Spanish in Madrid

COURSE OF STUDY, 18 CREDITS

Students enroll in three regular courses and an additional independent reading course for a total of 18 credits.  All courses count toward a major in Spanish or Romance Languages, and they apply toward the Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature or Foreign Language and Area Studies.

SPAN 290-17: Independent Reading (2 Credits) S/CR/NC
Basic readings in Spanish history and culture in preparation for the program.

SPAN 209: Politics and Culture in Contemporary Spain (4 Credits)
An overview of Spanish history, culture, and politics with an emphasis on current issues such as immigration, education laws, the European Union, unemployment, and nationalism. 
Instructor: Óscar Garcinuño

SPAN 247: Spanish and Italian Art in the Age of Velazquez (6 Credits)
This course is a study of the artistic exchange between Spain and Italy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Artists studied include Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini, and the stay of Velazquez in Rome.    The first part of the course takes place in Rome and the rest in Madrid.
Instructor: Javier Pérez Segura

SPAN 349: Theory and Practice of Urban Life (6 Credits)
More than a study of the image of Madrid in Spanish literature, this course examines the actual experience of living in a cosmopolitan
city through a variety of disciplines, including Urban Studies, Philosophy, Architecture, Sociology, and Spanish poetry and fiction.
Instructor: Humberto Huergo

LEARNING GOALS

• To appreciate the value of urban life
• To explore the role of the city across various academic disciplines—literature, cinema, philosophy, sociology
• To understand how city planning affects the quality of everyday life
• To explore the cultural exchange between Spain and Italy across time
• To understand the fundamental cultural, political, and economic problems affecting contemporary Spain

EXCURSIONS

Cultural activities, speakers, and excursions within Madrid will supplement course work. In addition, there will be an excursion to Toledo (one night and two days) and opportunities for individual travel throughout Spain.