BA (Hons) Spanish and Latin American Studies
Study Spanish at Stirling and discover a world of new opportunities. We ensure that, if you make the most of our modules, classes and study abroad opportunities, you are ready to speak, read and write Spanish on a professional level.
Key facts
- Award BA (Hons)
- Start date January 2024, September 2024, January 2025
- Duration 48 months or 36 months (completing an optional Language Assistantship increases the study period to 60 months or 48 months)
- Mode of study full time, part time
- Delivery on campus
- UCAS Code R410
- Study abroad opportunities
Overview
Over 400 million people around the world speak Spanish – which is why learning the language for yourself makes you a powerful asset to employers in an age of global opportunities.
This course offers Spanish for all – from complete beginners to advanced speakers – and equips you to read, write and speak the language on an advanced level appropriate for the demands of today’s job market. You will also have the chance to acquire a critical awareness of the societies and cultures of Spain and Latin America, as well as transferrable skills that can be applied in a number of professional and academic settings.
In order to truly immerse yourself in Spanish and Latin American cultures, and in most degree combinations, you will spend an extended period studying abroad in Spain, Mexico, Chile or Argentina. This opportunity to refine your language skills will be enhanced by the research-led teaching you will enjoy in Stirling. There is also normally the opportunity to work abroad with the British Council to enhance your CV, and at the same time you keep learning and experiencing the language and the culture. This is a competitive exercise, and students must apply in advance to be considered (information and meetings are run every year for interested students).
If you would like to explore multiple subjects, Spanish and Latin American Studies can be combined with a number of other courses. From Accountancy or French and Education (Secondary) or Business Studies to Law and Journalism, each combination is designed to help you work towards your vision for the future right from the outset of your studies.
Top reasons to study with us
Prizes or awards
When graduating, the best student will receive the Blanco White prize.
Entry requirements
Year 1 entry – Four-year honours
SQA Highers
ABBB - by the end of S5
AABB - by the end of S6
GCE A-level
BBB
IB Diploma
30
BTEC (Level 3)
DDM
Essential subjects
To apply for a combined degree with French and Spanish, you’ll require one of these languages at Higher or A-level (or equivalent).
Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.
Year 2 entry – Three-year honours
SQA Advanced Highers
ABB
GCE A-levels
ABB
IB Diploma
35
Essential subjects
Spanish
Other Scottish qualifications
Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
Access courses
University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
SWAP access course - for mature students only.
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B
Essential subjects
To apply for a combined degree with French and Spanish, you’ll require one of these languages at Higher or A-level (or equivalent).
Other qualifications
English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions
English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses
Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.
Essential subjects
To apply for a combined degree with French and Spanish, you’ll require one of these languages at Higher or A-level (or equivalent).
International entry requirements
Advanced entry
Advanced entry is not available for this course.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses
Course details
In semesters 1-3 you will take Spanish at either beginners' or advanced learners' level, plus two modules in other subjects, allowing you to develop your interests and enhance your critical and analytical skills. As far and soon as possible, the classroom language is Spanish.
In the first two semesters beginners focus exclusively on developing their Spanish with a dedicated language course (with some opportunities to introduce the student to the concept of Culture Studies in Spanish and Latin American Studies). The course for advanced Spanish learners comprises tuition in written and spoken Spanish and Latin American Studies, including cultural aspects.
During semesters 3-4, beginners and advanced language students will deepen their language knowledge, as well as study Spanish and Latin American cultures. You will acquire skills of how to express yourself in an informed and critical way, orally and in writing, in and about the fields of your study.
In semesters 5-8, you will continue with the study of language in its written and spoken forms and choose from a variety of thematic optional modules. Previous option modules have discussed topics on: Andean Culture; Creative Writing; History and Politics in Argentine Culture; National Identities in the Basque Country and Catalonia; and Sexuality and Gender in Latin American Film.
In our Single Honours and many of our combined degrees there is a compulsory period of study abroad for a semester in a Spanish-speaking country. In your final study year, you may write a dissertation on your chosen subject in place of a taught module. If you are taking a Single Honours degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies, it is mandatory to write a dissertation.
The "Option B" study route listed below for semesters 5 and 6 is only for students who have received explicit permission from the course director not to study abroad in semester 6.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the current academic year (September 2023). Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course details
Teaching
You will learn via a combination of lectures, language tutorials, seminars, oral practice sessions with a native speaker and extra curricular activities.
You can study Spanish at advanced level or as a beginner. Years 1 and 2 of our advanced stream are in written and spoken in Spanish to further develop your knowledge of the language. At the same time, you will take an introduction to modern Spanish and Latin American cultures.
The beginners’ stream concentrates on learning the language in Semesters 1 and 2 through a dedicated language programme. In the first semester of Year 2, beginners progress to an intermediate course – enhancing their knowledge of the language while being progressively introduced to the study of Spanish and Latin American cultures. In Semester 4, you will be ready to join students from the advanced course with a good knowledge of the language and have a firm grasp of the necessary skills needed to study Spanish and Latin American cultures more critically and intensively.
Assessment
Formal assessment is by coursework such as language exercises, essays on set or chosen topics and written for particular reader groups, and oral presentations and engagement. You will also be assessed through exams of various types, including oral exams in Spanish. Written exams require essay-type answers, and language exams test your progress in language structures. Thus modules are assessed by both coursework and examination.
Study abroad
If you study for an Honours Degree in Spanish, you will spend a period of residence abroad. This is usually in Semester 6, and will place you in a Spanish-speaking university. Stirling has exchange agreements with the universities of León, Santander, Sevilla, Jaén, Huelva, Oviedo, Navarra, Córdoba, Granada and Santiago de Compostela. In Latin America, there are exchange agreements with universities in Mexico City, Santiago de Chile and Córdoba in Argentina. In certain degrees, including Single Honours Spanish, the whole of Semesters 5 and 6 can be spent at a Spanish or Latin American university.
You will also have the option of working for a year abroad, normally between semesters 4 and 5. Students often spend this in paid employment – typically as a language assistant teaching English in a school.
Contact
Mr José Ferreira-Cayuela, Course Director
+44 (0) 1786 467541
jose.ferreiracayuela@stir.ac.uk
Fees and funding
Fees and costs
| Academic year: | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish students | £1,820 | £1,820 |
| Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland | £9,250 | £9,250 |
| International students (including EU) | £16,400 | £17,200 |
Scottish students
This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, if you are domiciled in Scotland you can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on your behalf.
You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland are eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
We also offer additional funding – such as our Honours Year Scholarship – for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities section below for more information.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
International students (including EU)
Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. See our range of generous scholarships for international undergraduate students.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Funding
See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.
Students from Scotland
Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Eligible students will automatically receive our Undergraduate Welcome Scholarship, Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and our Honours Year Scholarship, which are worth between £1,000 and £9,250.
International students
Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.
Cost of living
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Payment options
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.
After you graduate
What jobs can you get with a Spanish degree?
Language skills are highly sought by employers, and open up a wide range of careers. University of Stirling graduates with a degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies have secured jobs teaching in both Spanish and English, translating and interpreting – as well as roles working in finance, the civil service, industry and commerce, marketing, administration, charity work, publishing and public relations.
Spanish and Latin American Studies will help you develop good communication and intercultural skills. You will also acquire critical analytical competence. Spending time abroad during your degree programme helps you develop cultural awareness, as well as an ability to adapt to new surroundings and work independently or as part of a team. In a job market which is becoming increasingly global, these skills are in high demand across most career sectors.
- Combine Spanish with a wide range of other subjects to focus in on your specific ambitions.
- Your experiences of using Spanish abroad help to prepare you for a range of professional settings, and may make your CV stand out from the rest.
Employability skills
Your employability is one of our highest priorities, and we want to make sure that you have every possible advantage when you enter the job market. We offer a comprehensive employability and skills programme to help you maximise your time at Stirling and develop the attributes required by employers. We also have a dedicated Faculty Employability and Skills Officer and a Careers Service that work in partnership with academic staff to ensure that you get the best out of your university experience, and are given the right opportunities to prepare you for the world of work.
Your studies will equip you with skills in the following areas, plus many more:
- intercultural communication
- social skills
- analytical and critical thinking
- independent study and research
- time management
- teamwork
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What our students said
Scotland
BA (Hons) Spanish and Latin American Studies
Read Kirsty's storyTo anyone who is considering doing a language course at the University of Stirling - absolutely do it! We have a fantastic programme here, you are in a beautiful campus, you've got opportunities to really improve your Spanish - most of our lecturers all comes from either Spain or Latin America as well.
Flexible study
Are you interested in more than one of our courses? You might not have to choose between them. Here at Stirling, we believe in choice and offer more than 170 course combinations.
| Course name | UCAS code |
|---|---|
| Accountancy | UCAS code for this combination: NR44 |
| Business Studies | UCAS code for this combination: NRF4 |
| Computing Science | UCAS code for this combination: GR44 |
| English Studies | UCAS code for this combination: QR34 |
| Film and Media | UCAS code for this combination: RP43 |
| French | UCAS code for this combination: RR14 |
| French and Education (Secondary) | UCAS code for this combination: RXD1 |
| History | UCAS code for this combination: RV41 |
| Human Resource Management | UCAS code for this combination: NR64 |
| Journalism Studies | UCAS code for this combination: PR54 |
| Law | UCAS code for this combination: MR14 |
| Marketing | UCAS code for this combination: N5R4 |
| Sociology | UCAS code for this combination: LR34 |
For a combined honours degree where the two subjects have different entry requirements, you will usually be asked to meet the higher entry requirement.
Find out more about degree flexibility and how you can take combined courses.