FAQs, Undergraduate, Department of Spanish & Portuguese: WCAS

1. What score on the Spanish A.P. exam fulfills the WCAS Language Requirement?
2. If I have taken the A.P. exam in Spanish and wish to continue my studies, what course should I take?
3. What should I do to register for a course that is full?
4. If I have specific questions about Spanish language courses, whom should I contact?
5. If I wish to take Portuguese, what should I do and with whom should I speak?
6. When do I need to see an adviser?
7. Who is my adviser?
8. When should I contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS)?
9. How do I declare a major or a minor?
10. What study abroad opportunities are available?
11. What credits can I receive for courses taken abroad?
12. How can I find out in advance what courses are being offered in the future?
13. When should I fill out the Petition to Graduate?

1. What score on the Spanish A.P. exam fulfills the WCAS Language Requirement?

An A.P. score of 4 fulfills the WCAS Language Requirement. The department's guidelines are posted on our website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/place2.html

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2. If I have taken the A.P. exam in Spanish and wish to continue my studies, what course should I take?

If you received a 3 on the A.P., you need to enroll in 102-3.

If you received a 4, you should enroll in 199.

If you received a 5, you should enroll in 201-1.

For more information on these courses, please consult the list of courses available on the website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/course2.html.

Please follow the instructions located on the department's website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/courses.html.

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4. If I have specific questions about Spanish language courses, whom should I contact?

If you have questions regarding 102-3 (fall quarter), 199, 201, 202, 207, and 301, please contact the Director of the Spanish Language Program, Sonia García (sgarcia@northwestern.edu; 1-8280)

If you have questions regarding 101, 115, 102-1, 102-2, 102-3 (spring), please contact the Assistant Director of the Spanish Language Program, Heather Colburn (h-colburn@northwestern.edu; 1-8089)

For questions regarding the Portuguese Language Program, please contact the Portuguese Program Coordinator, Vera Teixeira (v-muller-bergh@northwestern.edu; 1-8283)

If you have already taken Portuguese, please read the information on the department website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/place1.html

If you have not taken Portuguese before, you should enroll in 111/112-1.

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6. When do I need to see an adviser?

You should meet with an adviser if you have questions about courses or the major & minor programs. If you are considering a major or minor in Spanish, please read the information listed on the website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/major.html or www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/minor.html

Majors and minors should see an adviser once each quarter in order to discuss course schedules and long-term planning to complete the major or minor. Each quarter a list of faculty advisers will be available for consultation. You can check the faculty advisers' office hours posted outside their offices or check the department's website in order to make an appointment with one of the faculty advisers.

Majors and minors do not have a specific adviser. You can make appointments with any of the faculty advisers who are available each quarter. Please contact the department for a list of faculty advisers and office hours (spanish-portuguese@northwestern.edu; 1-8249) or check the dept.'s website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/faculty/index.html.

The Director of Undergraduate Studies oversees the literature and culture course offerings in the department. If you have a specific question regarding Span 210 and above in which you are currently enrolled, please speak first with the instructor. If you have general questions about Span 210 and above, you should speak with any one of the faculty advisers available during the quarter. In the event that the instructor or faculty adviser cannot satisfactorily answer your questions, please make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Declaration of Major and Declaration of Minor forms are available in the department office. You should make an appointment with a faculty adviser and provide him or her with the appropriate completed form.

The department actively encourages majors and minors to study abroad. For information on affiliated programs, you should consult the Study Abroad Office website. In addition, you should contact the Study Abroad adviser in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese prior to going abroad to discuss your goals for studying abroad and the department's norms for receiving credit for courses taken abroad. It is important to do this before your program begins. Students in WCAS should also consult the College's guidelines for study abroad.

The guidelines for receiving credit for study abroad courses are detailed on the department's website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/spanish-portuguese/undergraduate/abroad.html. Once you have received confirmation that your study abroad transcript has been processed by the Study Abroad Office and sent on to the Registrar (this can take up to two months), you should make an appointment with the department's Study Abroad adviser. When you meet with the Study Abroad adviser, you must bring all papers, notes, exams, and essays from the courses for which you seek credit, along with the department's Petition for Credit for Courses Taken Abroad form, the WCAS Petition for Abroad Credit, your study abroad transcript, and an unofficial NU transcript.

The department will send majors and minors a list of courses for the next quarter prior to pre-registration. You can also check CAESAR for a list of courses. If you wish to discuss long-term goals for fulfilling the major or minor requirements, please make an appointment with a faculty adviser. The course offerings for each quarter may be subject to change.

You should consult the WCAS website at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/petition.html. You need to file a Petition to Graduate for each major you plan to complete, as well as a Minor Application if you plan to graduate with a minor too. You should make an appointment with a faculty adviser and bring the appropriate completed form to review your major or minor program.

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