Liberal Studies Major: Spanish Concentration B.A.

Liberal Studies Major Program Director: Whitney Wall Bortz, Ph.D.

Concentration Program Director: Graciela Perez, Ph.D.

Students with native or near-native proficiency can take upper-level courses offered in the Spanish major and apply them to the Spanish concentration. (Program director's approval is required.)

Overview

Within the context of the Fresno Pacific Idea, the liberal studies major at Fresno Pacific University exists to prepare people with a foundation of knowledge needed to become community builders, peacemakers and advocates for change in roles requiring broad liberal arts scholarship. The major seeks to build:

The ability and desire to understand, evaluate and communicate ideas.
The ability and desire to discover ideas through disciplinary processes.
The ability and desire to engage in intensive study and service.
A sense of interrelatedness among knowledge, experience, responsibility and values.
A respect for diversity.

The liberal studies major is an interdisciplinary major that provides the content background for multiple subject candidates wishing to enter teacher education programs for teaching at the elementary level in the state of California. Additionally, the liberal studies major provides a rounded course of study in the liberal arts appropriate for preparation in numerous vocations.

Students must prepare a senior project in their last semester prior to graduation that is reviewed by undergraduate faculty and professional educators. In addition, students planning to enter the FPU teacher education program must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or better during their baccalaureate program. Grades of D+ or below are not accepted in general education, major courses or concentration courses.

The state of California requires that all students admitted to multiple subject credential programs pass the CBEST to prove basic skills and the CSET to prove subject matter competency.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students will use background knowledge and value structures to interact critically, appreciatively, and interpretively with oral, written, symbolic, and artistic language, expressing themselves clearly, persuasively, and creatively.
Students will apply various modes of inquiry and disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge to the pursuit of comprehension of linguistic, artistic, technological, mathematical, scientific, historical, political, philosophical, theological, sociological, psychological, literary, and physical modes of inquiry and world views.
Students will engage in intensive and orderly study within their concentration through use of significant literature of a field, application of sound methodological procedures, and possession of in-depth knowledge of the contributions of their concentration to the community.
Students will develop a personal philosophy of life that gives meaning and wholeness to learning and promotes a life of service, peacemaking, and responsibility.
Through community engagement students will actively promote an understanding of and respect for ethnic and cultural diversity, demonstrating flexibility and effectiveness in relating to and communication with a variety of people in a variety of situations.

Locations Offered

Main Campus Fresno

Liberal Studies Major: General Education Requirements (22 units)

BIOL 100 - Principles of Biology Credits 4
HIST 150 - American Civilization Credits 4
LIT 180 - Introduction to Literature Credits 3
PE 120 - Dance Movement Credits 1
PHYS 106 - Physical Science Credits 4
PHYS 150 - Earth Science Credits 3
PSY 120 - General Psychology Credits 3

Required Courses (46 Units)

ART 300 - Art for Elementary Teachers Credits 3
THTR 355 - Creative Drama Credits 3
HIST 440 - California History and Politics Credits 4
ENV 160 - Introduction to Environmental Science Credits 3
KIN 320 - Theory of Physical Education Credits 3
LA 180 - Paths to Teaching Credits 3
LA 380 - Learning Communities Credits 3
LANG 310 - First and Second Language Acquisition Credits 3
LANG 340 - Introduction to Linguistics Credits 3
LIT 465 - Literature for Children and Young Adults Credits 3
MATH 132 - Arithmetic and Data Analysis Credits 3
MATH 134 - Algebraic Thinking and Geometry Credits 3
MUS 305 - Music in the Classroom Credits 3
PSY 350 - Child Development Credits 3
SOC 410 - American Ethnicity and Pluralism Credits 3

Concentrations/Minors

Concentrations permit the candidate to specialize in areas of interest and depth. All students must complete a concentration of 12 or more units in one discipline or area of study or a minor. Concentration requirements may overlap with a minor.

Each of the six concentration options (English, math, physical education, science, social science, and Spanish) should prepare students to apply for a supplementary authorization in the subject area. This means that if the student goes on to apply for a multiple subjects credential, these courses will allow the student to apply for an authorization to teach the chosen content area in a single-subject position through the ninth grade.

Note: The supplementary authorizations are granted by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Thus, FPU cannot guarantee that this authorization will be granted.

Required Courses

SPAN 100 - Elementary Spanish I Credits 4
Fulfills foreign language prerequisite
SPAN 105 - Elementary Spanish II Credits 4
Fulfills foreign language prerequisite
SPAN 300 - Advanced Spanish I Credits 3
SPAN 304 - Advanced Spanish II Credits 3

Select one of the following

SPAN 311 - Introduction to Literature and Theory Credits 3
SPAN 440 - Peninsular Literature Credits 3

Select one of the following

SPAN 309 - Hispanic Film Credits 3
SPAN 327 - Spain: Civilization and Culture Credits 3
SPAN 328 - Latin America: Civilization and Culture Credits 3
SPAN 370 - Issues in Spanish Language Teaching and Learning Credits 3
SPAN 445 - Latin American Literature Credits 3