Career opportunities
With Spanish in your background, you can carry your language skills into the fields of planning and consultancy, information sciences, journalism, publishing and advertising, finance and banking, tourism and hospitality and all levels of the education system. Depending on your choice of papers, you will be able to offer specialised skills in dual-language business management or the literature, politics, society and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
Spanish at Otago
Spanish is taught through the communicative approach, which emphasises your production skills in the language you are learning. You will have many opportunities to improve your speaking and comprehension skills using the latest text, audio, video and internet resources, including regular screenings of recent Spanish-language movies.
The University of Otago has a collaboration agreement with the Spanish Ministry of Education which means our students have priority in the language assistance programme in Spain where they can choose to study for either half a year or a full year.
Every year the Spanish programme grants an award to the top student studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Spanish.
Apart from language courses, you can also choose papers which will give you perspectives on the social values and cultural life of the many countries around the world where Spanish is spoken. Some of these courses explore the social history of a particular period, others focus on cultural specifics such as cinema, literature and the arts.
These courses reflect the varied research interests of the staff in the Spanish programme: Latin American narrative, poetry, micro fiction, linguistics, historiography of linguistics, Spanish variation, Latin American and Spanish 19th century literature and 20th century popular culture.
Majors, minors and diplomas
Spanish is available as both a major and a minor subject of the Bachelor of Arts programme.
Spanish can be combined with another BA major or form part of a double degree. We offer the Diploma in Spanish Language or the Diploma in Spanish Language and Culture for students who major in other subjects. Minors in Spanish Language or Spanish Culture are available too.
For a BA majoring in Spanish you must complete 10 Spanish language and culture papers, plus an additional 10 papers either from within the department and/or from other departments. If you are considering teaching Spanish, a minor in Linguistics can help you understand the mechanics of languages and how we learn them.
The minor in Spanish Language or Spanish Culture comprises either five Spanish Language or five Spanish Culture papers. The minor can be combined with any Bachelor of Arts, Commerce, Theology or Science degree.
The Diploma in Spanish Language comprises seven Spanish language papers, two at 100 level, three at 200 level and two at 300 level.
The Diploma in Spanish Language and Culture comprises seven Spanish language and culture papers, at least two at 300 level and a combination at 100 and 200 level.
BA Honours, MA or PhD
BA Honours requires an extra year of study; you can go for one semester to a University in Spain or Latin America to experience language and culture papers taught in the target language and embedded in the cultural environment.
Students who are interested in further research in Spanish can join our MA or PhD programmes or undertake a jointly supervised postgraduate degree with other departments in the University.
Student Exchange
Otago has established exchange relationships with universities in Spain and Latin America. If your marks average B or better, you may qualify to attend one of these institutions for a semester or two. Honours students are able to benefit even more with a semester of immersion, in-country study. You pay only your New Zealand fees, and complete your qualification within the same time-frame as if you had never been away. Competitive scholarships are available to support students on exchange.
Recommended background
No previous knowledge of Spanish is required.
Choose a study option
Whether you're embarking on your academic journey with our comprehensive undergraduate programmes or aiming to reach new heights through our advanced postgraduate offerings, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Undergraduate qualifications
For new and current students studying towards a Bachelor's or other first degree. Explore undergraduate qualifications at Otago, designed to build a strong foundation in your chosen field, preparing you for a successful career or further study.
Note: this subject can also be studied as a minor.
Diploma in Language (DipLang)
The Diploma in Language is offered in one of five core languages: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
A three-year degree offering flexibility to explore a major in Arts along with other subjects
Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom)
Combine two majors, one in Arts and one in Commerce, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects
Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)
Combine two majors, one in Arts and one in Science, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects
Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr)
A three-year degree that equips you to change the world as you create new products, services and ideas
Ready to apply?
Take the first step towards your future in this subject.
Further study opportunities
Whether you are looking to bridge your undergraduate studies to advanced knowledge or aiming to specialise in a specific field, Otago offers a range of graduate and postgraduate options to suit your aspirations.
Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad)
The Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad), requiring study of at least seven papers (at least four of which are at 300-level o...
Postgraduate Study in Spanish
Explore postgraduate study in Spanish at Otago. Gain advanced knowledge, skills, and research opportunities in a support...
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject as a major and minor (where available).
| Papers |
|---|
|
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | SPAN 131 Introductory Spanish 1 | 18 |
| SPAN 132 Introductory Spanish 2 | 18 | |
| One of GLBL 110, LING 111 | 18 | |
| 200-level | SPAN 231 Intermediate Spanish 1 | 18 |
| SPAN 232 Intermediate Spanish 2 | 18 | |
| One of EURO 202, GLBL 201, GLBL 202 | 18 | |
| 300-level | SPAN 331 Advanced Spanish 1 | 18 |
| SPAN 332 Advanced Spanish 2 | 18 | |
| Two of EURO 302, GLBL 301, GLBL 302 | 36 | |
Notes: | ||
| Plus | 180 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. | 180 |
| Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | ||
| Total | 360 |
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | LING 111 A World of Languages | 18 |
| Two 100-level papers in one of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Māori, Spanish | 36 | |
| 200-level | LING 217 What's Behind Language: Sound and Structure | 18 |
| One further 200-level LING paper (excluding LING 231 TESOL: Guide to Language Teaching) | 18 | |
| Two 200-level papers in the language continued from 100-level | 36 | |
| 300-level | Two 300-level LING papers | 36 |
| Two 300-level papers in the language continued from 200-level | 36 | |
| Plus | 162 further points; must include 36 points at 200-level or above. | 162 |
| Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | ||
| Note: In the case of Māori language, students will take MAOR 111, MAOR 211, and MAOR 311 at 100-, 200-, and 300-level respectively. | ||
| Total | 360 |
A minor subject can be included in many of our undergraduate degrees. To earn a minor, you typically must complete a minimum of 90 points in that subject, with at least 18 points at the 300-level.
Your minor can be a subject more commonly taken for a different degree. For example, a BCom majoring in Marketing can include Japanese as a minor subject. To include this subject as a minor in your application, first find a major subject through our Subject Search or Study Match.
You can check what’s required to receive the minor accreditation in the programme details below.
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
| Papers | Points |
|---|---|
Five SPAN papers or relevant non-SPAN content papers, at least three of which must be above 100-level, including at least one at 300-level. | 90 |
Papers
View a list of all related papers below.
SPAN papers
| Paper Code | Year | Title | Points | Teaching period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPAN131 | 2025 | Introductory Spanish 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| SPAN132 | 2025 | Introductory Spanish 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| SPAN231 | 2025 | Intermediate Spanish 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| SPAN232 | 2025 | Intermediate Spanish 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| SPAN243 | 2025 | Latin American Culture and Literature | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN250 | 2025 | Sacred Stories: Myths and Legends in Hispanic Culture | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN251 | 2025 | Latin American Cultural Travel | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN331 | 2025 | Advanced Spanish 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| SPAN332 | 2025 | Advanced Spanish 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| SPAN341 | 2025 | Special Topic in Hispanic Studies | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN343 | 2025 | Latin American Popular Culture | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN350 | 2025 | Sacred Stories: Myths and Legends in Hispanic Culture (Advanced) | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN351 | 2025 | Latin American Cultural Travel (Advanced) | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN441 | 2025 | Advanced Topics in Spanish | 20 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN451 | 2025 | Studies in Spanish | 20 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN452 | 2025 | Studies in Spanish 2 | 20 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN490 | 2025 | Dissertation | 60 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| SPAN590 | 2025 | Research Dissertation | 60 points | Not offered in 2025 |
More information
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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2025 Calendar and supplementary material.
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