From taking an elementary language class in Spanish to earning your associate degree, our program offers you a variety of options.

The Spanish program at PCC includes you fourteen different courses to choose from, ranging from elementary to advanced Spanish language courses and non-language courses that cover Spanish literature, composition, and civilizations in Spain, Portugal, and Central and Latin America. Our program also lets you take your learning experience beyond the classroom by inviting you to take part in extracurricular activities on campus and our unique study abroad program in Madrid, Spain!

We offer beginning and intermediate Spanish language courses as well as a variety of culture and history courses. Use the links below to see full course descriptions and the current schedule of classes.

Browse Course Catalog View and Search Class Schedule (online)

Please use the self-guided placement below to identify classes that could be appropriate for your current Spanish level, your interests, and language goals.

You can contact languages@pasadena.edu to request clearance to enroll in higher-level courses (classes that have a prerequisite). You can also request further assistance with determining your current level in Spanish with a formal placement test.

Self-Guided Placement

Core Spanish Language & Culture Courses (5 units)

SPAN 001 - Elementary Spanish Level 1

  • Language Prerequisite: None
  • This class is a good fit if you have little or no prior exposure to the Spanish language. It is intended for beginners!
  • This class will introduce you to the foundations of the Spanish language. By the end of the course, you should be able to understand and communicate in basic everyday conversations such as your daily routine, your family and friends, your likes and dislikes, your plans for the weekend or your next vacation, and recent past events. You will also begin to explore the richness of Spanish-speaking cultures around the world.

SPAN 002 - Elementary Spanish Level 2

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 001
  • This class is a good fit if you can generally engage in conversations about your everyday life, talk about your family and friends, your hobbies, and plans for later in the week or your next trip. You may be able to also share about things you did recently (last night, last weekend or last summer, for example), but it’s OK if you feel like you need a refresher or more practice to talk about recent past events.
  • This class will review the past tense (the preterit) and it also introduces you to other verb tenses that will allow you to understand and engage in conversations about your childhood/youth, traditions, hypothetical situations, and plans for your future. You will also learn how to give and receive advice, directions or instructions. Just like SPAN 001, you will continue learning about Spanish-speaking countries to broaden your awareness of these cultures.

SPAN 002A - Spanish for Spanish Speakers

  • Recommended Language Prerequisite: Consistent and significant prior exposure to the Spanish language
  • This class is a good fit if you have been in contexts where the Spanish language is spoken regularly (at home or at work, for example). You can understand the conversations and are generally able to communicate using Spanish without having taken a class before. You may find yourself struggling sometimes to express yourself with ease and you want to feel more confident when speaking and writing in Spanish.
  • This class will focus on the specific needs of students that have no formal training in the Spanish language. You will be among students that generally have the basic foundations of the language but, just like you, feel that they have gaps in their ability to speak and write confidently. In this course, you will address these areas before advancing to an intermediate Spanish class.

SPAN 003 - Intermediate Spanish Level 1

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 002 or SPAN 002A
  • This class is a good fit if you are familiar with the following verb tenses/moods in Spanish, and are ready to practice them further: the present tense, the preterit (talking about recent, past events), the imperfect tense (talking about repeated events in the past, such as your favorite activities as a child), the present perfect (talking about recently completed tasks), the future simple, the subjunctive mood (to give and receive advice, express hopes or your emotions/opinions on different topics), the imperative mood (to give and receive instructions, such as how to get from the library on campus to the cafeteria, for example).
  • This class will allow you to continue practicing these verb tenses/moods while expanding your vocabulary so that you can engage in a wider variety of topics, including current events, literature, film, culture and contemporary issues. You will begin to read literary texts, listen to podcasts, engage in debates, write reports and compositions so that you can expand your Spanish language skills in conversation and in writing.

SPAN 004 - Intermediate Spanish Level 2

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 003
  • This class is a good fit if you can generally summarize articles, news clips, movie plots, and can communicate your thoughts, emotions and position on various contemporary issues or events. It is OK if you still make mistakes or need to think before expressing these ideas in Spanish, but you are ready to review or learn more complex grammatical structures along with an expanded vocabulary to communicate with more nuance and ease about these topics.
  • This class will focus on grammatical structures and specialized vocabulary that will allow you to engage in conversations and debates about more complex themes in literature, film, culture, contemporary issues and current events to understand, analyze and communicate more effectively.

Elective Spanish Language & Culture Courses (4-5 units)

Once we have determined your current level of Spanish, you can also enroll in the elective Spanish Language & Culture Courses we offer at PCC. Some of these courses have a language prerequisite, others do not. Take a look at the list of courses below and check the schedule of classes or course catalog for longer descriptions.

Keep in mind that these classes may not be offered every term, but if the class is being offered you can take it along with your core language course (SPAN 001, 002, 002A, 003, 004) to enhance your learning about the Spanish language and Hispanic culture!

SPAN 005 - Introduction to Spanish Literature

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 004

SPAN 006A – Introduction to Spanish American Literature: From the Colonial Period to the 19th Century

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 004

SPAN 006B – Introduction to Spanish American Literature: From the 20th Century through the Present

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 004

SPAN 008A - Beginning Spanish Conversation I

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 002

SPAN 008B - Beginning Spanish Conversation II

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 002

SPAN 009A - Intermediate Spanish Conversation I

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 003

SPAN 009B - Intermediate Spanish Conversation II

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 003

SPAN 012 - Spanish Literature in Translation

  • Language Prerequisite: None (Course conducted in English)

SPAN 025 - Spanish Composition

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 004

SPAN 028 - Spanish for Healthcare Professions

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 002

SPAN 031 - Language of the Barrio

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 001

SPAN 042A - Civilization of Spain and Portugal

  • Language Prerequisite: None (Course conducted in English)

SPAN 042B - Civilization of Spain and Portugal

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 003 (Course conducted in Spanish)

SPAN 044A - Civilization of Latin America

  • Language Prerequisite: None (Course conducted in English)

SPAN 044B - Civilization of Latin America / La civilización de América Latina

  • Language Prerequisite: SPAN 003 (Course conducted in Spanish)

SPAN 050 – Spanish and Latin American Cinema

  • Language Prerequisite: None (Course conducted in English)

Spanish | Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) Degree

Earn a degree AND prepare to transfer. By completing the AA-T in Spanish, you will finish the general education requirements as well as the lower division major requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish prior to transferring to a CSU.

View AA-T Degree Requirements

Spanish | Associate in Arts (AA) Degree

Major in Spanish AND earn a degree. By completing the Spanish major program at PCC you will earn an AA degree in Spanish as well as complete many of your lower division major requirements to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish prior to transferring to a four-year university.

View AA Degree Requirements

Foreign Language Proficiency in Spanish | Occupational Skills Certificate

Demonstrate your proficiency in the Spanish Language with an Occupational Skills Certificate! Certificates are available in Basic Proficiency in Spanish (12-13 unit certificate), Intermediate Proficiency in Spanish (12-13 unit certificate), and Advanced Proficiency in Spanish (10-12 unit certificate).

Certificate Completion

To earn an Occupational Skills Certificate, you must complete all required courses with a C or better. If you qualify for an Occupational Skills Certificate, you will be notified in the spring.

Scholarship Opportunities

As a PCC student studying Japanese, you be may be eligible for the following scholarships:

  • Margarita Fastabend Von Brockdorff Scholarship - Excellence in the Spanish Language

Learn More about Languages Division Scholarships

Candela Salsa Club

Learn to dance Salsa! The Candela Salsa Club gives members active-paced teaching, exciting dance performances, and a positive influence!

Learn More

PCC Club de español

Learn about Spain and Latin American culture through great food, music, art and film. Join us for this fabulous and unique experience!

Learn More