Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I could not pre-register on line because the course was already closed?
Anyone who could not pre-register on line because the section was already closed needs to sign the wait list for the course of their choice on the doors of the following offices @ Rochambeau House:
HISP 0100@ ROOM 228 - Supervisor: Silvia Sobral
HISP 0300@ ROOM 228 -- Supervisor: Nidia Schuhmacher
HISP 0400@ ROOM 113 -- Supervisor: Victoria Smith
HISP 0500@ ROOM 217 -- Supervisor: Silvia Sobral
HISP 0600@ ROOM 228 -- Supervisor: Nidia Schuhmacher
The list remains available until the end of the pre-registration period. In addition, students must attend the first days of class in the section of their choice. There will be shifting during the first classes while students try to work out their course schedules. On the 4th day of class, if students are correctly placed they will most probably find room in one of the sections. Instructors should try to ensure that most of the students interested in Spanish classes be accommodated.
Who has to take the Brown Placement Exam?
Anyone who has had previous coursework in Spanish before beginning Spanish at Brown must take the Brown Placement Exam UNLESS s/he has presented AP scores or recent SAT II scores received in the last 18 months (however, those who received an AP score of 3 or under and have no SAT II score should also take the Brown Placement Exam).
Students with substantive non-academic contact with Spanish (living abroad, speaking Spanish at home) should also take the exam before entering a Spanish course.
When and where is the Placement Exam given?
The exam is given on the second floor of the CIT building at the corner of Waterman and Brook Streets. For the schedule, check the Language Resource Center website.
How do I get help determining my correct placement?
Please read the placement information on the Hispanic Studies website. If you have questions, you can attend our departmental Placement Counseling/Open House session during Orientation week on the first floor of Rochambeau House (84 Prospect St.) or you can speak with the departmental representative at the Academic Expo. Help is often needed; please don't be timid about seeking, it! Professors Schuhmacher and Smith are available to discuss placement matters.
What do I do if I feel I am placed too high or low?
There is no perfect placement tool; if you feel that the course where you placed is not appropriate for you, talk to your instructor or the supervisor of the course. Remember that in order to be admitted in a course where you did not place through test scores, you need permission from the course supervisor, so consult departmental representatives (see above). In order to learn more about the level of the courses, check course materials in the bookstore and course preview pages.
When I place at higher levels on the exams, what courses can I take?
If you place at higher levels in the AP, SAT II or BPE, there is an array of courses you can choose from.
- AP (5) in Language → HISP 600
- AP (5) in Literature → HISP 730-740-750
- SAT II (750+) → HISP 730-740-750
- Brown Placement Exam (551+) → HISP 730-740-750
HISP 730 - 740 - 750 are more customized courses, all of them approximately at the same level, with different emphases (see descriptions in the Course Catalog.) These courses include significant writing and speaking practice as well. HISP 730 and 740 serve as introductions to all periods of Latin American and Peninsular Literature respectively and are especially useful to potential concentrators in Hispanic Studies. Note that 740 is a bit more intensive so, if you are planning on continuing your studies at the 1000-level, the pre-requirement is either HISP 740 or both HISP 730 and HISP 750.
Important note: Beginning Spring Semester 2009, students will be able to count either HISP 740 or HISP 730 as sole pre-requisites for 1000-level courses.
Why can't I take HISP 1000-level courses right away?
All 1000-level courses at Brown should have prerequisites. In Hispanic Studies, we want our 1000-level students to be able to examine and discuss texts with the right "tools" and thus require that you go through our departmental courses at the 700 level. This generally includes native speakers of Spanish, since our upper-level courses are predicated on literary rather than purely linguistic knowledge.
What level of study is required for study abroad?
HISP 500.
What level of study satisfies the International Relations Concentrationrequirement
HISP 600.
How do I get information regarding a concentration in Hispanic Studies?
By attending our Fall Open House during Orientation week or the Academic Expo; by consulting the page on Concentrations in the Hispanic Studies website and by speaking with our Concentration Advisor any time during the year.