Literature, Language, and Writing
The Literature, Language, and Writing department includes programs in English, Spanish, Linguistics, Professional Writing, and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). All of the programs are interested in the craft of language, story, and text, as well as skills related to literacy.
English: From literary criticism to creative writing to linguistics, St. Catherine University’s English curriculum affords the chance to learn and grow across interdisciplinary backgrounds. The department offers robust, relevant and dynamic courses, many of which fulfill the University’s liberal arts core requirements. The department’s literature courses fulfill the arts and humanities requirement, many writing courses meet the writing intensive requirement, and some of the literature and language courses fulfill the women's studies and/or critical studies of race and ethnicity requirement.
Spanish: Spanish majors at St. Catherine University develop effective linguistic and cultural communication in a Spanish-speaking environment. The Spanish curriculum is designed to develop and maintain language proficiency and to inspire global awareness. All courses are taught primarily in Spanish. To build and maintain Spanish proficiency, students should plan a minimum of one course in Spanish per semester and talk with their advisor about opportunities for study abroad. The program also welcomes native Spanish speakers and designs programs specific to their needs and interests.
ESL Offerings
For students who are non-native speakers of English, English department courses are available to help you develop the language skills necessary to succeed academically. Depending on the results of your MELAB, TOEFL, or St. Catherine English Proficiency or Placement Test, non-native speakers may be required to take some of the classes listed below. These courses count toward the number of credits required for graduation. ENGL 2120 The Immigrant Perspective in Literature fulfills the liberal arts core requirement in literature. ENGL 2130W Written Communication for College counts as a writing-intensive course.
Major
Minors
- General English - Minor
- Linguistics - Minor
- Professional Writing - Minor
- Spanish - Minor
- Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) - Minor
Certificate
ENGL 1250 Reading Literature — 4 credits
Literature is an essential element of the liberal arts core curriculum, and this course explores why. With an eye toward global contexts and issues of social justice, the women-centered poetry, drama, and fiction of “Reading Literature” will cross a variety of time periods, cultures, and contexts. In short writing assignments students will integrate personal reaction with textual evidence to improve critical reading and writing skills. Class discussions encourage thoughtful engagement and active listening. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults. Meets liberal arts core requirement in literature.
ENGL 1450 Introduction to Linguistics and Language — 4 credits
This class serves as an introduction to linguistics. It covers the major areas of linguistic description including pronunciation (phonetics, phonology), word and sentence structure (morphology and syntax), and meaning (semantics, and pragmatics). As linguistics is an interdisciplinary field, we will also discuss at least two major subfields that connect with other disciplines. The subfields discussed will depend on student and/or instructor interest. They may include (but are not limited to) sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, historical linguistics, applied linguistics, etc. Finally, this course concludes with a career readiness component in which we address how linguistics can be applied to different career fields.
ENGL 1905W College Writing — 4 credits
Designed to develop writing skills that will prove useful for a lifetime, this class will help students to discover their voice, generate and organize their ideas, explore the role of audience and purpose, navigate their way through grammar and mechanics basics, edit for clarity and hone their research skills. From invention to revision, the writing process is the focus here. Students will read the works of accomplished writers to discover the secrets of their success, share their writing with peers in small groups and meet with their instructor in individual conferences. Skills learned in the class will enhance academic performance and career development. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 2100 Prose and Poetry — 2 credits
This writing-based literature course introduces students to a variety of ways in which the written word can be used to express, analyze and critique an array of personal, cultural and political themes and experiences. Students will study closely the writings of emerging, established and renowned authors working in a variety of genres (journals, short fiction, drama, poetry, memoir). Student will simultaneously engage in a series of creative writing exercises and projects that allow them to explore the implications of the written word in their daily life. In addition, students are required to attend several readings by published authors in the local community, as well as give a final reading of their own creative works at the end of the term. Offered in the College for Adults.
ENGL 2120 The Immigrant Perspective in Literature — 4 credits
This course explores the issues of cultural adaptation and change and educational aspirations of immigrant women in the U.S. Students will read novels and memoirs written by and about immigrants in the U.S. and readings that provide the historical and socio-cultural context for each of them. Through the exploration of literary content that is personally meaningful, students will increase their fluency and comprehension in reading academic English and develop analytical and critical reading skills. Students will also develop confidence and ease contributing to class and group discussions. Meets liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: Non-native and multilingual speakers of English only. Instructor permission required.. Also offered as CRST 2120.
ENGL 2130W Written Communication for College — 4 credits
This course focuses on research-based writing and includes extensive practice paraphrasing, summarizing, analyzing, synthesizing, integrating, and documenting outside sources. Also addressed are the cultural assumptions of U.S. academic writing, with particular attention given to plagiarism and personal voice. Students will complete a research paper on a topic of their own choosing, preferably related to their intended major. Students will also work on editing their papers for errors. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: For non-native speakers of English by placement or instructor's permission only.
ENGL 2230 The Novel — 4 credits
An exploration of the novel, this course varies by instructor and semester. Topics may include Novels into Film, Six Degrees of Harry Potter, Oprah Books, Courtship and Marriage, and Lesbian Literature. Credit may be earned under this course number more than once for different emphases. Meets the liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 2250 Introduction to Poetry — 4 credits
This course explores the rich language of poetry, offering tools for literary analysis and strategies for reading aloud and in silent contemplation. Readers closely examine poetic forms, deliberately rhythmical speech, figurative language, and poetic traditions. Though some assignments invite the oral and written imitation of poetic forms and metaphors, this is not a course in creative writing. Various themes have included “The Power of Poetry,” “Poetry: A Field Guide” and “Asian-Pacific-American Women’s Poetry.” Credit may be earned under this course number more than once for different emphases. Meets the liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 2260 Literature in Translation — 4 credits
This introductory course takes up the vast, rich, and profound stores of world literature - not written originally in English. Varying by semester and instructor, this course raises key questions of literature, geography and culture. Topics have included the Bible as Literature, Asian Literature, and Poetics & Politics of Translation. Students debate issues of universality and uniqueness in expression and culture. Offered occasionally. This class meets the liberal arts core requirement in literature.
ENGL 2270W Global Shakespeare — 4 credits
Discover Shakespeare through close reading and discussion of his sonnets and plays within an international context. Explore performance criticism by global authors from diverse cultural backgrounds and experience adaptations of Shakespeare's plays on stage or screen. Form a critical perspective on Shakespeare as a global cultural phenomenon and as a site of resistance for authors and thespians of color, and understand "the Bard" from his incarnation in Elizabethan England through his transformations and translations in the 21st century. Offered annually. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation, and it also meets the liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 2280W Literary Themes — 4 credits
Examine the cultural and historical themes of imaginative texts across multiple literary genres, including short and long fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Varying themes have included the Harlem Renaissance, Irish and Scottish Literature, Women on the Road, Portrayals of Native Americans in Poetry, Literature in Sickness and in Health, and Marriage and Family Relationships. Credit may be earned under this course number more than once for different emphases. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults. Meets the liberal arts core requirement in literature.
ENGL 2290 Women and Literature — 4 credits
This course focuses on the ways which women's identities, world views, roles, and relationships emerge in literary works written by both women and men. Varying themes include International Black Women Writers, Mothers and Daughters, Women, Men and Marriage, Fictional Female Detectives, Female Heroes, Lesbian Texts in Contexts, Black Women’s Personal Narratives, and Scarlet Women. Credit may be earned under this course number more than once for different emphases. Also offered as WOST 2290. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 2310 Creative Writing — 4 credits
This course allows students to explore realms of imaginative writing. Students will produce poems and stories along with other genres, including possibly plays, memoirs, experimental intermixing, and cross-overs. As the first course of the creative writing sequence, students will try out a number of styles, forms and approaches to language and gain exposure to a broad range of creative work. Offered every semester. This course does not meet the liberal arts core requirement in literature, nor, while writing intensive, does this course fulfill a writing intensive requirement. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 2350 Introduction to English Grammar — 4 credits
This course focuses on the grammar of standard written English from the rhetorical perspective; that is, how the topic, purpose and audience affect the writer's grammatical and stylistic choices. In addition, the socio-cultural significance of grammatical usage in U.S. society, and issues and concerns that surround the teaching of grammar are addressed. Appropriate for education majors and students who wish to strengthen their grammar skills. This class does not count as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. It does not fulfill the liberal arts literature requirement. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 2350W Introduction to English Grammar — 4 credits
This course focuses on the grammar of standard written English from the rhetorical perspective; that is, how the topic, purpose and audience affect the writer's grammatical and stylistic choices. In addition, the socio-cultural significance of grammatical usage in U.S. society, and issues and concerns that surround the teaching of grammar are addressed. Appropriate for education majors and students who wish to strengthen their grammar skills. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 2402 Language in Society — 4 credits
This course introduces students to basic concepts in the study of language. It examines language as it is used in everyday interaction, focusing on the relationships between language use and the social structures in which we live: families, communities, classrooms, workplaces. Students look at how language variation relates to social characteristics such as gender, ethnic identity, and social class and how social factors mold their attitudes toward other languages and other dialects. Required for English majors and as a prerequisite for ENGL 3400W. Also offered as WOST 2402. It does not meet the liberal arts requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 2470 Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) — 4 credits
This course introduces students to the field of TESL, also referred to as Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) overseas. Students will explore how second languages are learned especially in contrast to native or first languages. Students will also look at individual differences in second language learning, asking the question what is a good language learner as well as what are the conditions that best facilitate second language learning? Students will read about best practices in teaching language, specifically speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar. Students will have the opportunity to observe and assist an experienced ESL teacher in the classroom, for the service-learning component of this class and to connect theory with practice through a series of reflective journals about their service-learning experience and a materials development project. Finally, students will learn about the broader context of language learning, both within the U.S. as well as overseas. Students will read and discuss articles that critically examine the relationships of language, culture, and identity for immigrants in the U.S. and the role of English as an international language overseas. Guest speakers, consisting of St. Kate’s graduates and staff, will talk about their experiences teaching English overseas, learning English and adapting to life in Minnesota, and the role of English in their home countries. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 2500 The Short Story — 2 credits
This writing-based literature course introduces you to the skill of reading and writing short stories. You will read and analyze written work by emerging, established and renowned authors. You will also experiment with your own short story writing to facilitate learning about the varying techniques for writing effective short stories. Both reading and writing activities focus on the intentional use of style and language in short stories. Offered in the College for Adults.
ENGL 2684 Directed Study — 4 credits
Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty-directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.
ENGL 2994 Topics — 4 credits
The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies but does not duplicate existing courses. Some sections meet the liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 3200W Public Relations Writing — 4 credits
This course combines theory and practice from the Communication Studies discipline to give students the opportunity to develop skills to create effective promotional and public relations messages a professional context. Students will learn to analyze audiences and assess promotional goals to plan effective public relations messages. Students will also work collaboratively and individually to produce news releases, content for an online newsroom, promotion for an event, and a portfolio of collected work. Special issues related to promotional writing include planning and research, appropriate grammar and mechanics, and basic publication design principles. Also offered as COMM. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 3202 Literary Theory and Practice — 4 credits
In Literary Theory and Practice, students will study the history of literary analysis as they learn and critique established models of literary, cultural, and rhetorical approaches to texts. Students will also be challenged to develop their own critical voice as they enact their own textual practice in a final research paper. Required for English majors and as a prerequisite for all upper-level literature courses. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3250 Canons in Conversation — 4 credits
In this course, traditional canonical literary works will be paired with literary works that challenge, comment on or expand upon them. Through exploration of these pairings, we will focus on criteria that have been used to designate works as “classics” or “great literature” and will grapple with the ways that race, gender, class and other cultural factors affect this selection process.
Prerequisite: ENGL 2200 or equivalent. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3260 Literary Movements and Eras — 4 credits
This course captures the spirit of a selected literary era or movement by comparing texts within their social and cross-cultural contexts. Readings may also bridge literary genres to include fiction, poetry and drama, as well as autobiography, essays, letters, even popular songs. Students may earn credit under this course number more than once for varied emphases.
Prerequisite: ENGL 3202 or equivalent. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 3270 Intertextuality — 4 credits
This course explores the connections between literary works and their film adaptations or transformations, online revisions or retellings, graphic renderings or other manifestations in new media. As we put texts in conversation, we will analyze how they creatively misread or revise other texts.
Prerequisite: ENGL 3202 or equivalent. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 3280 Literature in Translation — 4 credits
This course takes up the vast, rich, and profound stores of world literature - not written originally in English. Varying by semester and instructor, this course raises key questions of literature, geography and culture. Topics have included the Bible as Literature, Asian Literature, and Poetics & Politics of Translation. Students debate issues of universality and uniqueness in expression and culture. Offered occasionally. This class meets the liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 3290 Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies — 4 credits
The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies but does not duplicate existing courses.
Prerequisite: ENGL 3202 or equivalent.
ENGL 3302W Writing for Writers — 4 credits
This gateway course surveys the types of writing students will encounter in the St. Kate's English curriculum across creative, nonfiction, and professional modes. We will explore essay, journalistic, and memoir writing, investigate the elements of good fiction and poetry, and delve into the basic practices of business and professional writing. Interactive class activities, group work and guest speakers will enhance the learning in this introductory class aimed at students who take their writing seriously. Required for English majors and as a prerequisite for upper-level writing courses. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3310 Intermediate Creative Writing — 4 credits
This workshop course continues the investigation of sources for creativity and furthers the practice and understanding of a particular genre, rotating every other semester among Poetry, Performance, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. Emphasis is on affirming a strong individual voice while expanding your ability to express it. Revision becomes an urgent and imaginative activity. Credit may be earned under this course number twice for different emphases.
Prerequisite: ENGL 3302W or ENGL 2310.
ENGL 3340W Writing for Digital Age — 4 credits
In our highly mediated culture, writing is no longer just about using pens, pencils, and computers to place words on the page (whether paper or electronic). We will take a more expansive understanding of writing in this course, recognizing that composing in the digital age includes text creation across media and genres, and including modes such as still and moving image, alphanumeric text, and sound. In other words, composing is multimodal. We will explore and practice effective communication for the digital age through online discussions, analytical assignments, research, and the development of a digital portfolio. Does not meet the liberal arts core requirement in literature. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3360W Professional Writing — 4 credits
This course introduces rhetorical, ethical, and information design principles for communication in professional and technical contexts. Students will analyze and compose texts across genres in both print and electronic modalities for diverse specialist and lay audiences and stakeholders. This writing-intensive course emphasizes the use of clear, concise, and persuasive language and fosters collaborative composing processes to develop communication skills that will transfer to career opportunities after graduation. Projects may include proposals, instructions, research reports, presentations, resumés, and cover letters. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: ENGL 3302W or equivalent.
ENGL 3400W Language as Power — 4 credits
This class will take students into the complex and often hidden intersections of language and power, focusing on the many ways in which language serves as a tool of power. It will examine how people negotiate power on several levels, both individually and socially; how words imply more than they say (and thus can be used to manipulate); how language policies in education and other societal institutions privilege some groups while oppressing others; and how oppressed groups use language to resist their oppression. Because language is so intimately tied to the communities that use it, we will examine language use through the lenses of race/ethnicity and gender among others. Also offered as CRST 3401W and WOST 3400W. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. Does not meet the liberal arts core requirement in literature.
Prerequisite: ENGL 2402. Not open to first-year students. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3450 Linguistic Analysis — 4 credits
This class will introduce students to the scientific study of language. Students will learn how languages are structured, how they express meaning, how they are learned, and how they change over time. The class will examine the sound systems of languages, the ways they construct words, and how they put words together into phrases and sentences. Using English as a basis, the course will explore the vast variety of the world's languages. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3480 World Englishes: Past and Present — 4 credits
This course focuses on English as a global language, tracing its history from Old English to Early Modern English to its spread around the world and its subsequent pluralization into many unique and diverse Englishes, from Jamaica to India, Nigeria to Singapore. The course looks at how English has changed over time as well as how and why English spread. It examines the reasons for its spread and the forces that helped propel English to its current position, as well as shift the status of other languages, including standard language ideology, linguistic imperialism, and linguicism. The course also looks at the use of English today in education, health, science, business, and politics, both in its capacity as an official language in 88 countries as well as its role as an international lingua franca. It also examines various social justice issues resulting from its current status, such as unequal access to English language education, discriminatory attitudes toward localized varieties of English, and the endangered status of other languages. Finally, the course explores several seminal works in World Englishes literature that reflect localized varieties of English in different ways. Also offered as CRST. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 3490 Topics in Language Studies — 4 credits
The subject matter of this course varies. Topics may include: Bilingualism and Multilingualism; Endangered Languages; Language, Culture, and Identity; Linguistic Human Rights; Language, Race and Ethnicity; and Critical Discourse Analysis. Offered in alternate years. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
ENGL 3551 Short Stories from Hispanic Writers — 4 credits
In this class, students will become familiar with short stories written by authors which represent the literary production of Spain and of countries that, because of their past history of colonization by Spain, have Spanish as their official or second language; countries such as Hispanic America, Equatorial Guinea and the Philippines. Authors may vary each time the class is offered but they will represent many historical periods from the Middle Ages to present time. Thus, students will be able to appreciate the ideas and tendencies that had influence over the genre through the centuries. Approaches to the study of these short stories will vary according to the instructor. Also offered as SPAN 3550 and WOST 3550.
ENGL 4310 Creative Writing Workshop — 4 credits
The culminating step in the creative writing sequence, this workshop course is focused on the production of a polished body of work: fiction, poetry, drama, or creative nonfiction-memoir. In addition to participating in writing workshops and meeting writers from the Twin Cities community, students will be exposed to an array of publication venues — quarterlies, journals — where they might consider submitting their work for publication. Offered only occasionally, the course does not meet the liberal arts core requirement in literature, nor can intensive writing credit be earned.
Prerequisites: Two courses in creative writing or permission of instructor.
ENGL 4320W The Editorial Process — 4 credits
In this course, students will develop the skills necessary for editing texts in a variety of genres and professional and technical contexts. With an emphasis on rhetorical awareness of audience needs and collaboration with peers, students will learn to make informed editorial decisions on content, organization, style, document design, usability, and language mechanics. This writing-intensive course emphasizes applied, hands-on editing practice and prepares students for careers in fields such as publishing, technical writing, and content strategy.
Offered annually. This class counts as one of the four Writing Intensive courses required for graduation. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
Prerequisite: ENGL 3302W or equivalent or permission of instructor.
ENGL 4600 Internship — 0 credits
This is a structured out-of-class learning experience that takes place on- or off-campus and includes a substantial work component. An internship involves students in a particular profession in an exploratory way to test career interests and potential. To initiate an internship experience, meet with the internship coordinator in the Career Development Office.
Prerequisites: Faculty sponsorship and approval by department chair.
ENGL 4602 Internship — 2 credits
This course is a structured out-of-class learning experience that takes place on or off campus and includes a substantial work component. An internship involves students in a venue to explore career interests and potential. To initiate an internship experience, meet with the internship coordinator in the Career Development Office.
Prerequisites: Faculty sponsorship and approval by department chair.
ENGL 4604 Internship — 4 credits
This course is a structured out-of-class learning experience that takes place on or off campus and includes a substantial work component. An internship involves you in a venue to explore career interests and potential. To initiate an internship experience, meet with the internship coordinator in the Career Development Office.
Prerequisites: Faculty sponsorship and approval by department chair.
ENGL 4684 Directed Study — 4 credits
Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty-directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.
ENGL 4686 Internship: Writing in the Workplace — 4 credits
This trailblazing class for junior and senior English majors and minors will send students into an office, either on or off-campus, for a one-semester internship where they will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of workplace experiences. A student might develop copy for newsletters, websites, brochures and books; produce public relations materials; cultivate editing and proofing skills; research historical documents or experiment with graphic design programs. All professional experiences will enrich students' writing, communication and interpersonal skills and provide them with a set of materials they can take with them in their search for employment after graduation. Additionally, one class meeting each week will focus on effective writing strategies for the business world; language skill development and the art of resume, cover letter and email writing; planning for job interviews; and suggestions for working productively with colleagues in an office community. Guest speakers throughout the semester will enhance the learning.
Prerequisite: ENGL 1905W or ENGL 3302W. Once registered, the student will receive a list of interesting and diverse on and off-campus internships to consider and information about officially checking in with the Career Development Office. Offered in the College for Women.
ENGL 4702 Internship in TESL — 2 credits
The internship provides students with the opportunity to apply theory and knowledge about second language acquisition, best practices in teaching English, and the broader context of language learning to their own practice and development as a teacher of English as a second language. The internship will take place at an adult learning center, a high school for new Americans, or an elementary school with English language learners (ELLs) in the Twin Cities area, or overseas at an approved site or through an approved organization. In addition to teaching or co-teaching their own class, students will submit weekly reflections on their teaching.
Prerequisite: Instructor and department chair permission.
ENGL 4860W Senior Seminar: Humanities Capstone — 4 credits
The primary goal of this course is for students to develop a capstone project, which they will complete by the end of the semester. To support students on their projects, there will be weekly meetings focusing on different steps of the writing and project development process. Students will also be expected to present their work as part of a symposium near the end of the semester. This course is a writing-intensive course and is open to majors in selected fields in the Humanities. Offered in the College for Women. Co-convenes with HIST4850W, PHIL4850W and SPAN 4860W.
ENGL 4954 Independent Study — 4 credits
For students wishing intensive or advanced work in literature under the direction of faculty specialists.
Prerequisites: Faculty and department chair permission.
ENGL 4994 Topics — 4 credits
The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies but does not duplicate existing courses. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
SPAN 1110 Elementary Spanish I — 4 credits
This course encourages student active involvement with Spanish from the first class, helping students to develop knowledge and practical ability at an elementary level in all five skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking and cultural awareness. Offered every semester. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
Prerequisite: Placement exam required of all students, unless they have never taken Spanish.
SPAN 1120 Elementary Spanish II — 4 credits
Continuation of Elementary Spanish I. Students will further develop their receptive abilities in listening, reading, and cultural awareness at the same time they increase their communication skills in the productive abilities of speaking and writing. Offered in fall and spring semester. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults. Placement exam required of students who did not take Elementary Spanish I at St. Catherine University.
Prerequisite: SPAN 1110 with a minimum grade of C-, its equivalent, or placement exam.
SPAN 2110 Intermediate Spanish I — 4 credits
This course is designed to increase listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Spanish with a focus on Hispanic culture, including intensive practice of grammatical structures. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: SPAN 1120 with a minimum grade of C-, its equivalent, or placement exam.
SPAN 2120 Spanish for the Professions — 4 credits
This course will focus on cultural climate related to job environments, such as the health system, judicial system, and business world, complemented by a political overview and career readiness for the job market. Course will address four modalities of language use -speaking, reading, writing, listening- that student will need in any job, and most importantly, they will be prepared to face a culturally diverse workplace and better communicate with coworkers from different Spanish speaking countries. The course will be frame in the five skills recommend for second language acquisition: culture, communication, communities, connections and comparisons, in a changing global reality. Instruction will adapt according to the student’s main concentration. Offered in Spring semester. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2110 or Placement Exam Score 440-549.
SPAN 3050W Visions of the Hispanic World: Reading to Speak and Write — 4 credits
Through this writing-intensive course, students will utilize a cross-cultural approach to discuss and analyze Spanish-language readings that provide interdisciplinary themes. Varying from semester to semester, texts and films may be chosen from a range of time periods, genres, and place of origin: Spain, Latin America and/or Spanish-speaking parts of the U.S. Students will focus primarily on critical reading and writing, as they continue to polish skills in listening and speaking. Offered every semester. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2120, its equivalent, or placement exam.
SPAN 3160 Hispanics in the United States — 4 credits
Students will gain knowledge about the layered history and issues involving Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. As students discuss a number of materials, from writings to film, documentaries, the arts, and experiential learning tasks, they will increase their awareness of and experience with cross-cultural, bilingual ways of life, thinking and being. Students will speak primarily in Spanish. Offered spring semester. Offered in the College for Women. Also offered as CRST.
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C- in SPAN 3050W.
SPAN 3250 Introduction to Critical Cultural and Literary Analysis — 4 credits
Students will learn how to read and write about a variety of literary and cultural texts from the Spanish speaking world, including film. At the same time students will incorporate into their work specialized analytical terminology, as well as consider the socio-historical, political, and economic context of the works, their authors, and their audience. This course will prepare students for success in advanced classes in the department. Offered in fall semester. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2120.
SPAN 3550 Short Stories from Hispanic Writers — 4 credits
In this class, students will become familiar with short stories written by authors which represent the literary production of Spain and of countries that, because of their past history of colonization by Spain, have Spanish as their official or second language; countries such as Hispanic America, Equatorial Guinea and the Philippines. Authors may vary each time the class is offered but they will represent many historical periods from the Middle Ages to present time. Thus, students will be able to appreciate the ideas and tendencies that had influence over the genre through the centuries. Approaches to the study of these short stories will vary according to the instructor. Also offered as ENGL 3551 and WOST 3550.
SPAN 4000 Hispanic Masterpieces — 4 credits
Students will read and analyze literary masterworks written in Spanish. Content varies and may focus on connecting themes bridging writers from Spain, Latin America and/or the U.S.
Prerequisite: SPAN 3050W or equivalent.
SPAN 4100 Hispanic Women Writers — 4 credits
Through reading texts written by important Hispanic women writers, students will gain insight into rich, wide-ranging and diverse histories and cultures of written work by Spanish-speaking women writers across places and time, from Spain to the Twin Cities. Offered every other year. Also offered as WOST 4100.
SPAN 4604 Internship — 4 credits
As a minor or major, students may plan structured out-of-class learning experiences that combine either a work component or cultural/linguistic development in an Hispanic environment. To initiate an internship experience, students should meet with the internship coordinator in the Career Development Office, and a member of the Spanish faculty to discuss the on-campus requirements of their internship contract.
Prerequisites: Approval by Spanish Department chair.
SPAN 4684 Directed Study — 4 credits
Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty-directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.
SPAN 4860W Senior Seminar: Humanities Capstone — 4 credits
The primary goal of this course is for students to develop a capstone project, which they will complete by the end of the semester. To support students on their projects, there will be weekly meetings focusing on different steps of the writing and project development process. Students will also be expected to present their work as part of a symposium near the end of the semester. This course is a writing-intensive course and is open to majors in selected fields in the Humanities. Offered in the College for Women. Co-convenes with HIST4850W, PHIL4850W and ENGL 4860W.
SPAN 4952 Independent Study — 2 credits
Students should contact the Spanish Department faculty to discuss the topic/theme of the independent study project they have in mind.
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and department chair.
SPAN 4954 Independent Study — 4 credits
You should contact the Spanish Department faculty to discuss the topic/theme of the independent study project you have in mind.
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and department chair.
SPAN 4994 Topics — 4 credits
Students will have the opportunity to learn about topics that are not regularly offered in the department. Content varies from year to year but does not duplicate existing courses. Topics could include, but are not limited to, Latino theater, poetry, literature and film.
Prerequisite: SPAN 3050W or consent of instructor.