Important Information for Majors & Minors
- How to declare a Major/Minor
- When to declare a Major/Minor
- General Requirements for all Majors/Minors
- Departmental Residency Requirement for Majors
- Departmental Residency Requirement for Minors
- Retroactive Credit for Majors/Minors
- Where to get an unofficial transcript or APAS Report
- Closed Classes
- Permission Numbers
- Classes reserved for Majors/Minors
- Equivalency Petition for Transfer Credit for 3XXX Level & Study Abroad
How to declare a Major/Minor
Students must attend a Major or Minor Declaration Session within the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The Sessions are listed in Advising/Declaration Sessions.
Fill out the online form and click "submit." You will not receive a confirmation unless the advising office has a question or problem with your registration. If you are not signed up, you cannot attend. Individual declaration meetings are not available under any circumstance.
Departmental declarations are now submitted electronically. This new process reduces the risk of lost paperwork and often decreases the amount of time it takes for your major or minor to appear on your transcript. Students will still retain a paper copy of the declaration form, but the original will remain in the student's departmental file. During particularly busy periods of time (beginning and end of semesters), students can still expect a 48-72 hour delay in processing.
When to declare a Major/Minor
All students are encouraged to declare a minor or major as early as possible. A minor MUST be declared by at least the semester before completion of minor requirements and a major MUST be declared before the majority of the major elective requirements. Once declared, students can change the status from minor to major and vice versa.
General Requirements for all Majors/Minors
- All coursework for the Major or Minor must be done on the A/F grading system (pass/fail is not acceptable) and course prerequisite orders must be followed at all times.
- A minimum grade of C- is required for all Major or Minor courses, and an overall minimum GPA of 2.00 (C) is required in order to graduate with the Major.
- Any coursework done outside the U of M at the 3XXX level must be petitioned at the Department level for Major/Minor equivalency transfer credit.
- All Majors and Minors are expected to adhere to the policies and expectations detailed in the current Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies Undergraduate Advising Handbook.
- Courses taught in English are not applicable to the Major or Minor unless work is done in Spanish or Portuguese and advance written approval is obtained from the Department Advisor or Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- Majors and Minors may be required to obtain and file an official Program Clearance Form in the appropriate College Office in order to graduate with a Major or Minor in Spanish or Portuguese. (The Spanish Studies Minor Program Plan serves as both declaration and clearance for that Minor; all others may require two separate documents.)
Departmental Residency Requirement for Majors
- 3 courses (9 Credits) must be advanced elective courses (3XXX level) taken here in the Department on the Twin Cities Campus.
- Based on the close relationship with the curriculum in Toledo, Spain, advanced elective credits taken in Toledo may count as departmental residency credit.
- 2 of these 3 courses (6 Credits) MUST have a 31XX prerequisite.
- These can be taken before or after studying abroad.
- Span 3972: Graduation Seminar (3 credits) does count toward this minimum residency requirement for students who complete the major project in this department.
- If you are completing the Major project in another department, Span 3972 can be substituted with another 3XXX Level class. If you already have 6 advanced elective credits with a 31XX prerequisite, the substitute class does not need to have a 31XX prerequisite.
Departmental Residency Requirement for Minors
Currently there is no residency requirement for Minors. However, this may be changing in the near future, so please keep posted.
Retroactive/Transfer Credit
Students wishing to use credit from another institution, either within the US or abroad, toward their minor or major must complete processes at both the College and Departmental levels. If studying abroad or at another institution, students should work closely with advisors in both the College and the Department in advance to maximize their options. It is understood that transfer students deal with this process backwards, but it is imperative for currently enrolled students to plan for accreditation and degree equivalency before taking courses away from the U of M. (See Study Abroad and Advising/Declaration Sessions).
Petitioning courses from outside the University of Minnesota toward Major/Minor credit:
(For the 3XXX Level Only)
Petition Process :
- Gather all syllabi, papers, exams and any other graded work from each course. Without the syllabi and actual graded materials you will not be able to receive Spanish/Portuguese credit from the Department. We must have evidence of coursework in order to award Spanish/Portuguese Department credit.
- Wait until the University of Minnesota has given you credit for the course(s) from your study abroad program. This means that your study abroad coursework is showing up as individual classes, with either actual letter grades or a T on your APAS or unofficial transcript. Courses that show up individually, but have an IP, instead of a letter grade or a T, cannot be evaluated for Spanish/Portuguese credit. The Learning Abroad Center will assist you in this process. The Spanish/Portuguese Department cannot evaluate any course materials until this step has been completed.
- Separate the above materials from each class into individual folders and label the folders with your name, your ID number, your telephone number, your email address, the date you submitted the folder(s), the title of the class, and the credits the University of Minnesota granted you for the course. Be sure to include a copy of your APAS or unofficial transcript with the study abroad courses listed individually, with grades or T credit. Then drop off all folders during walk-in advising hours to the Advising Office in 34 Folwell Hall.
- The evaluation of materials will take about 2 weeks. The Advising Office will email you when the evaluation is complete. Once you have received confirmation that your materials have been evaluated, come into the Advising Office as soon as possible.
- It is rare to receive credit for Span 3015, so if you have not taken it at the University of Minnesota (or Toledo, Spain; Merida, Venezuela; or Cuernavaca, Mexico), expect to do so. Also, if you have not taken Span 3015 you may be required to complete the course and receive a grade of B- or better before you can receive the transfer credit you are petitioning. There is a form that needs to be signed before taking Span 3015 so that you and the Advising Office know that you understand the aforementioned agreement.
Closed Classes
The Department office does not distribute permission numbers for closed classes. If a class is closed, THE ONLY WAY TO POSSIBLY OBTAIN A SEAT IS BY GOING TO THE CLASS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEMESTER. It is up to the instructor to decide if there is room in the class and he/she will issue a permission number to register. The instructors will not issue permission numbers prior to the first day of class. It is also advised to keep checking the registration system prior to the start of the semester as many people change their classes and seats occasionally open up.
Permission Numbers
(Please read above for information on permission numbers for closed classes.)
Some Departmental courses require permission numbers for all students for various reasons. The following courses always require a permission number:
- Intensive Language Courses that cover two semesters of language in one semester. These may be offered in the summer for Span 1001/1002 and Span 1003/1004 and in the Fall & Spring for Span 1003/1004. The permission numbers are available in the main office in 51 Folwell Hall on a first come walk-in basis beginning at 8:00 am on the first day of registration for the University for the next semester.
- Span 1001: Beginning Spanish. This is for students who have had less than 2 years high school Spanish. These permission numbers are available in the main office in 51 Folwell Hall on a first come walk-in basis beginning at 8:00 am on the first day of registration for the University for Summer and Fall Term.
- Span 3401: Service Learning in the Chicano/Latino Community. Registration for this course requires special advanced preparation and screening, including an pre-registration form. This on-line form will be available on the first day of registration for the University for the next semester. Click here to access the on-line form. You will receive a permission number from Kathleen Ganley within 2-3 business days.
- Span 3972: Graduation Seminar. Registration for this course requires a meeting with the Department Advisor and is contingent upon completion of all but a maximum of one elective course (3 credits) for the major. Students are responsible for formulating their own research topic prior to meeting with the advisor and can be done in consultation with faculty and/or advising. Students are also required to attend a Faculty Information Session with the faculty member teaching the class and a Senior Works In Progress (SWIPS) session. Permission numbers are on a first come walk-in basis beginning approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of registration for the University.
Classes reserved for Majors/Minors
Many upper division classes in the Spanish & Portuguese Department are reserved for Majors and Minors only. To register for these classes you must declare as a Spanish major, a Spanish and Portuguese Combined major or a Spanish Minor. Failure to do so may result in not being able to access desired courses for desired terms.
Equivalency Petition for Transfer Credit for 3XXX Level & Study Abroad
Please see Advising/Transfer Credit section.
The Spanish and Portuguese Department does NOT do equivalency petition and transfer credit for the 1XXX level classes. You must see your college advisor for this.
For answers to more questions, please come to walk-in advising hours.