union's institutions, policies and economics.
The rest of the term is devoted to the economic analysis of other important
world regions and international institutions from the globalization perspective.
Basic macroeconomic knowledge will be provided when necessary.
Sample Syllabus
Taking advantage of its location in Madrid, this course analyzes the ways in which historical, geopolitical, cultural, artistic, and popular views function to constitute and continuously transform a national culture. Specifically, the course concentrates on epistemological constructions of Spain—the idea of Spain—that emerges from competing external and internal perspectives. Students will examine how this national culture is constructed in three modules. The first analyzes Spain from North African perspectives as, on the one hand, the traditional site and myth of a lost paradise in Sephardic nostalgic poetry as well as Hispano-Arabic literary traditions and, on the other, as the place to which some contemporary, radical movements view as a strategic goal. The second module looks at American perspectives in which the idea of Spain pits notions of Spanish imperial power and grandeur against the Black Legend, a term that protestant circles in Europe and the United States promoted to attack the legitimacy of Spain’s New World empire. The third perspective focuses on European views and analyzes the depiction of Spain as the embodiment of German and French Romantic ideals beginning at the end of the 17th century and the reemergence of the same notion during the Spanish Civil War (1933-36). Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to examine some of the principal textual and visual images that contribute to the historical and contemporary construction of a national culture that emerged at geographic and cultural crossroads.
Sample Syllabus
Introduces and surveys Caribbean literature of the 20th century. Works
originally written in all of the major languages of the region including
Spanish, English, French, and Dutch, with special emphasis on works by Hispanic
and Anglophone authors.
Sample Syllabus
Courses for Students of Advanced Spanish
All courses are conducted in Spanish. Language courses are offered every semester.
Prerequisites: V95.0020 or V95.0004; permission of the department; or a satisfactory score on the SAT II, AP or NYU language placement exam. For non-native speakers only.
Advanced course designed to expand and consolidate lexical and grammatical understanding of the language and to introduce fundamental principles of expository writing as they apply to Spanish, through exercises, readings, and intensive practice of various expository prose techniques and styles. For nonnative speakers only. Prerequisite for NYU students: V95.0020, V95.0004, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
Sample Syllabus
Courses Taught in Spanish
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director. For nonnative Spanish speakers only.
Intensive course in spoken Spanish, designed to give the student fluency in
the use of idiomatic, everyday language as well as a comprehensive, practical
vocabulary.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
This course is designed for students who wish to attain a command of Spanish
in relation to the worlds of business and international relations. Special
emphasis on the development of oral expression through activities that focus on
business practices.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director. For students of Spanish speaking background this course replaces V95.9100.
The objective of this course is to familiarize the student with the reading and production of different journalistic genres (news, interviews, profiles, chronicles, reports, and criticism). On a daily basis, the students will read sections of printed and digital newspapers in Spanish to present and comment on in class. The discussions, together with the assigned readings, will serve as a basis for realizing grammatical review, vocabulary exercises, and compositions. Special attention will be paid to the distinct phases of the writing process, working individually as well as in groups. This course counts toward the minor/major as a language course requirement for Spanish speakers.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
Art History Students: This course counts for Art History elective credit.
A gallery course focusing on the baroque schools of Rubens and Rembrandt, "tenebrist"
painting, Velázquez, and the etchings and paintings of Goya. Ends with a survey
of the painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
Introduction to literary analysis through close readings of texts from the early to modern periods of peninsular Spanish and Spanish American literatures. Engages students in the practice of textual explication, provides basic critical skills, and encourages reflection on literature as a system.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0200 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9200
with permission of the director.
In this course, we will read both the first and second part of the Don Quijote
and analyze it's significance from literary, philosophical, political and social
perspectives.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
Analyzes the encounter of diverse cultures and civilizations in Hispanic America from a historico-anthropological perspective, as well as the processes of synthesis and 'mestizaje' among these cultures. Special emphasis will be placed on the ethnic and racial criteria used as markers in the formation of Iberoamerican societies and their current repercussions. Texts used will be both anthropological and literary, including works by Alejo Carpentier, Nicolás Guillén, Rosario Castellanos, José Luis Gonzáles,
and C. Levi-Strauss.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0200 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9200
with permission of the director.
Development of Spanish American literature from the colonial period to the
present. Representative works of various genres are examined in their cultural
contexts.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
A study of Spain and its integration into the European Common Market. The
historical background examines Europe in the aftermath of World War II, Spain
under Franco's dictatorship and its relationship to other European countries, as
well as the events leading up to the actual foundation of the European Economic
Community (EEC). Emphasis is on the negotiations leading to Spain's
incorporation into the EEC, and a detailed analysis is given of the present-day
European Common Market and its goals for the future.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
An introduction to Islam, with reference to both the Islamic religion as well as
to the evolution of the Arab world. Special attention is given to the history of
Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) and its important contribution to Europe and America.
This course includes a Morocco Study Tour. In the past students visited
culturally exciting cities of Morocco, including Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Ouarzazate.
Please click here to
view photos of the Spring 2008 Morocco Study Tour.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0200 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9200
with permission of the director.
Explores topics in realism, modernism, and postmodernism. Works by Perez Galdos, Unamuno, Valle-Inclan, Perez de Ayala, Goytisolo,
and others.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
A survey of Spanish cinema from the early beginnings of the silent movie to the present day. Important figures, such as Luis Buñuel, Luis García Berlanga, Edgar Neville, Juan Antonio Bardem, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Carlos Saura,
and others are studied, as well as the phenomenon of cinema as a reflection of
the political, social, and cultural development of the country and its people. A
selection of the most representative films is shown in class.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0200 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9200
with permission of the director.
Course description coming soon.
Sample Syllabus
Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100
with permission of the director.
Course description coming soon.
Sample Syllabus
Required Courses for the Fast-track Spanish for
Beginners Program
Prerequisite: one semester of college Spanish or High School equivalent. All three courses must be taken concurrently; students must have permission of the director of undergraduate studies. This program completes the CAS language requirement, and yields 16 points.
This course has two separate components.
Intensive Language
This section is designed to offer the student basic communicative skills in Spanish in an efficient and concentrated way. The student will be exposed to linguistic—functional, grammatical, and lexical— objectives which are clearly defined. Moreover, cultural topics related to the Spanish speaking world will be examined in each unit. Oral and written competence are the primary focus, thus ensuring a communicative ability at all levels.
Practicum
This section focuses on the practice of the contents previously introduced in the grammar class. Consequently, the linguistic (grammar, lexicon, functions, orthography, and pronunciation), sociolinguistic (social conventions, courtesy, customs, etc…), and pragmatic (cultural surroundings, etc…) competencies, adequate for this level, will be worked on. This practice will especially focus on oral expression, including some written exercises with the aim of getting the student to communicate in real life.
This course has two separate components.
Intensive Language
For the first four weeks this language class is focused on furthering the students` knowledge of Spanish by means of a series of units in which the functional linguistic, grammatical, and lexical objectives are well defined. In these units, more complex language topics will be covered such as the correct selection of past tenses or the modal selection in complex sentences. Moreover, cultural topics related to the Spanish-speaking world will be examined in each of these units. Then, during these last four weeks of the immersion program, the students will strengthen the foundations of Spanish by means of a detailed review of the most conflictive points for English speakers in the process of learning Spanish.
Module on Spanish through Different Linguistic Tasks: Projects
This section of activities allows the student to complete a series of tasks or projects. From a perspective that views learning as a process, this module makes the student participate and be responsible for his/her work, cooperating with others as well as working independently. All of this will be carried out inside the classroom as well as outside, with the constant supervision of the professor.
This course has three separate components.
Module on Real life Situations through Drama Representation
This section uses theatrical exercises to improve knowledge and drill both written and oral Spanish skills.
This module will help reduce inhibition by means of games and theatrical exercises, with the final aim to improve expression in Spanish. Students will receive feedback on pronunciation by means of dramatic readings, tongue twisters, and small representations in class. Students will have to create their own theatrical texts, supervised and corrected by the professor.
Module on Spain Today: Pair Group Student Project
The module aims to perfect the students’ Spanish while increasing their knowledge of literature, cinema, as well as the social and political problems that exist today in modern Spanish society. Through the reading of different texts as well as the projection of films, the students’ lexicon, grammar, and written and oral style will be expanded and improved. The definitive objective of this course is to achieve that the student become familiarized with the direct and everyday language of current newspapers and magazines, meanwhile initiating the student in the world of Spanish literature.
Module on the Creation of a Journal: An Overview of Hispanic Literature, Film, and Art
The purpose of this module is to introduce the student to various aspects of Spanish and Latin American culture by means of reading as well as producing journalistic texts. The students will become familiar with the distinct genres of written press—news, reviews, interviews, chronicles, report, and opinion articles—based on the reading and in-class commentary of magazine and newspaper articles in Spanish. The analysis and discussion of the assigned articles will allow the integration of grammatical aspects, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions common in journalistic language.
