The Foreign Language Department provides Spanish courses to satisfy core general education requirements for career pathways in the workforce and to satisfy transfer requirements for the CSUs and UCs. The department also offers intermediate courses in Spanish and an associate’s degree (AA) for students pursuing language and cultural studies as a major.
The mission of BC’s Spanish Program is to provide a linguistic and sociological study of foreign language; to enable students earning an AA degree to pursue employment in the fields requiring foreign language expertise or to transfer to university level programs; and to provide classroom and community immersion opportunities mutually beneficial to both students and the community. Our curriculum also provides many interdisciplinary opportunities for Spanish majors to take courses in other departments. Once again, welcome to the Spanish Program at Bakersfield College and we look forward to working with you!
Non-Heritage Speaker Track
Students should register in the Spanish course according to the following scenarios:
Spanish B1
- The student has never taken Spanish before.
- The student has taken two years of high school Spanish.
- Spanish is not spoken at home.
Spanish B2
- The student successfully completed Spanish B1 at Bakersfield College and received a grade of 'C' or better.
- The student successfully completed the first semester of Spanish at a college or university.
- The student has taken at least four years of high school Spanish and passed with a grade of 'C' or better.
Spanish B3
- The student successfully completed Spanish B2 at Bakersfield College and received a grade of 'C' or better.
- The student has taken four years of high school Spanish and passed with a grade of 'C' or Better.
- The student has successfully completed one year of Spanish at a college or university.
Spanish B4
- The student successfully completed Spanish B3 at Bakersfield College and received a grade of 'C' or better.
- The student has taken three semesters of Spanish at a college or university.
- The student took the A.P. Spanish Language Exam and received a score of 3, 4 or 5.
- The student lived in a Spanish speaking country and studied at a high school level in that country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I test out of a lower level Spanish class or classes?
The students who feel they don’t need to take Spanish B1 and B2 but want the units for those courses are encouraged to take the CLEP test in the Assessment Office at Bakersfield College.
How does the CLEP test show on the student’s transcripts?
CLEP looks like an additional transcript for the student. It lists the subjects/courses on the transcript and how many units the student will receive for the specific CLEP test the student took.
Please note, when transferring to colleges/universities, they may not grant the same credits that BC granted for the CLEP.
When can I take the CLEP test?
CLEP exams are given on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. It is recommended that you register one week in advance. Seating is limited.
The CLEP exams are 1½ hour and by appointment only.
Cost for the CLEP: Fees for each exam:
- $25.00 payable to Bakersfield College at the time of registration by check or money order.
- $85.00 payable to CLEP the day of the exam by check, money order or credit card
- CLEP set a fee of $10.00 to cover the processing and handling of the optional essays for: Freshman College Composition, English Literature, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, and American Literature. This fee must be paid in advance.
Additional Requirement
The unit total for the required Spanish Language ADT portion of the degree is 16 units. An additional 3 unit course must be taken from the following courses:
| Course # |
Course Name |
Units |
| ENGL B24 |
Latino/a Literature |
3.0 |
| HIST B30A |
Early Chicano History |
3.0 |
| HIST B30B |
History of Chicanos in the Southwest |
3.0 |
| HIST B33 |
Latin American History |
3.0 |
| SOCI B36 |
Sociology of the Chicano |
3.0 |
| SOCI B45 |
Minority Relations |
3.0 |
Heritage Speaker Track
The Department of Foreign Languages now offers tracks for heritage speakers. The following guidelines should help students to be placed in the right course. These guidelines will allow students to take the course that best suit them.
Spanish B35 (4 units)
- Spanish is the language predominantly spoken at home.
- The student understands spoken Spanish.
- The student speaks Spanish most of the time or sometimes. Sometimes Spanish and English are blended.
- nbsp; The student can read enough in Spanish to get the main ideas and meaning in the reading.
- The student needs to learn grammar and spelling and develop vocabulary.
- The student attended some years of elementary or secondary education in a Spanish speaking sountry.
- The student has the consent of the instructor or counselor.
Spanish B36 (4 units)
- The student has taken Spanish B35 and received a grade of 'C' or better.
- The student passed an exam containing the material covered in Spanish B35, or took Spanish B1 and B2 and passed with a grade of 'C' or better.
- The student has the consent of the instructor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I test out of a lower level Spanish class or classes?
Students who feel they don’t need to take Spanish B1 and B2 but want the units for those courses are encouraged to take the CLEP test in the Assessment Office at Bakersfield College. Students can take the CLEP and receive 8 credits of Spanish that will cover SpanB1 and Span B2. HOWEVER, the CLEP must be taken and passed before completion of any higher level course to receive credit.
How does the CLEP test show in the student’s records?
CLEP looks like an additional transcript for the student. It lists the subjects/courses on the transcript and how many units the student will receive for the specific CLEP test the student took.
Please note, when transferring to colleges/universities, they may not grant the same credits that BC granted for the CLEP.
When can I take the CLEP test?
CLEP exams are given on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. It is recommended that you register one week in advance. Seating is limited.
The CLEP exams are 1½ hour and by appointment only.
Cost for the CLEP: Fees for each exam:
- $25.00 payable to Bakersfield College at the time of registration by check or money order.
- $85.00 payable to CLEP the day of the exam by check, money order or credit card
- A fee of $10.00 has been set by CLEP to cover the processing and handling of the optional essays for: Freshman College Composition, English Literature, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, and American Literature. This fee must be paid in advance.
Spanish Associate of Arts for Transfer (AAT) - Heritage Speaker Track
Placement: Spanish for Heritage Speakers Span35
Students can take the CLEP and receive 8 credits of Spanish that will cover Span B1 and SpanB2. HOWEVER, the CLEP must be taken and passed before completion of any higher level course to receive credit.
Suggested PATH
- Take and Pass the CLEP test for Spanish before taking a higher level Spanish course.
- Enroll in Spanish for Heritage Speakers B35 and pass with a C or better.
- Enroll in Spanish for Heritage Speakers B36 and pass with a C or better.
Additional Requirement
The unit total for the required Spanish Language ADT portion of the degree is 16 units. An additional 3 unit course must be taken from the following courses:
| Course # |
Course Name |
Units |
| ENGL B24 |
Latino/a Literature |
3.0 |
| HIST B30A |
Early Chicano History |
3.0 |
| HIST B30B |
History of Chicanos in the Southwest |
3.0 |
| HIST B33 |
Latin American History |
3.0 |
| SOCI B36 |
Sociology of the Chicano |
3.0 |
| SOCI B45 |
Minority Relations |
3.0 |
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