Spanish Degree Placement Test
Paul Mandell, PhD, Beginning Spanish Language Coordinator
1025-S, mandellp@uhd.edu
All UHD students are strongly encouraged to take the Spanish Placement Test prior to enrolling in a Spanish class at UHD.
By taking the Spanish Placement Test, students benefit in two major ways:
- They will be placed into the correct level of Spanish, taking into account their knowledge of the language. They will not waste time taking classes they do not need.
- If they have not taken college Spanish prior to coming to UHD and they do not have CLEP credits in Spanish, they will be eligible to receive up to 8 credit hours of retroactive credit by taking the Spanish Placement Test.
The Spanish Placement Test is now online and can be taken from any computer that has the required computer parameters. It can also be taken in the Humanities Lab, room N950 in the One Main Building. It is free. To schedule a time to take the Spanish Placement Test or to receive the online link with directions on how to take the Spanish Placement Test, students should e-mail the lab director, Dr. Albert DeJesus, at dejesusa@uhd.edu.
Retroactive Credit
Students who take the Spanish Placement Test and then take the class they placed into at UHD and receive a B or an A in it are eligible to request retroactive credit. No more than 8 hours of credit in Spanish will be given as retroactive credit. Classes that are eligible for retroactive credit (if a student places into them after taking the Spanish Placement Test,) are the following: 1402, 2301, 2302, 2311, 2312, 3301. Students cannot receive retroactive credit for any class beyond SPAN 3301.
Spanish Placement Through Community College Transfer Credit
Students who have completed Beginning Spanish classes and/or Intermediate Spanish classes that have transferred to UHD do not need to take the Spanish Placement Test and will continue the sequence they started at community college. For example, if they took the equivalent of Elementary Spanish I, they will take SPAN 1402 at UHD, which is Elementary Spanish II. If a student has completed the entire beginning language sequence (Elementary Spanish I, Elementary Spanish II, Intermediate Spanish I, and Intermediate Spanish II) they will start with SPAN 3301 Grammar and Composition at UHD.
Spanish Placement Through AP Scores
Placement into Spanish can also be done through AP test scores, if the student took the Spanish AP Exam.
Students with an AP score of 5 place into Spanish 2302 Intermediate Spanish II (for non-Heritage Speakers) or Spanish 2312 Intermediate Spanish II for Heritage Speakers.
Students with an AP score of 4 place into Spanish 2301 Intermediate Spanish I (for non-Heritage Speakers) or Spanish 2311 Intermediate Spanish II for Heritage Speakers.
Students with an AP score of 3 place into Spanish 1402 Beginning Spanish II.
Lower AP scores do not receive any Spanish credit hours.
Spanish Placement Through High School Classes
Students do not automatically receive any retroactive credits for having taken Spanish classes in high school. But this preparation should allow them to skip ahead in the language sequence.
Therefore, all students with any knowledge of Spanish (whether from classes, or from home or travel) are strongly encouraged to take the Spanish Placement Test to verify placement and to be eligible for retroactive credit.
Spanish Placement Through CLEP
Students cannot use the CLEP exam to place into Spanish classes. If they have taken the CLEP they will receive 8 credit hours for SPAN 1401 Beginning Spanish I and Spanish 1402 Beginning Spanish II.
Study Abroad
All Spanish students are encouraged to participate in language and culture immersion study abroad. The Spanish Program, working with the UHD Office of Study Abroad, organizes a month-long Study Abroad Trip to Costa Rica in May-June of every year through SOL Education Abroad. Students take 2 classes for a total of 6 credit hours. Students who have finished SPAN 1402 or its equivalent take Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II. Students who have completed SPAN 3301 take two upper-level classes: Latin American Literature and Culture and Civilization of Latin America. All classes are taught by Latin University professors at the Latin University in Heredia, Costa Rica*. It is now also possible for Spanish majors or double-majors to complete their required internship in Costa Rica. For more information regarding the month-long study abroad trip or the internship opportunity, please contact Dr. Raquel Chiquillo at chiquillor@uhd.edu, or 713-221-2743.
*Please note that in case that there are fewer than 5 students in the Intermediate I and Intermediate II Spanish classes, students will take their classes at Intercultura, a well-regarded Spanish language school located in Heredia, Costa Rica at no extra cost. Students will still be able to access the Latin University campus and will participate in all of the scheduled cultural activities and weekend excursions with the rest of the group.
Students may also participate in study abroad individually. The Spanish Program recommends the Spanish language immersion programs run by SOL Education Abroad, a provider that is affiliated with UHD. SOL Education Abroad has programs in Heredia, Costa Rica, Oaxaca, Mexico, Granada, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. They have semester-long and summer programs, as well as program during Winter Break. Students going on study abroad individually must work with Ms. Elizabeth Huskin, Assistant Director of Study Abroad at UHD, and must make sure that the classes they plan to take while on study abroad will transfer and will count for their degree plan by speaking with Dr. Raquel Chiquillo.
How to Earn a Minor in Spanish
How long it takes a student to earn a minor in Spanish will depend on the level of Spanish at which they started and whether or not they received retroactive credit. Currently, the Spanish Minor requires students to take 3 upper-level classes in Spanish at the 3000 or 4000 levels. Students may take any class at the upper-level except for Spanish 4380 and Spanish 4098 which are reserved for Spanish Majors.
Case 1: A student places into Spanish 3301.
For many Heritage and Native Speakers at UHD, this is a common placement result.
The student will take:
- SPANISH 3301 Grammar and Composition
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
Case 2: A student who would like to earn a minor in Spanish but who has no time during the semester and has placed into Spanish 3301.
For a student in this situation, participating in our Study Abroad Program at Latin University in Heredia, Costa Rica, during the summer is an ideal solution.
The student will take:
- SPANISH 3301 Grammar and Composition
- A SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS IN COSTA RICA
- A SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS IN COSTA RICA
Case 3: A student who has placed into Intermediate Spanish II.
The student will take:
- SPANISH 2302 or 2312. Intermediate Spanish II
- SPANISH 3301 Grammar and Composition
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
In this case, it is NOT recommended that a student take Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II in Costa Rica, because the Study Abroad program requires that students take BOTH Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II, for a total of 6 credits. It is not possible just to take one of the Intermediate Spanish classes. The Intermediate Spanish class must be taken and finished BEFORE the student starts taking upper-level classes in Spanish.
Case 4: A student who has placed into Intermediate Spanish I.
The student will take:
- SPANISH 2301 or 2311. Intermediate Spanish I
- SPANISH 2302 or 2312. Intermediate Spanish II
- SPANISH 3301 Grammar and Composition
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
A student in this situation could also choose to participate on our Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica and take Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II at the Latin University in Heredia, Costa Rica. Once back at UHD, they would only have the upper-level classes left to take for the minor. Both Intermediate Spanish classes must be taken and finished BEFORE the student starts taking upper-level Spanish classes.
Case 5: A student who has placed into Beginning Spanish II.
The student will take:
- SPANISH 1402. Beginning Spanish II
- SPANISH 2301. Intermediate Spanish I
- SPANISH 2302. Intermediate Spanish II
- SPANISH 3301 Grammar and Composition
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
After taking Spanish 1402 at UHD, a student in this situation could also choose to participate on our Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica and take Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II at the Latin University in Heredia, Costa Rica. Once back at UHD, they would only have the upper-level classes left to take for the minor. Both Intermediate Spanish classes must be taken and finished BEFORE the student starts taking upper-level Spanish classes.
Case 6: A student who has placed into Beginning Spanish I or has never taken Spanish before.
The student will take:
- SPANISH 1401. Beginning Spanish I
- SPANISH 1402. Beginning Spanish II
- SPANISH 2301. Intermediate Spanish I
- SPANISH 2302. Intermediate Spanish II
- SPANISH 3301 Grammar and Composition
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
- ANY SPANISH UPPER-LEVEL CLASS (EXCEPT SPAN 4380 and SPAN 4098)
After taking Spanish 1401 and Spanish 1402 at UHD, a student in this situation could also choose to participate on our Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica and take Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II at the Latin University in Heredia, Costa Rica. Once back at UHD, they would only have the upper-level classes left to take for the minor. Both Intermediate Spanish classes must be taken and finished BEFORE the student starts taking upper-level Spanish classes.
Case 7: A student who wants to earn a minor in Translation and has placed into Spanish 3301.
The student will take:
- SPAN 3301 Grammar and Composition
- SPAN 3322 Translation
- SPAN 4321 Legal Spanish
- SPAN 4380 Field Experience (may be substituted by CJ 4380)
- ENG 3308 Legal Writing
For more information regarding the minor in Translation, please contact Dr. Reynaldo Romero at romerore@uhd.edu.