Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Spanish

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Spanish provides the first two years of a four year curriculum for the student who plans to transfer to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Academic Certificates (AC) in Language Studies and in Spanish Language and Culture are also available.

Details

Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Spanish (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8129
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

This program is intended to align with the following university requirements:

ASU (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Spanish, BA

ASU (New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences), Spanish, BA

NAU, Spanish, BA

U of A, Spanish, BA

Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information: ASU .

Students may qualify to enter higher level Spanish courses by placement or may qualify to exempt out of taking any Spanish courses by assessment. Students wishing to earn credit for any course of which they are exempt by assessment should take the CLEP examination.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Ask and answer questions, give instructions and commands, and maintain conversations in the past, present, and future.
  • Demonstrate comprehension of authentic written and oral passages that include detailed descriptions and narrations in the past, present, and future.
  • Employ the writing process to provide detailed descriptions and narrations in the past, present, and future.
  • Apply critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate information, including authentic cultural products.
  • Apply knowledge of cultural norms, values, beliefs, and regional variations to settings where the target language is used.
  • Compare and contrast target cultures and the students` native culture(s).
  • Use linguistic concepts to describe basic differences and commonalities of various languages.
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
$68,050
Interpreters and Translators
$37,840
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$55,180

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix. MA 3–6
Plan Elect Plan Electives Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director. 1–4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course Gateway course FYC or FYC 3
SPA101 or
SPA103		 Elementary Spanish I or Elementary Spanish for Spanish Speakers I Critical course Gateway course G or None 4
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
SPA102 or
SPA104 or
SPA111		 Elementary Spanish II or Elementary Spanish for Spanish Speakers II or Fundamentals of Spanish OR Exempt by assessment G or None or None 4
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SPA201 Intermediate Spanish I OR Exempt by assessment G 4
Plan Elect Plan Electives Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director. 1–4
IAM Institutions of the Americas IAM 3
AHM Arts and Humanities Recommend SPH241 or SPH245 for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in Language Studies AHM 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SPA202 Intermediate Spanish II OR Exempt by assessment
May be used as a required course for AC in Language Studies 		G 4
ENG213 or
SLC201		 Introduction to the Study of Language or Introduction to Linguistics HU, SB or HU, SB 3
Plan Elect Plan Electives Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director. 0–4
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences SCB 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
Plan Elect Plan Electives Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director. 1–4
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
IAM Institutions of the Americas IAM 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix. MA 3–6
Plan Elect Plan Electives Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director. 1–4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
AHM Arts and Humanities Recommend SPH241 or SPH245 for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in Language Studies AHM 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SPA101 or
SPA103		 Elementary Spanish I or Elementary Spanish for Spanish Speakers I Critical course Gateway course OR Exempt by assessment G or None 4
Plan Elect Plan Electives Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director. 0–4

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SPA102 or
SPA104 or
SPA111		 Elementary Spanish II or Elementary Spanish for Spanish Speakers II or Fundamentals of Spanish OR Exempt by assessment G or None or None 4

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SPA201 Intermediate Spanish I OR Exempt by assessment G 4
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences SCB 3
SPA202 Intermediate Spanish II OR Exempt by assessment.
May be used as a required course for AC in Language Studies 		G 4
SLC201 or
ENG213		 Introduction to Linguistics or Introduction to the Study of Language HU, SB or HU, SB 3

General Electives

Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Plan Electives Selections

Complete requirements in the subplan that best aligns with academic and professional goals. If academic and professional goals do not align with any of the subplans below, select elective courses in consultation with an Academic, Faculty, or Program Director.

Subplan 1: Academic Certificate in Spanish Language and Culture (6243N) *Note: This certificate may/may not be offered at each college.
Credits: 9
Select a minimum of three (3) credits taught in English
FLA240 Foreign Language Teaching Methods 3
HIS145 History of Mexico 3
MHL156 Music in Latin America and the Caribbean 3
SLC201 Introduction to Linguistics 3
SPH245 Hispanic Heritage in the Southwest 3

Select a minimum of six (6) credits taught in Spanish
SPA115 Beginning Spanish Conversation I 3
+ SPA116 Beginning Spanish Conversation II 3
SPA117 Health Care Spanish I 3
+ SPA118 Health Care Spanish II 3
SPA119 Spanish for Educational Settings I 3
+ SPA120 Spanish for Educational Settings II 3
+ SPA205 Spanish for Medical Interpretation I 3
+ SPA206 Spanish for Medical Interpretation II 3
+ SPA225 Intermediate Spanish Conversation I 3
+ SPA226 Intermediate Spanish Conversation II 3
+ SPA235 Advanced Spanish Conversation I 3
+ SPA236 Advanced Spanish Conversation II 3
+ SPA241 Spanish and Spanish-American Film I 3
+ SPA242 Spanish and Spanish-American Film II 3
+ SPA251 Spanish Civilization 3
+ SPA265 Advanced Spanish I 3
+ SPA266 Advanced Spanish II 3
+ SPA282++ Volunteerism for Spanish: A Service Learning Experience (any suffixed course) 1-3
+ SPA298++ Special Projects (any suffixed course) 1-3
+ SPH298++ Special Projects (any suffixed course) 1-3

Subplan 2: Academic Certificate in Language Studies (6237N) *Note: This certificate may/may not be offered at each college.
Credits: 6-10
Select six to ten (6-10) additional credits from the lists below
AFR/ASB/CCS202 Ethnic Relations in the United States (3) OR
SOC241 Race and Ethnic Relations (3) 3

COM163 Intercultural Communication in Everyday Life 3
COM263 Elements of Intercultural Communication 3
JPH245 Traditional and Modern Japanese Culture 3
PSY132 Psychology and Culture 3

AHU+++ Any AHU Arabic Humanities course(s)
ARB+++ Any ARB Arabic course(s)
ASL+++ Any ASL American Sign Language course(s)
CHI+++ Any CHI Chinese course(s)
FLA+++ Any FLA Foreign Language Acquisition course(s)
FRE+++ Any FRE French course(s)
GER+++ Any GER German course(s)
GRK+++ Any GRK Greek course(s)
HBR+++ Any HBR Hebrew course(s)
HEB+++ Any HEB Hebrew course(s)
IPP+++ Any IPP Interpreter Preparation Program course(s)
ITA+++ Any ITA Italian course(s)
ITH+++ Any ITA Italian Humanities course(s)
JPN+++ Any JPN Japanese course(s)
LAT+++ Any LAT Latin course(s)
NAV+++ Any NAV Navajo course(s)
NVH+++ Any NVH Navajo Humanities course(s)
PIM+++ Any PIM Pima course(s)
POR+++ Any POR Portuguese course(s)
RUS+++ Any RUS Russian course(s)
SLC+++ Any SLC Studies in Language and Culture course(s)
SPA+++ Any SPA Spanish course(s)
SPH+++ Any SPH Spanish Humanities course(s)
TRS+++ Any TRS Translation and Interpretation course(s) 

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • AHM = Arts and Humanities
  • FYC = First-Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts & Design
  • IAM = Institutions of the Americas
  • MA = Mathematics
  • NSI = Natural Sciences
  • OCM = Oral Communication
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SCB = Social and Behavioral Sciences
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award at https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=16456338.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts (AA) in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Spanish