Professional Competencies for Heritage Spanish Speakers Certificate

Program Description

The “Certificate in Professional Competencies for Heritage Spanish Speakers” provides students with advanced speaking and writing skills to improve their professional preparation and competitiveness.

This certificate is state supported.

Degree Requirements

The “Certificate in Professional and Conversational Competence for Spanish Heritage Speakers” is open to all students who identify or are identified as heritage speakers of Spanish. The certificate requires 15 units of coursework, depending on the student’s demonstrated language competence in Spanish.

This certificate program can only be pursued in combination with a degree program and is not a “standalone” program.

Note:

For students who place at the upper-division level in Spanish, the program requires 15 units. Upper-division standing can be demonstrated by:

a. an AP score of 5 in Spanish Language and Culture or 4 in AP Spanish Literature and Culture*;

b. the equivalent of SPAN 201B, 200, or 250 at another institution;

c. a placement test score of Intermediate High or better.

Students who do not meet the above requirements must take SPAN 201B or 250.

* an AP score below 5 in Spanish Language and Culture or below 4 in Spanish Literature and Culture will require additional lower-division Spanish classes.

Requirements (15 units)

Take the following courses:

SPAN 300 - Advanced Grammar and Composition (6 units)
SPAN 315 - Professional Conversation for Spanish Heritage Speakers (3 units)

Take a minimum of 6 units from the following selection of courses:

SPAN 225 - Spanish for Healthcare (3 units)
SPAN 227 - Spanish for Mental Health (3 units)
SPAN 335A - Business Spanish (3 units)
SPAN 335B - Business Spanish (3 units)
SPAN 423 - Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (3 units)
SPAN 461 - Introduction to Translation and Interpretation (3 units)
SPAN 462 - Written and Sight Translation I: English/Spanish (3 units)
SPAN 463 - Written and Sight Translation II: Spanish/English (3 units)
SPAN 464 - Consecutive Interpretation I (3 units)
SPAN 465 - Consecutive Interpretation II (3 units)

Note

One of these electives can be substituted with a 3-unit internship course (SPAN 494 or SPAN 462 ) only after the undergraduate advisor in Spanish approves a proposal that contains a Spanish language component. Spanish majors may only double count 6 units between the Spanish BA and Certificate requirements.

To complete the certificate requirements

Students have to take an outside standard-based language assessment online: Avant Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) Test. Students must take this test at least once for the certificate but are encouraged to take it at the beginning and end of their coursework related to the certificate. See the Avant Assessment Heritage Place site for details.