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World Languages

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Associate Degrees for Transfer

A.A.-T. in Spanish

The Associate in Arts in Spanish for Transfer (AA-T) program provides students with a major that fulfills the general requirements for transfer to the California State University. Students with this degree will receive priority admission with junior status to the California State University system.
Students should work closely with their American River College counselor to ensure that they are taking the appropriate coursework to prepare for majoring in Spanish at the institution they wish to transfer to because major and general education requirements may vary for each CSU and the degree may only transfer to specific institutions.
Students must complete the following Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) requirements (Pursuant to SB1440, §66746):
• 60 semester or 90 quarter CSU-transferable units
• the California State University-General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE-Breadth); OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern
• a minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in the major or area of emphasis as determined by the community college district
• obtain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0
ADTs also require that students must earn a “C” or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A ”P” (Pass) grade is also an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Catalog Date: January 1, 2025

Degree Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
A minimum of 16 units from the following: 161
A) Sequence for Spanish heritage speakers
SPAN 411 Intermediate Spanish (4)
SPAN 412 Intermediate Spanish (4)
SPAN 413 Spanish for Native Speakers I (4)
SPAN 415 Spanish for Native Speakers II (4)
B) Sequence for non-Spanish heritage speakers
SPAN 401 Elementary Spanish I (4)
SPAN 402 Elementary Spanish II (4)
SPAN 411 Intermediate Spanish (4)
SPAN 412 Intermediate Spanish (4)
A minimum of 3 units from the following: 32
ENGLT 335 Latino, Mexican-American, and Chicano Literature (3)
ETHNS 360 Introduction to Chicana/o/x Studies (3)
HIST 327 History of the Chicano/Mexican American (3)
HIST 373 History of Mexico (3)
HIST 374 History of Latin America to 1830 (3)
HIST 375 The History of Modern Latin America and Caribbean (3)
SOC 325 Chicano Culture (3)
SPAN 361 Conversational Spanish, Intermediate (3)
SPAN 362 Conversational Spanish, Intermediate (3)
SPAN 427 Introduction to Spanish American Literature (3)
Total Units: 19

1Students who place out of any core courses need to consult with a Department faculty member to select alternative courses and submit a course substitution petition. At least 18 units in the major must be completed.

2Students following the Sequence for non-Spanish heritage speakers may opt to use SPAN 413 or SPAN 415 to meet this requirement.

The Associate in Arts in Spanish for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, including (a) a minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • demonstrate proficiency in the five skills as mandated by the competency guidelines of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and understanding the people and culture of Spanish-speaking countries.
  • utilize grammatical structures of Spanish.
  • read and understand Spanish proficiently as found, for example, in Spanish language newspapers, magazines, short stories, essays, and selections of poetry written by Spanish, Spanish-American, Afrolatina/o/x, and Chicana/o/x authors.
  • demonstrate writing and composition skills in Spanish.
  • critique and discuss Latin American, Peninsular, Chicana/o/x, Afrolatina/o/x, and Indigenous literature in a historical context.
  • analyze and discuss major historical events and periods in the history of Spanish-speaking countries.
  • compare and contrast aspects of the Spanish-speaking culture that are different or similar to their own culture.
  • compare and contrast aspects of Spanish to their first language.
  • recognize regional linguistic and lexical differences including influences from indigenous languages.
  • describe the complexity and struggles of Latina/o/x racialized groups in Spanish-speaking countries and the United States.
  • analyze how struggle, resistance, social justice, solidarity and liberation are experienced by Latina/o/x communities socially, linguistically, and politically.

Career Information

This degree is designed to facilitate students' successful transfer to four-year colleges that prepare them for a variety of career opportunities, such as airlines/travel, banking, bilingual education, bilingual telecommunications, emergency services, foreign service, imports and exports, international business, intelligence/military services, IRS/State Franchise Tax Board, law enforcement/correctional officer, social services, translating/interpreting, tourism, and world language instructor. Some careers may require additional training specific to the trade.

Associate Degrees

A.A. in Language Studies

This degree provides an area of emphasis in communication skills in both English and foreign languages. It is intended for students wishing to develop communication skills for the workplace. Students who work closely with their counselors can use this area of emphasis to prepare for majoring at a four-year college in world languages as well as any other majors which require proficiency in one or more world languages.

Catalog Date: January 1, 2025

Degree Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
A minimum of 6 units from the following: 6
ENGWR 300 College Composition (3)
   or ENGWR 480 Honors College Composition (3)
ENGWR 301 College Composition and Literature (3)
   or ENGWR 481 Honors College Composition and Literature (3)
ENGWR 302 Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking (3)
   or ENGWR 482 Honors Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking (3)
ENGWR 303 Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Through Literature (4)
COMM 301 Introduction to Public Speaking (3)
COMM 331 Group Discussion (3)
COMM 361 The Communication Experience (3)
COMM 362 Mediated Communication Experience (3)
A minimum of 12 units from the following: 121
DEAF 310 American Sign Language I (4)
DEAF 312 American Sign Language II (4)
DEAF 314 American Sign Language III (4)
DEAF 316 American Sign Language IV (4)
DEAF 318 American Sign Language V (4)
GERM 401 Elementary German I (4)
GERM 402 Elementary German II (4)
GERM 411 Intermediate German (4)
GERM 412 Intermediate German (4)
ITAL 401 Elementary Italian (4)
ITAL 402 Elementary Italian (4)
ITAL 411 Intermediate Italian (4)
ITAL 412 Intermediate Italian (4)
RUSS 401 Elementary Russian (4)
RUSS 402 Elementary Russian (4)
RUSS 411 Intermediate Russian (4)
RUSS 413 Russian for Heritage Speakers I (4)
RUSS 415 Russian for Heritage Speakers II (4)
SPAN 401 Elementary Spanish I (4)
SPAN 402 Elementary Spanish II (4)
SPAN 411 Intermediate Spanish (4)
SPAN 412 Intermediate Spanish (4)
SPAN 413 Spanish for Native Speakers I (4)
SPAN 415 Spanish for Native Speakers II (4)
Total Units: 18

1These 12 units must be completed in a single language.

The Language Studies Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus the local ARC General Education Requirement, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See ARC graduation requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • write expository and argumentative papers.
  • synthesize ideas and develop conclusions.
  • examine the connection between culture and communication.
  • engage in conversation and written correspondence in a language other than English.