Requirement | Description |
---|---|
Other requirements may overlap | |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 16 |
Masters Degree Required for Admission to PhD? | Yes |
Qualifying Exam Required | No |
Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes |
Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
Graduate Degree Programs in Spanish & Portuguese
Department of Spanish and Portuguese Head of Department: Melissa Bowles Director of Graduate Studies: Jonathan E. MacDonald Department of Spanish and Portuguese website 4080 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 244-3250 Spanish and Portuguese email
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The PhD program in Spanish allows graduate students with a primary focus on Literary and Cultural studies or Sociolinguistics in the Spanish-speaking world to develop the specific types of expertise required within these academic and professional fields. The PhD program in Spanish seeks to foster the kinds of comparative and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Spanish (literatures, cultures, linguistics, etc.) that are sought after by employers within the current academic as well as non-academic job markets.
Applicants holding a BA may be admitted directly to the PhD program. Students holding a BA who are admitted to the Spanish PhD program will receive the MA after successfully completing the customary two years of coursework, MA exams, and thesis project. They will then be prepared to focus on the timely completion of their PhD degree in Spanish while also developing the kinds of interdisciplinary expertise (i.e.: media studies, linguistics, anthropology, history, philosophy, gender and sexuality studies, ethnic studies) that are increasingly valued among PhD graduates within this field.
Graduate Student Manual
RL PhD Requirements
Academic advisors assigned to the students as they enter the program will give them concrete advice on how to fulfill our program requirements (core courses, electives and second language requirement, among other items). Students completing a PhD in Spanish will have the opportunity to develop expertise in primary and secondary fields based on cohesive themes, disciplinary approaches, and linguistic geographies:
With their advisor’s approval and by petition to the graduate committee, any graduate student can apply to fulfill a primary or secondary field not represented on this list or in fields outside the department.
Coursework for the PhD in Spanish allows students to:
Besides English and Spanish, students fulfill a second language requirement relevant to their research interests, either another Romance language taught in the department (French, Italian, or Portuguese) or another language relevant to their research. A student wishing to integrate a language other than a Romance language in their PhD program is invited to develop its articulation with their research interests in their PhD statement and plan of study. The advisor will certify on the PhD timeline form that the student has completed the second language requirement before advancing to the PhD exam.
Course requirements depend on a student’s credentials when admitted. Students entering with a BA must complete 80 credits; students holding an MA degree in an appropriate field (see Graduate Admissions) must complete 40 credits. All credits must be taken graded and at the graduate level (500-600), and a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better must be maintained. Distribution of course requirements for the PhD is as follows:
Students typically will register for RL 601 or RL 605 during the terms that they are preparing for exams or writing their prospectus.
PhD students who are teaching take SPAN 609 1st year Pedagogy or SPAN 609 2nd year Pedagogy (2 credits), which requires weekly meetings with their teaching supervisor and provides training that prepares them further to teach their classes successfully.
Graduate Courses
Students entering the Spanish PhD program with a BA will need a total of 20 courses (80 credits) to complete their PhD requirements, and prepare in their primary and secondary fields:
Students entering the Spanish PhD with an MA will complete a total of 10 courses (40 credits), with their Primary and Secondary Field-satisfying courses drawn from any of the categories below:
Students who have taken RL 636, RL 620, and RL 623 in the course of completing an MA in the Romance Languages department at UO will be considered to have met these requirements. If the MA preparation is found to be deficient or if the MA has been taken in a different field, students may be required to take additional coursework.
SPAN 609 (2 credits) is a required course with the Teaching Language Supervisor for those graduate students who are teaching SPAN 101, 102, 103 (1st year) or SPAN 201, 202, 203 (2nd year). It is not a required course to graduate.
In addition to their major language, students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language that is relevant to their research interests and that will allow them to participate in additional academic discourse communities. This may be another Romance language taught in the department (French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish) or another language relevant to their research (Latin, Arabic, or Ladino; Basque, Catalan, or Galician; Nahuatl, Quechua, or Yucatec Maya; etc.). Students will justify their choice of second language and how they will evidence competency in the annual review at the end of their first year.
Students can fulfill the second-language requirement in several ways, as follows:
Students will work with their advisor(s) to plan how they will satisfy their second language requirement and submit a petition to the Graduate Committee for approval.
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The PhD qualifying examination evaluates students in their chosen fields of specialization and consists of two written exams followed by an oral exam. It serves to clarify both the subject matter of the dissertation and possible approaches to it. Examinations are graded PASS or NO PASS by a faculty committee (the “Exam Committee”). Upon successful completion of the PhD Qualifying Examination, a student is advanced to candidacy and may present the dissertation prospectus.
The PhD qualifying examination is a two-term process. At least one term prior to the term in which the exam will take place, the student designates an exam committee. the exam committee is composed of three members of the RL graduate faculty, one of whom serves as the chair. A fourth committee member may be added from RL or another department. The student consults with their exam committee members to determine their fields of interest.
These fields form the basis of their PhD qualifying examination, and typically for the dissertation. During this term, students will register for guided readings (RL 605 for 2-4 credits) with the exam committee chair. In consultation with the members of the exam committee, students:
During the term of the qualifying exam, the student composes two written exams. Each written exam responds to one of two questions formulated by members of the Exam Committee. These exams should be a maximum of 20 double-spaced, typed pages. The student has two weeks to write each of the essays. Two weeks after the successful completion of both written exams, the student takes an oral exam. The oral exam will integrate the areas addressed in the written exams with other facets of the student’s declared fields of interest. During the two-hour oral exam, the candidate should be prepared to defend the written exams, respond to questions about the full reading list, and elaborate on ways in which the written essays help to define a dissertation project within the student’s fields of interest.
The prospectus is normally completed during the sixth term of study following the MA It should define the scope of the dissertation and demonstrate the originality of the project. The student submits an eight- to ten-page prospectus and a substantial research bibliography of primary and secondary material to the faculty members on his or her dissertation committee. Students are responsible for putting together a dissertation committee, which normally consists of four members: one director and two readers from the Department of Romance Languages, and one reader from another department. A student may also choose to have two co-directors in the Department of Romance Languages (plus two further members of the department).
When the student has a solid draft of the prospectus, she or he will schedule a meeting with the dissertation committee members for a presentation and discussion of the prospectus. Following this conversation, the student will make final revisions to the prospectus. Once the committee has given its final approval, the student will submit the prospectus to the department for filing.
Students are reminded that they must have a dissertation committee in place and proper documents filed with the Graduate School six months before the dissertation defense. Any student making significant changes to the dissertation project after the final approval of the prospectus must schedule a meeting with the dissertation committee before proceeding.
The dissertation should constitute an original and valuable contribution to scholarship in the student’s field of interest. It should be characterized by mature literary interpretation, informed and reasoned argument, and an awareness of the means and goals of research. It is the student’s responsibility to ascertain the rules and deadlines of the Graduate School for proper filing of the dissertation.
Preparing the dissertation for approval: Students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the stringent formatting and structure guidelines for the dissertation (the information is provided by the Graduate School and is available online or in pamphlet form). Students are reminded that a final copy of the dissertation must be distributed to the dissertation committee for final approval at least three weeks before the dissertation defense.
Final oral dissertation defense: When all members of the dissertation committee have approved the dissertation, a public oral presentation and defense of the work is held.
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Ph.D. Program
The PhD in Spanish allows students to conduct research in Spanish and Latin American literary and cultural studies. It offers to connect this research with issues in Comparative Literature, Trans-Atlantic Studies, Film Studies and other related fields. In addition, it provides for opportunities to expand collaborative research and teaching venues with other disciplines, such as Linguistics, Anthropology, and History.
For more information on the admissions process and course requirements to our PhD program, please see the Graduate Bulletin here.
For information on possible graduate courses to take in our Spanish program, see the Course Descriptions in the Academic Bulletin here.
For more information contact: [email protected] Spanish Graduate Program | Download the Spanish Graduate Manual [pdf] University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 Fax: (803) 777-0454
Spanish Placement
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We consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity to educate the next generation of teachers, scholars, and leaders. Our PhD students collaborate with faculty to define new research directions in Spanish, Latin American, and Latinx literary and cultural studies, and to translate thier excitement for knowledge production into diverse careers. Our recent graduates have gone on to research, write, and teach for large companies in the finance and technology sectors, non-profit organizations in Latin America, and all levels of education, from research universities to small liberal arts colleges, K-12 schools and private educational consulting firms. You can read some of their stories here . Faculty who are accepting graduate students for the 2024 entering cohort are: Sam Amago (advisor), Allison Bigelow (advisor), Kelly Moore (committee member), Fernando Operé (advisor), Ricardo Padrón (advisor), Fernando Riva (advisor), and Fernando Valverde (committee member). We are not able to accept students in contemporary Latin America for the 2024-5 or 2025-6 cycles.
Our program encourages interdisciplinary training that can be formalized in graduate certificates across the humanities and social sciences, including Africana Studies , American Studies , Digital Humanities , Environmental Humanities , Gender & Sexuality , Historic Preservation , Leadership and Public Policy , Premodern Cultures & Communities , and Urban Design . Additional on-campus training is available through internships, working groups, labs, and workshops in the Scholars’ Lab , Institute for Humanities and Global Cultures , Karsh Institute of Democracy's Democracy Initiative , Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation , Center for Teaching Excellence , and PhD Plus . Students can also take advantage of professional opportunities in the wider DC area, from research fellowships to museum internships. Support within the department includes pedagogical training from faculty in linguistics, course coordination and mentorship from teaching track faculty , and a community of research mentors who work with students on conference presentations, article publications, and fellowships to support pre-dissertation and dissertation work. You and your mentor can search for support for conference travel, research trips, and language learning using resources compiled by the Graduate School and the department . Students who are historically underrepresented in higher education can find additional mentorship support from the Mentoring Institute in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs .
PhD students participate in every aspect of department and university life, from taking and teaching classes to serving on committees and organizing events. In your first year, you will be released from teaching obligations so that you can focus on coursework, finding a research community, and getting your bearings. Beginning in your second year, you will teach language classes that are supervised by experienced teaching track faculty members (called Academic General Faculty at UVA). In subsequent years, PhD students teach at all levels of the undergraduate curriculum in order to graduate with diverse teaching portfolios.
Our 20 current graduate students are diverse, talented, and deeply engaged in the department and greater community. Some students enter the program with a Master’s degree from another institution, whereas others arrive with a BA. All students who progress satisfactorily through the program receive the MA en route to the PhD, usually after the second year. Please see the sections below for more information on progress through the program.
Our competitive fellowship package supports students for 6 years, which includes:
How to Apply
To apply for graduate study in the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, you must submit your application and materials online to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). The Graduate School will no longer accept hard copy applications. The department does not require any materials in addition to those required by GSAS. For admissions information, including important deadlines, please visit the Graduate School's website . The evaluation rubric used by the department committee is available in the "Supporting Documents" of our governance page .
Students applying to and accepted into the graduate program must hold a BA in Spanish (or a closely related discipline) or the equivalent foreign degree. The process is the same for students who also hold an MA degree or its equivalent.
Students will follow the course of study outlined in the Graduate Record. Students with a BA will earn an MA in Spanish as they progress towards the PhD. The option of a terminal MA degree is Spanish is only open to self-funded students.
The admissions deadline for 2024-2025 is January 15, 2024.
Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Spanish
Required materials:
International Students
In addition to the materials listed above, the Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese requires that you also submit the following:
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences requires a few additional items from international students. Please carefully read the guidelines for international students and the application process on the Graduate School Admissions page . Additional guidance for international students can be found here . If you have additional questions after reviewing these materials, please contact us at [email protected].
PhD Program in Spanish
Please note: Per university policy, "The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found at http://www.virginia.edu/registrar/."
Program Requirements
The PhD in Spanish is divided into three phases: 1) coursework; 2) comprehensive examinations; and 3) dissertation. There is also a foreign language requirement that must be met before entering the dissertation phase, known as “doctoral candidacy.” Throughout the three phases, students receive guidance from a faculty mentor chosen with the student’s stated research interests in mind. The official account of program requirements appears in the University’s Graduate Record . A full description of the program’s operation can be found in the department’s Graduate Handbook .
Coursework is ordinarily completed during the first two years of the program. Students are required to take eight graded, three-credit courses during the first year, and six graded, three-credit courses during the second year. The courses must include SPAN 7220 (History of the Language) and SPAN 8210 (Teaching Foreign Languages). They must also include a course on media, two on theoretical approaches in the humanities or the social sciences, and at least two courses offered outside the department. The department maintains a list of approved courses for this purpose, and a single course may satisfy more than one of these requirements. Students are also expected to complete two additional, one-credit courses: 1) GHSS 6050 (Introduction to Graduate Studies); and 2) GHSS 7050 (Professional Life After Graduate School). These courses can count toward any of the graduate certificates offered in the College of Arts & Sciences , School of Architecture , Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy , and related programs.
At the end of the first year, students submit a Statement of Research Interests, in which they chart their progress in the program and develop a plan for the second year that will lead to a fruitful experience in the comprehensive exams and a dissertation afterwards. At the end of the second year, students revise this statement and include it in their Second Year Portfolio, which also includes samples of their writing. After a positive assessment of the portfolio by the faculty, the student proceeds to the comprehensive exams.
The comprehensive exams normally take place during the third year. Students register for 12 credits of SPAN 8900 (Comprehensive Exams) and use the time to develop a comprehensive exam portfolio, which includes three reading lists, two field papers, a statement of teaching philosophy, and a course syllabus. The contents of the lists, the subject matter of the papers, and the nature of the course are determined by the student, in consultation with their comprehensive exam committee. The structure of the exams allows for participation by faculty from other departments, and for significant training in another field or discipline. The student’s mastery of the portfolio materials is assessed through an oral examination, normally held at the end of the Fall semester.
The dissertation phase begins during the second semester of the third year, after successful completion of the oral exam. Students register for 12 credits of SPAN 8901 (Dissertation Proposal) and use the time to develop a proposal for the project that will occupy them during their final two years. They defend the proposal before their dissertation committee before the end of the semester. At that time, students are also expected to have fulfilled the departmental language requirement by demonstrating mastery of one language other than Spanish or proficiency in two languages other than Spanish.
The final two years of the program are devoted to developing and defending the dissertation, an original contribution to scholarship in the student’s field roughly the length of a standard academic monograph. The dissertation is developed in consultation with a committee that must include a member from outside the department and may in some cases include faculty from other universities. It may be written in either English or Spanish. It is usually defended at the end of the fifth year of study.
The department believes that learning to teach is an integral part of any graduate program, and that students need time, space, and mentorship to develop as teachers. All graduate students are required to teach one three-credit course per semester during the second, third, and fourth years of the program. They do not teach in their first and fifth years so that they can focus on coursework (including learning how to teach) and their dissertation research. Every effort is made to give students the opportunity to teach at various levels of instruction and in diverse subject areas in years 2, 3, 4, and 6. All students are carefully trained and supervised by the Director of the Language Program in Spanish, as well as other members of the department. Support for teaching is available through formal programs and workshops offered through the Center for Teaching Excellence and PhD Plus, as well as informal mentorship from experienced members of the teaching track and research track faculty.
Although the program is designed for students to take their teaching release in year 5, some students may prefer to take it in year 6. Please see the Graduate Handbook to learn more about the policy and timeline.
All entering graduate students are granted financial support in the form of Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships. Students who progress satisfactorially through the program receive 6 guaranteed years of support. Our financial package includes a stipend of $24,000 (annual stipend of $24,000, plus $6,000 of summer support), two years of teaching release, full tuition remission ($75,000-$114,000 at 2023 rates), and health insurance coverage for themselves. Students who need to enroll a partner and/or dependents should consult the rates listed by Aetna, here . Students can enroll partners or dependents during open enrollment (insurance verification) or within 30 days of a qualifying event, such as birth, adoption, or marriage. More details on student health, wellness, and insurance coverage are available here .
In addition to department funding, graduate students are frequently employed in Summer School courses in Charlottesville or in the Department’s summer undergraduate programs in Spain and Latin America. There are also a variety of opportunities to fund conference travel, language study, and dissertation research and writing. We encourage students to work with their advisors and committees to find field-specific funding sources.
The Graduate Handbook serves as a guide to policies and procedures governing graduate education in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at the University of Virginia. To view the handboook, please click here .
For more information on career development and diversity affairs, please see the College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Guide .
For updates or a complete description of courses offered by the Department please visit the course description page . You may also consult the Student Information System and the Graduate Record .
For information on course sequences, current students should consult the Graduate Guide for the present academic year. Admitted students may request a copy by writing to the Director of Graduate Admissions or their intended faculty advisors.
Original, innovative research is the hallmark of graduate study; as we uncover new texts in archives, develop alternative ways of reading the classics, and collaborate with colleagues in other fields and around the world, we find new ways of thinking and new works to teach.
Part of graduate student development involves teaching undergraduate courses; such teaching is complemented by classwork and research projects.
The Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese is pleased to support all Ph.D. students for five years of graduate study, including a year-long fellowship for dissertation research and writing. We encourage you to work with your faculty advisor, subject liasons in the UVa Library, and colleagues in your field to develop research questions, identify relevant archives, and share your findings in presentations and articles. To get started with archival research, we suggest looking through something like the "Fresh from the Archives" series on Dissertation Reviews . Graduate students from around the world have helpfully described archival protocols and research topics in Latin American and Caribbean studies, including the AGI (Sevilla) , Archivo Nacional (Madrid) , and Archivo Histórico del Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamérica (Antigua, Guatemala) . Don't be afraid to reach out to other graduate students! They've been in your shoes and will be eager to share what they've learned. To generate ideas at the pre-dissertation stage and get a sense of what a finished project will look like, you should review summaries of recently finished dissertations in your area. You can find examples of such projects in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies section of Dissertation Reviews and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (Follow this link from UVa Library, click "ProQuest," and then click "ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global" from the list of databases. If you're off campus, sign in through NetBadge.)
Already finished with the dissertation? As you apply to fellowships and jobs, the University is here to help with your CV and application materials. Please contact Sonali Majumdar , Associate Director of Professional Development in the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affair s, to arrange an appointment. Fourth- and fifth-year graduate students are encouraged to participate in OGPA's Research Communication Training Program , a six-week workshop series that trains students across Grounds to present their work to a variety of non-specialists. Participants can also present their work the Three Minute Thesis competition , which provides excellent practice for interviews on the academic, public sector, and corporate job markets. Job seekers can find sample materials (CV, cover letter, teaching statement) on SIP Jobs ( a joinable collab site ) and in the University-recommended Academic Job Search Handbook, by Julia Miller Vick, Jennifer S. Furlong, and Rosanne Lurie. Follow the link in Virgo for an electronic edition of the text. For a list of resources dedicated to digital studies at UVa, please visit DH@UVa and consult the department list of all things digital .
Below please find additional sources of support for your work, from foundational language training to pre-dissertation research and dissertation completion fellowships.
To learn more about current students and their research projects, please visit their profile pages .
Our graduate students work on diverse topics from the medieval, early modern, revolutionary/Enlightenment, and modern/contemporary periods in Spain and Latin America, with a variety of methodological approaches and theoretical orientations. They go on to work in academica, industry, non-profit organizations, and public service. To learn more about our alumni, please click here .
The Doctoral Language Exams in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, also known as Proficiency and Mastery exams, are offered twice per semester through the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. The exams are available to currently enrolled graduate students who are required to demonstrate foreign language "proficiency" or "mastery" in order to satisfy certain degree requirements. The precise dates of the exams are set early in the semester, although they are generally offered in October, November, February and March.
To learn more about the exams, and to register for an exam, please visit our doctoral language exam page .
On this page:, at a glance: program details.
Degree Awarded: PHD Spanish Literature and Culture
The PhD program in Spanish literature and culture is intended to be as flexible as possible, establish broad areas of competence through an individualized program of study set with the supportive guidance of the student's advisor.
Graduate courses in literature and cultural studies focus on the production, distribution and reception of texts and their linguistics, either written or visual (e.g., photographs, films, visual narratives), and their linguistic, rhetorical and literary structure and functions, with an emphasis on literary theories and aesthetics. Many literature courses explore issues relating to gender, class, race, ethnicity, globalization, environmental humanities, disability theories, posthuman theories and digital humanities.
Literature studies: A typical doctoral program with a specialization on Literature will consist of a variety of graduate Spanish courses in literature, selected among various geographical areas and historical periods, as approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
Cultural studies: A typical doctoral program with a specialization in cultural studies will consist of a variety of courses in culture, literature and linguistics, diversified between geographical areas and historical periods, as approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
Outstanding phd program.
The PhD in Spanish literature and culture specializes in Caribbean, Brazilian, Portuguese and Southern Cone studies; Mexican, Mexican American, Latinx and Borderlands cultural production; the Colonial, Golden Age and Baroque periods; and the 19th and 20th centuries.
Access an abundance of materials, archives and special collections from ASU Library, which frequently partners with students on research projects. ASU's Hayden Library houses 150,000 Latin American print books, 14,000 Spanish ebooks, colonial imprints, cordels, reproductions of codices and more.
Learn from prestigious faculty recognized in their fields and from affiliate faculty throughout the university. With faculty expertise across an array of regions, topics, periods and disciplines, students receive guidance from a mentor with a background that matches their interests.
Meet the faculty
Students choose to focus on either literature or cultural studies with relevant courses on various geographical areas and historical periods, as approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
The coursework for each student is individualized and based upon the student's previous training, research goals and mentor and committee consensus. With a 1:2 faculty ratio, PhD candidates receive individualized attention guidance from a mentor with a background that matches their interests, allowing students to research what matters to them.
Students are required to complete a written comprehensive exam, prospectus and dissertation.
The coursework for each student is individualized and based upon the student's previous training, research goals and mentor and committee consensus. Students are required to complete a written comprehensive exam, prospectus and dissertation.
Core courses | 3 |
Literature and culture electives | 51 |
Electives | 6 |
Research | 12 |
Culminating experience/dissertation | 12 |
Students in phd programs, international students.
"The School of International Letters and Cultures has been very supportive. My advisor's guidance has been crucial in the development of my research . In addition, I have learned a lot from my peers. SILC has fostered a very inclusive and friendly working and learning environment." —Edurne Beltran de Heredia Carmona
Curriculum plan options.
Required Core (3 credit hours) SPA 545 Concepts of Literary Criticism (3)
Literature and Culture Electives (51 credit hours)
Electives (6 credit hours)
Research (12 credit hours) SPA 792 Research (12)
Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) SPA 799 Dissertation (12)
Additional Curriculum Information Coursework for the literature and culture electives must be SPA literature or culture content courses and approved by the student's supervisory committee. Students may not put SPA 596 Second Language Methodologies toward this requirement.
Each candidate is expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of one language other than English and Spanish. This language requirement must be satisfied before the candidate is eligible to take the comprehensive examination.
The written and oral comprehensive examination, designed to ascertain the candidate's knowledge and orientation in the field of study and competency to proceed with the dissertation, is required at or near the end of coursework.
When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in Spanish or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants from other academic backgrounds with relevant coursework in Spanish language and cultural studies also may be evaluated by the admissions committee.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
It is recommended but not required that students applying for admission to the program submit GRE scores; this is especially advisable for applicants for the Spanish Graduate Fellowship Award. ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition.
Candidates for the program are required to demonstrate a near-native oral proficiency in Spanish and to show that they have developed a high order of expository prose in English and Spanish by presenting a term paper or a chapter of their master's degree thesis as their writing sample.
Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, career opportunities.
Professionals with this degree can confidently move into the academic profession, careers in education, including in museums and libraries, and professions outside academia, such as in the publishing industry, media, nonprofits and international relations. Skills developed through this program are valued for teaching positions, translation work or career opportunities in larger sectors, such as government, diplomacy and international business.
Career examples include positions as:
If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.
Applicants facing financial hardship may request a waiver for their application fee. Please complete the online application up to the fee payment page. Please send both Ashley Lawless ([email protected]) and Xiaoqiao Ling ([email protected]) a brief essay (about 150 words) describing why paying the application fee is difficult in your situation, along with your application ID number. If your request is accepted, we will let you know that you can submit your application without paying the fee. The School of International Letters and Cultures has established a limited budget for these waivers. Requests will be considered as they are received until the budget is spent.
Program Overview
Admissions and Financial Support
Candidates for admission should have an excellent command of Spanish, a superlative undergraduate record, strong letters of recommendation, and demonstrated skill in academic writing. Applications are accepted only for full-time work in the Ph.D. program beginning in the fall semester. All students admitted to the program receive a five-year Benjamin Franklin Fellowship that includes a stipend, tuition remission, and student health insurance. Students who have finished all pre-dissertation requirements and who no longer receive fellowship support are eligible for a lectureship.
Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Study
Students may complement their studies with up to five courses outside the Spanish and Portuguese section. For example, students may take courses in another Romance language, Comparative Literature , English , or History . Certificate programs are also available in the areas of Women's Studies and Urban Studies . The University of Pennsylvania enjoys reciprocal agreements with several other nearby institutions, which allow students to complete a number of courses in them while enrolled in a graduate program at Penn. Additionally, interdisciplinary study is encouraged through participation in the wide range of seminars, lectures, and colloquia sponsored by the various Graduate Groups and affiliated research institutes and centers at Penn, including the Center for Italian Studies and the Latin American and Latino Studies Program . The Penn Humanities Forum also provides a forum for doctoral students to interact with colleagues from across the disciplines and holds weekly meetings as well as special research seminars, colloquia, and an annual student conference.
The Department offers guided preparation for students' participation in the academic job market. Students receive advice and feedback on their job application materials (CVs, cover letters, teaching statements, research statements, etc.) and attend an intensive one-day seminar in December that prepares them for the Annual Convention of the MLA. Mock interviews and practice job talks are also arranged. Recent graduates of our program have fared extremely well on the job market, accepting tenure-track positions at some of the best colleges and universities around the country.
The Career Services Office makes every effort to assist students in finding employment and offers a range of services geared toward both academic and nonacademic career options.
Library Resources
The Van Pelt Library , the University's central humanities research collection, is especially rich in the Romance languages areas, with outstanding collections of rare books and manuscripts. The Spanish literature collections, while strong in all areas, have historically been most outstanding in the areas of Medieval and Golden Age literature and include the Rennert Collection in Spanish Golden Age drama. In addition, there are significant collections in other languages and literatures of the Iberian Peninsula: Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan. The Latin American collections include a number of extraordinary special collections, and current collecting reflects the vigorous state of Latin American scholarship on campus.
The Hispanic Review
The Department publishes the prestigious literary journal the Hispanic Review . Each year, a number of graduate students in Spanish have the opportunity to work as assistant editors.
Hispanic Studies Graduate Student Group
The Hispanic Studies Graduate Student Group, the graduate student organization of the Spanish and Portuguese Department, works to enhance the general welfare of graduate students in both intellectual and practical terms. This group helps to organize Department-sponsored lectures and colloquia, organizes an annual graduate student colloquium, and publishes a journal of its proceedings.
The Gregory House Modern Language Program
Graduate students have the opportunity to live and work as resident advisors at the Gregory House, an undergraduate campus dormitory that is staffed by native speakers, graduate students, and faculty members from participating departments in French, Spanish, Italian, and German. In addition to communal dining for House residents, each floor offers weekly coffee hours for informal conversation, movies, and other social events.
Department Facilities
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese occupies the fourth and fifth floors of Williams Hall, with a seminar room for Romance Languages graduate classes, a graduate lounge, and a computer lab, as well as the Cherpack Lounge, where faculty and graduate students meet informally, and where lectures and colloquia sponsored by the Department are held.
Laura Flippin Graduate Coordinator University of Pennsylvania 514 Williams Hall Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305 Telephone: (215) 898-1980 Fax: (215) 898-0933
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Stanford University ,
Graduate School ,
STANFORD, CA ,
Brown University ,
PROVIDENCE, RI ,
Vanderbilt University ,
NASHVILLE, TN ,
College of Liberal and Creative Arts - San Francisco State University
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
School of Christian Leadership - William Jessup University
Washington University in St. Louis ,
ST. LOUIS, MO ,
University of Notre Dame ,
NOTRE DAME, IN ,
2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.
Featured Review: Doctoral Student says The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research... On the down side, the weather is at first always a challenge for one who is not used to the harsh and gloomy midwestern winter. .
Read 2 reviews.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ,
ANN ARBOR, MI ,
7 Niche users give it an average review of 4.9 stars.
Featured Review: Master's Student says The Landscape Architecture program at UMich School for Environment and Sustainability is rooted in advancing sustainable design and ecological function, rather than pure aesthetics. We have some... .
Read 7 reviews.
Georgetown University ,
NW WASHINGTON, DC ,
2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.
Featured Review: Master's Student says The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We... .
University of California - Los Angeles ,
LOS ANGELES, CA ,
1 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars.
Read 1 reviews.
University of Virginia ,
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA ,
1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.
Featured Review: Alum says Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study .
New York University ,
NEW YORK, NY ,
10 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.
Featured Review: Master's Student says I am enrolled specifically in the Magazine concentration. My professors have all been helpful with helping me succeed and are willing to stay back to go over something I don't understand. There are... .
Read 10 reviews.
Blue checkmark.
Boston College ,
CHESTNUT HILL, MA ,
University of Texas - Austin ,
AUSTIN, TX ,
University of Florida ,
GAINESVILLE, FL ,
Featured Review: Master's Student says Overall, the University of Florida seems to be a great school as far as rankings and attendance rates go. Despite the political turmoil going on in the state of Florida, there seems to be a... .
Boston University ,
BOSTON, MA ,
University of Wisconsin ,
MADISON, WI ,
9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.
Featured Review: Alum says Aside from being really cold, UW-Madison is a great school. Needless to say, it is one of the top schools in the U.S. with a beautiful campus that has Lake Mendota and a lot of student life to enjoy.... .
Read 9 reviews.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ,
URBANA, IL ,
University of Georgia ,
ATHENS, GA ,
1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.
Featured Review: Current Doctoral student says Overall it is a pretty good program at a school that is really becoming an academic powerhouse. Being at the flagship school of the state helps with certain benefits and great networking... .
University of Miami ,
CORAL GABLES, FL ,
7 Niche users give it an average review of 4.7 stars.
Featured Review: Doctoral Student says Our professors want us to be successful and they give all the help they can give. This is amazing even when the program is inherently stressful and hard. .
University of California - Santa Barbara ,
SANTA BARBARA, CA ,
University of Rochester ,
ROCHESTER, NY ,
2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.
Featured Review: Alum says The Optics program is the toughest offered at the school. Optics grads do twice as much (60 credit hours instead of 30) class work as other degrees. You learn a ton! The field is so diverse you can... .
Brigham Young University ,
PROVO, UT ,
Villanova University ,
VILLANOVA, PA ,
5 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.
Featured Review: Alum says Overall, my academic experience was rigorous and I did enjoy it. I learned a lot and I formed great relationships with my professors and colleagues. However, Villanova lacked support in the social... .
Read 5 reviews.
Tulane University ,
NEW ORLEANS, LA ,
University of Minnesota Twin Cities ,
MINNEAPOLIS, MN ,
Featured Review: Master's Student says The School has some management problems. However, the faculty are well trained and knowledgeable. The performance faculty are very well suited to serve the twin cities area and Minnesota as a whole. .
University of Washington ,
SEATTLE, WA ,
Graduate College of Education - San Francisco State University
Southern California Institute of Architecture
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
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Learn about the Ph.D. program in Spanish with a concentration in linguistics or literature at the University of Houston. Find out the requirements, deadlines, fees, and application process for this face-to-face program.
A research and specialization degree in Spanish and Latin American Literature and Culture, with courses covering various geographical areas and time periods. Requirements include M.A. degree, paper, statement, letters, TOEFL, and qualifying exam.
Earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish and specialize in literature or linguistics. Explore the interdisciplinary curriculum, research opportunities and career paths in academics, healthcare and other fields.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a comprehensive graduate program in Hispanic Linguistics. Courses explore such topics as what Spanish language structures are possible and why; how sounds are learned, processed, produced, and perceived; and the use of language as social behavior, including speaker intention, the role of the interlocutor, and the impact of society on language.
The Ph.D. in Spanish | UCI School of Humanities
PhD in Hispanic Studies The faculty of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Washington has developed a PhD to address the needs of a new generation of doctoral students in the humanities. The program is designed to provide a rigorous and comprehensive education in the traditional disciplines of Spanish and Latin American literary studies, while also allowing ...
The PhD in Spanish prepares students for careers in university teaching and research through an integrated program of advanced course work and the preparation of a doctoral dissertation. Each program is flexible enough to provide for comprehensive coverage in the student's primary area while assuring ample coverage of the broad field of ...
PhD Program in Hispanic Studies ... Support Spanish & Portuguese Studies Facebook Instagram Twitter Newsletter More ways to connect; Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies University of Washington C-104 Padelford Hall Box 354360 Seattle, WA 98195-4360. Phone: (206) 543-2020
The Ph.D. program in Spanish and Portuguese is planned as a five-year sequence. Requirements for the Ph.D. include: A total of twenty (20) graduate courses, including: A course in Literary Theory. SPAN 6060 Pedagogy Across the Spanish Curriculum. SPAN 8000 Field Exam (Comprehensive Exam preparation)
T he Graduate Program in Spanish and Portuguese, a five-year Ph.D. program within the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, offers a rigorous professional formation in academic research, writing, and pedagogy. The program prepares students in a range of critical and methodological approaches to the study of literature, culture, and theory in ...
The PhD program in Spanish literature and culture is intended to be as flexible as possible, establish broad areas of competence through an individualized program of study set with the supportive guidance of the student's advisor. ... Professionals with this degree can confidently move into the academic profession, careers in education ...
The Ph.D. Program in Spanish and Latin American Literatures draws on the talents of a diverse faculty whose research interests span Spain and the Americas, from Medieval and colonial multiculturalism to postmodern currents. Our specialties include Renaissance humanism, the transatlantic Baroque, nineteenth-century nation building, and ...
2024-25 Edition. Spanish, Ph.D. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a Ph.D. in Spanish with a focus in Spanish, Spanish-American, or Chicano/Latino literatures and cultures. The program integrates period and genre studies with work in literary and critical theory, linguistics, sociohistorical studies, and cultural studies.
PhD Program in Spanish and Portuguese Language and ...
PhD in Spanish. The Spanish and Portuguese Section offers undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan. It is unique in its commitment to exploring the trans-historical and cross-cultural interrelations between all these language areas and their corresponding cultural formations.
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish. Department of Spanish and Portuguese Head of Department: Melissa Bowles Director of Graduate Studies: Jonathan E. MacDonald Department of Spanish and Portuguese website 4080 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801 (217) Spanish and Portuguese email.
The PhD program in Spanish allows graduate students with a primary focus on Literary and Cultural studies or Sociolinguistics in the Spanish-speaking world to develop the specific types of expertise required within these academic and professional fields. The PhD program in Spanish seeks to foster the kinds of comparative and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Spanish (literatures ...
The PhD in Spanish allows students to conduct research in Spanish and Latin American literary and cultural studies. It offers to connect this research with issues in Comparative Literature, Trans-Atlantic Studies, Film Studies and other related fields. In addition, it provides for opportunities to expand collaborative research and teaching ...
Spanish Graduate Program. We consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity to educate the next generation of teachers, scholars, and leaders. Our PhD students collaborate with faculty to define new research directions in Spanish, Latin American, and Latinx literary and cultural studies, and to translate thier excitement for knowledge ...
The PhD program in Spanish literature and culture is intended to be as flexible as possible, establish broad areas of competence through an individualized program of study set with the supportive guidance of the student's advisor. Graduate courses in literature and cultural studies focus on the production, distribution and reception of texts ...
Department Facilities. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese occupies the fourth and fifth floors of Williams Hall, with a seminar room for Romance Languages graduate classes, a graduate lounge, and a computer lab, as well as the Cherpack Lounge, where faculty and graduate students meet informally, and where lectures and colloquia sponsored ...
About This List. Explore Spanish language and literature graduate programs and graduate schools offering Spanish language and literature degrees. Compare graduate Spanish language and literature programs with government statistics and graduate student reviews. Find the best Spanish language and literature graduate schools for you.
All PhD programmes. The UAB has over 65 PhD programmes regulated by Royal Decree 99/2011, on PhD studies, and these are categorised in 5 areas of interest: Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Social and Juridical Sciences, Health Sciences and Engineering. Furthermore, from 2014 the UAB holds the distinction " HR Excellence in Research ", which ...