MA Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

60 credits at the 500-level and above (with the exception of SPAN 600), to include:

• Pedagogy Requirement (for all graduate students employed as TAs): 5 credits of SPAN 510 (Methodology of Spanish Language Teaching); this is taken the first quarter of study.
• Theory Requirement: 5 credits of SPAN 577 (Contemporary Literary Theory) or another graduate-level theory course or a graduate-level research methods course.
  • NOTE: Alternatives to SPAN 577 may be approved only after consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC).
• Distribution Requirement: Minimum of 25 credits earned in five of the seven following areas: Medieval Spain; "Golden Age" Spain; Spain of the 18th and 19th centuries; 20th century Spain; Colonial and 19th century Latin America; 20th century Latin America; and Spanish applied linguistics.  

NOTES: 

• Up to 10 credits of 400- and 500-level courses taught outside of the department may be approved after consultation with the GPC.
• Up to 6 transfer credits may be approved after consultation with the GPC.

• All work for the M.A. degree, including credits transferred from other institutions, must be completed within six years. However, M.A. candidates subsidized by teaching assistantships, research assistantships, graduate staff assistantships, or comparable financial support, are expected to complete their program within six quarters.

Additional Requirements

• Auxiliary Language Proficiency. Prior to the fourth quarter of graduate study, MA candidates must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English or Spanish. A student may demonstrate proficiency with native status, by holding a university degree in the third language, or by completing coursework in the target language at the 201 level (or, in the case of Portuguese, by completing PORT 105).
• MA Examination. In their first quarter of graduate study, MA candidates must choose either Literature or Applied Linguistics as the area for their MA examination. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of graduate study, MA candidates must pass this examination. Consult with the GPC for further details. 
  • MA Exam in Literature: the exam in the chosen area of literature is based on the MA reading list, available on this website. For more details, see the MA Exam Rubric. NOTE: the field of literature chosen for the MA Exam cannot be the same as the field of literature chosen for the MA Thesis.
  • MA Exam in Applied Linguistics: students writing their MA Thesis in Spanish Applied Linguistics will complete their MA exam in this field. Students choosing this option will create a reading list of 15 - 20 theoretical and / or empirical studies directly related to the topic of their thesis, and will create an annotated bibliography with entries for each of the works on this list. For more details, see the Spanish Applied Linguistics Exam Rubric.  
• MA Thesis. MA candidates must complete an MA Thesis, written in Spanish, of a minimum of 45 pages plus bibliography. The MA Thesis is directed by a graduate faculty member and submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) for approval by the end of the fifth quarter of study. Upon approval, the thesis is submitted electronically to the Graduate School by the end of the sixth quarter of study.  

Timeline

For details of satisfactory performance and progress, as well as details about filing for the MA degree, please consult the GPC. Graduate students must consult with the GPC as well as the GPA every quarter prior to registration.