These guidelines will help you identify the appropriate course based on your language background and experience. Be sure to read each section carefully before enrolling.
Spanish for Second Language Learners
Spanish for Second Language Learners is a track designed for students who are learning Spanish as a new language, without having grown up speaking it at home. Courses in this track build foundational and advanced skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, while introducing students to the diverse Hispanic cultures.
If you learned Spanish as a second language—that is, Spanish is not your home language and you studied it in school after childhood—you should follow the Span 1–6 sequence and then take Span 25: Advanced Grammar and Composition. Please note:
- If you have no prior experience with Spanish, you should enroll in Span 1 or Span W1.
- If you studied Spanish in high school for two years or less, enroll in Span 1 or Span W1.
- If you have taken three years of high school Spanish, enroll in Span 2 or Span W2.
- If you studied Spanish for four or more years in high school, please contact the Undergraduate Staff Advisor to determine whether you should take the Spanish Placement Test.
Students Who Have Taken the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam in Spanish
If you have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) exam in Spanish, please refer to the table below. A score of 3 or higher on either AP Spanish exam satisfies the General Education (GE) requirement for Area B. Please note that for majors, only AP Spanish Language scores are considered; there is no equivalent for AP Spanish Literature.
AP Placement
| Exam | Score | Equivalent | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 1–3 | Span 4 |
| 4 | 1–4 | Span 5 or Span 15 | |
| 5 | 1–5 | Span 6 or Span 16A | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 1–4 | Span 5 or Span 15 |
| 4 | 1–5 | Span 6 or Span 16A | |
| 5 | 1–6 | Span 25 or Span 16B |
Students Who Have Taken the SAT II
A score of 570 or above passes the student out of Spanish 3 (no other scores have been established).
Transfer Students
For transfer students who have taken Spanish at an institution on a semester system: 1 semester is equivalent to 1 ½ quarters at UC Santa Barbara.
- After 1 semester, enroll in Span 2 or Span W2 or take the placement exam.
- After 2 semesters, enroll in Span 4.
- After 3 semesters, enroll in Span 5 at or take the placement exam.
- After 4 semesters, enroll in Span 25.
Please use ASSIST.org to confirm your placement. This website helps students determine which courses taken at California community colleges will transfer to University of California (UC) campuses, showing how they fulfill degree requirements.
Spanish for Heritage Learners
Students for whom Spanish is their home or family language, who learned Spanish during childhood, and who are proficient in spoken Spanish but have not received extensive formal instruction in the language should take Spanish for Heritage Learners. This includes anyone who was raised in a Spanish-speaking environment, has lived in a Spanish-speaking country for an extended period (more than three years), and regularly speak the language with family or friends.
These students may take the Language Fluency Evaluation to determine whether they are exempt from Spanish 1–4 and to find the appropriate placement in Spanish 15, 16A, and/or 16B if they intend to pursue a Spanish major or minor.
If you answer “yes” to most of the following questions, you should take Spanish 15, 16A and/or 16B—not Spanish 1–6 and 25:
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Do you speak Spanish? Do you speak Spanish with your family or some members of your family?
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Is Spanish your first language? Did you learn it as a child?
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Did you grow up in a Spanish-speaking country or area?
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Do you have an interest in learning the language in a formal setting and developing your writing, reading, and oral skills with students of a similar background?
Language Fluency Evaluation
To schedule a Spanish Fluency Evaluation, please contact the Undergraduate Staff Advisor. Kindly note that this evaluation is intended only for native or heritage speakers of Spanish and may be taken only once.
Portuguese
Portuguese students with no prior experience in Portuguese should take Portuguese 1. Students with some background in Portuguese, either in high school, study abroad, or heritage learners, should consult with the Language Program Director.