The Changing Status of the Undergraduate Literature Survey Course

Abstract

Requirements for the undergraduate major in Hispanic literature and offerings of Spanish peninsular and Latin American literature courses surveying the canon, masterpieces, major works, major authors, major trends, or representative works at fifty-six selected US colleges and universities were examined for academic years 1990–91, 2002–03, 2013–14, and 2017–18. The number of literature survey courses at these institutions decreased during this 27-year period, as did the number of schools requiring such courses. The composition of the literature survey courses also changed, most notably to incorporate other cultural products and approaches.