This program consists of 10 courses distributed as follows:

Spanish-American Literature or Culture (select two courses)
Spanish Literature or Culture (select two courses)
Electives (select six courses)
Thesis or Comprehensive Exams

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Completion of the Master of Arts in Spanish

Upon completing the 30 course credits required for the MA in Spanish the student has two options: an examination based on a reading list, or the presentation of a thesis.

Procedure for the MA Examination

The MA qualifying examination consists of a written examination of 6 hours. The material on the exam will be drawn from both the student’s course work as well as the Master’s reading list. The Master’s reading list is available on-line as well as in the department office.

The following procedures have been established for the completion of the MA studies.

I. At appointed dates (usually around the final weeks of the semester) during the academic year, the department will administer the written examination of six hours, divided into three parts:

A. Part I

1. History of the Spanish language
2. Literature of the Middle Ages
3. Peninsular Literature of the Renaissance and Baroque period
4. Latin American Literature from the Colonial and Baroque period

B. Part II

1. Peninsular Literature of the Neo-Classical period
2. Peninsular Literature of the Romantic period
3. Latin American Literature of the Romantic period

C. Part III - Latin American Literature

1. Peninsular Literature of the Realism and Naturalism
2. Contemporary Peninsular Literature
3. Latin American Realism and Naturalism
4. Contemporary Latin American Literature

It is to be emphasized that this examination is based upon the specified reading list and that the questions and texts will be limited to those appearing on the reading list available from the department. No extraneous material will be included in the examination. The questions will be composed solely from the reading list.

It is advisable, that prior to the examination period, students meet with their professors to be oriented for the examination. There are optional study sessions scheduled over the course of the semester for students who wish to review with their professors.

View the Reading List for MA Program in Spanish »

Procedure for the Thesis

If the candidate chooses to present a thesis, he/she must first consult with a faculty advisor about a topic. Once the topic has been approved, a thesis outline must be drawn up and presented to the candidate’s thesis advisor. Once the thesis outline has been formally approved by the advisor, the student may proceed solely with the guidance of his chosen thesis director and may thereby complete his thesis in a more efficient and rapid manner. The student’s rough draft will be presented to the mentor for suggestions or improvements. Once the thesis is deemed satisfactory by the thesis advisor, the thesis will be given to two other faculty members of the Graduate School for reading. Suggestions made by these members of the reading committee should be taken into consideration by the candidate before final approval of the thesis. Candidate should be reminded that the Graduate School regulations for deadlines for submitting final thesis copies for the degree are as follows:

Under no circumstances will a mentor tolerate inordinate pressures due to extraneous personal or career factors, which have no relevance to the college regulations concerning dates, procedures and quality of the thesis.