Hardest courses in Spanish (Spanish and Portuguese)
Plan ahead for courses where students have earned lower grades.
Lowest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the
selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
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19 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Past student reviews · Erin Russ, Jamie De Moya-Cotter
In Erin Russ’s 102 section, there was daily homework, many exams, and constant textbook use; Jamie De Moya-Cotter allowed only three skipped classes before a grade drop.
Past student reviews · Michelle Dutton, Caitlin Beduhn
The workload was very heavy, particularly in accelerated summer sessions, with a large volume of homework that some students rushed through. There were no opportunities for extra credit or dropped assignments.
Introduction to linguistic study of Spanish using real-world examples like blogs, corpora, and film to examine variation across regions, speakers, and contexts.
Explores social and political issues of migration, contact zones, transculturation, and diaspora in Latinx America through cultural and literary texts.
A student in Beatrice Steinhilber's class found the course difficult, but said exams got easier as the class progressed and students could drop one exam.
Introduction to Latin American culture and society from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering historical developments from pre-Columbian times to the present.
Lectures delivered a lot of information quickly, requiring diligent note-taking to succeed on tests. One student noted that multiple-choice questions often targeted small details mentioned only once during class.
Introduction to Hispanic Literatures focuses on reading and analyzing literary works in Spanish, developing oral and written skills for literary discussion and applying methods to basic forms, genres, and short texts.
Intermediate Spanish course offering intensive practice in reading, writing, and grammar with an emphasis on applying grammatical structures and revising written work.
Past student reviews · Jamie De Moya-Cotter, Emily Frerichs
The course involved significant writing assignments, which were central to the learning goals. Grading often relied on class participation and personal improvement rather than heavy homework loads.
Introduction to the culture and history of Mexican and Latin American origin people in the U.S., focusing on diversity, hybridity, and socio-political issues.
Advanced Spanish language practice focusing on intensive writing, grammar, and stylistics. Students develop vocabulary usage and apply genre-specific characteristics to their own compositions.
Assessment typically involved several short papers, homework, and participation, with some students noting that grading on essays could be strict regarding grammar details.
Advanced Conversation focuses on practicing and improving conversational Spanish while forming and presenting opinions on cultural and social issues affecting Latin America and the US.
Work included homework, take-home exams, presentations, and out-of-class assignments that compiled into a portfolio graded at the semester's midpoint and end.
Covers Spanish business language, culture, and practice within Spanish-speaking economic markets, focusing on comparative business models and professional portfolio development.
Topics in Spanish Language Practice offers intensive oral and written practice in Spanish professional usage, focusing each offering on fields like journalism, commerce, medicine, law, or social services.
A student who took the course over a four-week summer period described it as fast-paced. They emphasized that consistent completion of homework was key to performing well in the class.