Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American studies at Bristol

The Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies is an integral part of the School of Modern Languages in the Faculty of Arts. It is one of the largest department with over 800 students enrolled in units in three languages, Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan. Spanish language is a very popular option both at degree level and as an optional unit.

The units offered at degree level fall into two categories: language classes and research-led cultural courses, the latter of which are taught in English but on Spanish-related topics by leading researchers in the area. Research in the Spanish-speaking world is quite wide, ranging from Latin American and Spanish history in the 20th century, to language varieties in the Spanish-speaking world and units on literary and film criticism: Latin American cinema and poetry, Spanish authors, and representations of culture, among others.

Students in HiPLA are quite active in the Spanish Society and contribute to editing the departmental student magazine 'Pensador'.

Unit structure

The department offers many classes that are based in a single semester, and can therefore accept unit requests from Study Abroad students who want to join Bristol for just the autumn or spring semester.

Unit levels

The department offers units across all undergraduate levels of study: year 1 (level C/4), year 2 (level I/5), and year 3 (level H/6) units. Selected postgraduate units (level M/7) are available from the School of Modern Languages. Level M/7 units are normally taken by students who have studied the subject for at least 3 years beforehand and are at an appropriate level of study to take postgraduate units.

Unit codes

Unit codes in the Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American studies begin with 'HISP'. This is followed by a number indicating the year (1, 2, 3). For example:

• HISP10000 = year 1 unit
• HISP20000 = year 2 unit
• HISP30000 = year 3 unit.

For more information about each unit, check the University's unit catalogue for 2022/23. Applicants on all study abroad programmes must review the unit details on the catalogue before listing unit choices on their application form. This includes checking the format of assessment for each unit. The unit catalogue for 2022/23 is updated by April.

Your unit choices cannot be guaranteed. Some units may not have capacity to accommodate all of the unit requests we receive. Registration on a unit also depends on whether you meet the pre-requisite conditions through prior study at your home university.

Study Abroad (Subject pathway)

If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad Spanish or Portuguese subject pathway, you can access units from all of the departments listed below, as well as our Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American studies department. Please note that you are required to take the majority of your credits from these departments:

• Centre for Academic Language and Development
• French
• German
• Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
• Italian
• Modern Languages
• Russian (including Czech)

Units available on the study abroad programme in 2022/23

The following units from the Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American studies are open to incoming Study Abroad students.

Units also available to Spanish or Portuguese subject pathway students

Alongside units from the School of Modern Languages, Spanish or Portuguese subject pathway students can take units from the Centre for Academic Language and Development. These units focus on the development of your academic English language skills, and are designed to complement and enhance your UK studies. You can read more about the Centre's units in their study guide.

There are also 2 units available from the Department of English (where space is available):

• Approaches to Poetry (TB2) - ENGL10026
• Critical Issues (TB1) - ENGL10017

(Please note that other English Literature units are not available on the Spanish or Portuguese subject pathway programme).

Application queries

Contact the Global Opportunities Team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: global-opportunities@bristol.ac.uk