online phd programs spanish

Spanish Academic

Online Graduate Programs in Spanish for 2025 – 2026

Master’s degree programs offered online.

Central Connecticut State University MA with Specialization in Spanish, Online Linguistics or literature specializations, thesis and non-thesis options, same program also offered in person on main campus.

Idaho State University MA in Spanish, Online Linguistics or literature specializations, thesis and non-thesis options, same program also offered in person on main campus.

New Mexico State University MA in Spanish, Online Linguistics or literature specializations, thesis and non-thesis options, same program also offered in person on main campus.

Minnesota State University at Mankato MS in Spanish for the Professions, Online Linguistics or literature specializations, thesis and non-thesis options, same program also offered in person on main campus.

University of Houston Online MA in U.S. Hispanic Studies Focuses o areas related to U.S. Hispanic heritage teaching methodology, linguistic, cultural and literary studies.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign MA in Translation and Interpreting, Online Online program is also offered on campus in Champaign, Illinois.

University of Nebraska Kearny MA in Spanish Education Two tracks: (1) Literature, (2) Language, Culture, and Civilization.

University of New Orleans Online MA in Romance Languages, Spanish Two tracks: (1) Literature, (2) Language, Culture, and Civilization.

University of Southern Mississippi MA in the Teaching of Languages (Spanish), Online Required: Undergraduate degree in Spanish, 30 hours of experience, or take ACTFL.

Translation and Interpretation Online

Kent State University MA in Translation, Online Online program is also offered onsite.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign MA in Translation and Interpreting, Online Online program is also offered on campus

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley MA Spanish Translation and Interpreting, Online

Spanish Language and Literature Ph.D.

The Ph.D. is primarily a research and specialization degree, culminating in the writing of a dissertation.

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• Spanish Program Home
• Spanish Graduate Programs
• Spanish Ph.D. Dissertation Abstracts
• Spanish Language and Literature M.A.
• Hispanic Applied Linguistics M.A. 
• Spanish Program Graduate Funding

Our graduate programs include a Ph. D degree with specializations in both Spanish and Latin American Literature and Culture. Our Ph.D. students are mentored by our faculty, engage in substantive research projects, and benefit from rigorous teaching training. We offer courses that cover most geographical areas and time periods and guide students through relevant theoretical and methodological developments. Courses are complemented with lecture series and events that enrich our students’ intellectual and life experiences.

To be considered for admission applicants must:

• Have earned an M.A. degree or have equivalent training;
• Submit a paper in Spanish produced at the M.A. level;
• Submit a statement of purpose;
• Submit three letters of recommendation from academic references;

In addition, non-native speakers of English are required to take the TOEFL examination prior to admittance. Candidates must meet the minimum TOEFL standards established by the University of Maryland Graduate School (score of 100). For information students should contact the SLLC graduate coordinator.

Students on the "short list" may be interviewed by the graduate director in person or by phone.

Prior to admission to candidacy the student must demonstrate/fulfill the following:

• A thorough knowledge of the literary and cultural production in the main area of study;
• An in-depth knowledge of research tendencies in the field of specialization;
• At least two courses in the secondary area;
• A graduate course in the History of the Spanish Language;
• A minimum of one course in literary theory and/or criticism;
• A total of 30 credits of coursework (in very exceptional cases, fewer);
• Reading proficiency in a third language other than Spanish or English, appropriate to the student's field of study.

What do I need to apply?

To be considered for admission applicants must submit:

• Online application
• Application fee $75 -> Information about fee waiver
• Official transcripts of an M.A. degree or equivalent training.
• A paper in Spanish produced at the M.A. level.
• A statement of purpose.
• Three letters of recommendation from academic references.
• Non-native speakers of English are required to take the TOEFL examination prior to admittance. Candidates must meet the minimum TOEFL standards established by the University of Maryland Graduate School (score of 100). For information students should contact the SLLC graduate coordinator. Apply here Step-by-Step Guide to Applying English Language Proficiency Requirements for International Students **Due to deferrals, graduation delays during pandemic and reductions in available funding, admissions to our graduate programs will be more competitive for Fall 2021. Applicants should note that we are an affirmative action department and that we remain especially interested in recruiting strong African American, Hispanic American, and Native American students to our Ph.D. and M.A. programs. 

Qualifying Examination: Procedures and Evaluation

Students who obtained their M.A. at another institution must take a qualifying examination after their first semester in the Ph.D. program. The goal of the exam is to ensure that students have both the specific field knowledge and the theoretical and/or critical background to continue in the program.

A student must declare her/his intention to take the qualifying examination in writing to the director of graduate Studies at least 60 days prior to the examination date, and at this time s/he should select the areas or fields and faculty advisor with whom s/he wants to work in preparation for the qualifying. The exam will be given every January, before the beginning of the spring semester. A committee consisting of two department faculty members (including the advisor) will meet to evaluate the examination and discuss the student's overall progress in the Ph.D. program. Written notification of the results will be sent to the student within one month of completing the exam. In the event that the student does not pass the exam, her/his advisor and the director of graduate studies may recommend that the student retake the examination in May. If a student does not pass the retake exam, s/he will not be allowed to continue in the Ph.D. program.

The examination is based on a list of 10 primary texts in the fields of Latin American and/or Spanish literature chosen by the student in consultation with her/his faculty advisor. The list of 10 books should focus on the student’s specific area of interest, as the purpose of the exam is to evaluate a student’s reading and writing skills as s/he continues to pursue a doctoral degree. The director of graduate studies must receive and approve the list of 10 texts as soon as the decision is made. Once the list is approved by the DGS, the student will have a maximum of 10 business days to select five (5) books from the list of 10 primary texts to prepare for the exam and inform the DGS and her/his faculty advisor of her/his decision. The DGS will then, in consultation with the student, establish the exact date of the examination in January (or May in the event of a retake).

The examination will be formulated by the faculty advisor and will include the following: (a) a close reading of a passage of no more than 500 words from one (1) book from the student’s list of five, which would lead to (b) an extrapolation to a wider set of ideas pertaining to the whole book and/or to the five (5) books selected. The student will receive the examination question by hand at the time of the exam and will have 4 hours to answer it in a room on a computer provided by the department with no internet access. The exam will be written in Spanish, with the exception of English for students who are specialized in U.S. Latina/o Studies. No notes or bibliography may be consulted, although a bilingual dictionary may be used.

The exam will be proctored by the Director of Graduate Studies or the SLLC Graduate Coordinator.

Route to Ph.D. Candidacy

After Ph.D. coursework has been completed, students proceed through a pre-candidacy stage consisting of three components: the comprehensive examination, the language reading (or “translation”) exam and the dissertation proposal and defense. Following successful completion of these three elements, students are advanced to candidacy and are considered “ABD” (all but dissertation). 

Comprehensive Examination  The comprehensive examination consists of three essays written over a span of three weeks. The essays are based on the courses a student has taken and on reading lists tailored to his or her sub-fields of focus (two in the main area and one in the secondary area). The three reading lists are created in consultation with faculty specialists in the areas of examination.

The comprehensive examination is offered three times per year, in January, May and August. On three consecutive Mondays, the student will receive a question to be answered in essay form, each related to a particular sub-field. These essays will be due by 3:00 p.m. on the Thursday of each respective week.

Sixty days prior to the desired examination start date, the candidate must inform the director of graduate studies as well as the professor assigned to administer the exam of his/her intention to sit for the examination. This notification should be submitted in writing, outlining the areas and sub-fields in which the student will be examined.

Exams will be evaluated by a committee consisting of two faculty members per subfield.  Where appropriate, and in only one instance per student, the same faculty member may be called upon to evaluate two of the essays.

In the case of an unsuccessful examination, the student’s Ph.D. advisor and the director of graduate studies may recommend that the student sit a second time for the comprehensive examination. Continuation in the Ph.D. program depends on the successful outcome of any second attempt.

Language Reading (“Translation”) Examination                                                         This examination consists of a “for sense” translation from a third language into English or Spanish. The topic of the text will be related to the student's field of specialization. The choice of the language will be determined by its usefulness as a tool for the student's dissertation research. This exam may be repeated once. The student will choose a book or a long article together with a professor qualified to evaluate the third language (the examiner) and then notify the DGS of when the exam is to take place. The examiner will select a passage from the book or long article, which must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. The examiner must submit the passage to the DGS for review at least two weeks prior to the exam. The student will have three hours to complete the exam, which will take place on campus and be proctored. Please note that only a printed dictionary (not an electronic source) is allowed to assist with the translation exam. For your information, please note that professors Igel and Lima are authorized to conduct examinations in Portuguese; and professors Naharro and Benito-Vessels are authorized to conduct examinations in French. Any questions about who is qualified to conduct the exam should be directed to the DGS. Please note also that dissertation advisors are not allowed to administer exams to their advisees. The examiner evaluates the exam and communicates the result directly to the DGS, who will then advise the student. The reading exam can be taken at any point prior to advancement to candidacy. 

Dissertation Proposal and Defense The final stage of the pre-candidacy period is focused on preparation for the writing of the dissertation. In consultation with an advisory committee consisting of the dissertation director and three members of the faculty, the student will write a dissertation proposal that aims to give a clear sense of the intended corpus of study, intellectual aims and methodology. The proposal should include a review of the literature, an outline of projected chapters and a selected bibliography. Proposals should be about 25-30 pages in length and are expected to be completed within four months to one year after the comprehensive examination.

The advisory committee and the candidate will then convene for the defense of the proposal. All faculty in the department are welcome to attend the defense.

The Dissertation

As stated previously, the Ph.D. is essentially a research degree. This means that coursework taken for the Ph.D. is intended as a preparation for the dissertation. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the student identify his/her field of interest as soon as possible. Early in the first semester, students should consult with one or more professors and explore the research possibilities in the field, period, genre, author(s) of his/her particular interest and select an academic advisor accordingly.

Dissertation Defense

When the candidate has completed the dissertation, the director of graduate studies notifies the Graduate School of its completion. The dean of the Graduate School, upon the recommendation of the director of graduate studies, appoints an examining committee for the candidate. This examining committee will include four members of the department and one member from another academic unit who acts as the graduate dean's representative. The committee will be chaired by the dissertation director.

All members of the examining committee will read the dissertation in its final form and take part in an oral examination in which the candidate defends his/her findings. Copies of the dissertation must be given to members of the examining committee at least 10 days before the date set for the oral examination. The Graduate School has established procedures for the dissertation examination. For details on these and all other aspects regarding the dissertation, please see the Thesis and Dissertation Forms and Guidelines. In addition, the student must provide the department with one copy of the final version of his/her dissertation.

Students are expected to defend the dissertation within 4 years of advancing to candidacy.  The director of graduate studies may approve an extension of up to one year in cases of extenuating circumstances.

Application for Graduation

Students must apply for a graduate diploma early in the semester in which they intend to receive their degree. Deadlines are published in the Schedule of Classes.

Note: Once students are done they MUST file an EXIT form with the Graduate School and, if applicable, an address change form.

Graduate Student Handbook

The purpose of the Graduate Student Handbook is to aid you in understanding the context of graduate education at UMD. The goal is to provide you with resources, information, practices, and policies that will help you in navigating the graduate experience. 

Teaching Handbook

The  Teaching Handbook is intended to familiarize graduate students with the procedures, policies, and expectations in teaching, research and administrative environments as an integral part of their education. 

Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

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Doctor of philosophy in spanish, general information:.

The Department of Modern Languages offers a variety of opportunities for advanced study. The Ph.D. program in Hispanic Literature is designed to prepare students to become first-rate scholars and teachers, primarily in institutions of higher learning. In addition to two major fields of specialization (Peninsular Spanish Literature and Spanish American Literature), minors are available in Peninsular Spanish Literature, Spanish American Literature, and Hispanic Linguistics. Candidates to the Ph.D. must pass a qualifying   examination .

Description of the Program

The doctoral program consists of 75 semester hours of graduate level work beyond the Bachelor's degree, distributed as follows: 57 graduate credits of courses and 18 credits of dissertation. Students holding Master of Arts degrees in Spanish or Hispanic Studies will be considered for admission and some or all of their graduate credits may be counted toward the doctoral degree after being evaluated and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. Student will be able to transfer a maximum of 36 graduate credits from an earned graduate degree.

Course Distribution

Core Courses: (9 credits)

All core courses must be taken as graduate courses offered by the University and may not be taken as independent studies:

• FOL 5943 Foreign Language Teaching Methodology
• SPW 5806 Methods of literary research
• SPW 6825 Literary Theory and Criticism

Distribution Requirement: (15 credits)

All students must take:

• One course in Medieval or Golden Age Peninsular Spanish Literature
• One course in Peninsular Spanish Literature of the 18th-21st century
• One course in Colonial/19th century Spanish American Literature
• One course in 20th century Spanish American Literature
• One additional course in Spanish American Literature

Electives: (33 credits)

Students may choose from graduate courses in literature, linguistics, culture, and translation/interpretation.

Dissertation: (18 credits)

Independent Studies

Students who want to conduct research in a very specialized field with a particular faculty member will be allowed to register for a 3-credit independent study course. No more than two such independent study will be allowed without permission from the Graduate Program Director and only in exceptional cases. Under no circumstances will a student be authorized to take a regularly-taught course as an independent study. Independent studies are envisioned as an opportunity for students to carry out specialized research, not as a substitute for regular courses.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Dissertation Proposal

The dissertation proposal consists of two documents: 1) A concise (max. 5 pages double-spaced) dissertation proposal following University Graduate School guidelines; 2) a more developed statement of research purpose and plans (15-20 pages long). Students should circulate these two documents among all the members of the committee at least two weeks prior to the oral defense. The dissertation proposal has to be approved by the four members of the dissertation committee. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for more details   Here

The dissertation proposal is a five-page document with an appended bibliography that explains in detail the proposed thesis topic, the critical instrument chosen to approach it, existing scholarship on the subject, and an overarching plan for its development. The proposal is prepared in consultation with the thesis adviser but it is revised and evaluated by all the members of the student's graduate committee. The proposal should follow the general guidelines in the Regulations for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation. A copy of the approved proposal must be filed with the Dean of Graduate Studies at least one full semester prior to defense of the dissertation or thesis.

Students who have completed all coursework must register in SPW 7910 Pre-dissertation Research during the semester in which he or she expects to be admitted to candidacy. Students fully admitted to candidacy subsequently register in SPN 7980 Dissertation Research. Candidates must be registered in at least three credit-hours of dissertation research every semester --including at least one summer term-- once he or she begins such preparation. The candidate must be enrolled for at least three dissertation credits during the semester in which the doctoral degree is awarded.

The statement of research purpose and plans is internal to the department.

Dissertation

A dissertation or thesis is a formal and systematic discourse or treatise advancing an original point of view as a result of research. A dissertation is required of all candidates for the doctoral degree.

Upon completion of a dissertation or thesis, the degree candidate will submit to the Dean of Graduate Studies an application for thesis or dissertation defense signed by the dissertation director. The application must be filed in sufficient time to allow the Dean of Graduate Studies to publish the notice in a monthly calendar of dissertation and theses defenses for the University community.

Copies of the final version of the dissertation, prepared in accordance with the most recent edition of the MLA Style Manual or MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Paper and the FIU Guidelines for Thesis and Dissertation Writers (available from the Office of Graduate Studies), together with an abstract in English of a maximum of 350 words, must be submitted to the Dissertation Committee at least four weeks before the Oral Defense of the Dissertation, which must be scheduled following UGS calendar.

Dissertation Defense

The date, time, and place of the Defense will be announced by memo from the Dissertation Director at least two weeks in advanced to the rest of the committee, the candidate, the Director of Graduate Studies, the department Chairperson, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Dean of Graduate Studies and Media Relations.

The oral defense, which is open to public, will take the following form: 10-15 minute presentation by candidate, 10 minute question period from each member of the dissertation committee.

Following the successful defense, as determined by a majority vote of the student's committee, the dissertation or thesis is forwarded to the Academic Dean and to the dean of graduate studies for their approval.

The Ph.D. dissertation must be completed within five years of the doctoral comprehensive examination, or the examination will have to be retaken.

Seminars on Professional Concerns

The Department of Modern Languages recognizes the need to inform graduate students regarding a wide range of professional issues directly related to the successful development of their academic careers. To that end, each year it sponsors a series of meetings during which these concerns can be more fully addressed and explored. The professional concerns seminars meet as needed and are led by one or several faculty members. Topics to be covered include "Publishing your work," "Participating in conferences and symposia," "Applying for grants and fellowships," "Writing the curriculum vitae," "Applying for jobs," and "Preparing for an interview." Other possible topics for discussion might include book reviewing, publishing the dissertation and networking. Students may also propose a seminar on a topic not listed here that is of special professional concern to them. Such proposals are channeled through the Director of Graduate Studies.

Graduate and Teaching Assistantships

A limited number of assistantships are available each year for doctoral students. Candidates seeking an assistantship must apply in writing to the Graduate Program Director by December 15th. Assistantships normally consist of a stipend of $20,000 per academic year (including the summer terms) and a matriculation fee-waiver.

In exchange, students who receive assistantships must work twenty hours per week for the Department and must take a minimum of nine credits per semester and six credits in the summer. Students with more than eighteen graduate credits generally fulfill their work requirements by teaching one language class per term.

Assistantships are incompatible with outside employment. Please see the Graduate Program Director for further information. Renewal is not automatic but contingent upon the student's successful performance in the following areas: (1) academics (2) work as graduate or teaching assistant, (3) participation in all the meetings and activities organized by the department. Renewals must be approved by the graduate committee in consultation with the student’s advisor and the Language Coordinator. In order to have the Teaching Assistantship renewed, ABDs will have to show adequate progress towards the completion of their dissertation.

For information on additional special scholarships, please contact the Graduate Program Director.

Selected Course Offerings

• Methods of Literary Research
• Literary Theory and Criticism
• Historiography of Literature
• The Structure of Spanish
• History of the Spanish Language
• Spanish in the United States
• Dialectology of the Spanish Caribbean
• Learning Technology in Spanish Pedagogy and Research
• Spanish Culture
• Spanish American Culture
• Hispanic Culture in the US
• Afro-Cuban Culture
• The Latin American Experience in Literature and Film
• Colonial Latin American Literature
• 19th Century Latin American Literature
• Spanish American Modernism
• The Traditional Spanish American Novel
• Primitivism in Spanish American Literature
• Magical Realism
• Contemporary Spanish American Novel
• Spanish American Historical Novel
• Spanish American Essay
• Prose and Poetry of Jorge Luis Borges
• Poetry of Pablo Neruda
• Eros in the Poetry of Spanish American Women Writers
• Spanish American Women Writers
• Hispanic Literature of the US
• Mexico in Poetry
• Literature of the Spanish Caribbean
• 19th Century Spanish Caribbean Literature
• Cuban Theater
• Cuban Narrative
• Prose and Poetry of José Martí
• Literature of Hispanics in the United States
• Medieval Spanish Literature
• The Renaissance in Spain
• Golden Age Prose
• Golden Age Poetry
• Spanish Romanticism and Neoclassicism
• Spanish Realism and Naturalism
• Seminar on Benito Pérez Galdós
• Generation of 98
• 20th Century Spanish Novel
• Poetry of Jorge Guillén
• Seminar on Federico García Lorca
• Seminar on Antonio Buero Vallejo
• Modern Spanish Women Writers
• Representation of Women in Spanish Literature and Film
• 20th Century Spanish Poetry

• About the Department
• Administration & Contacts
• Why Study Spanish?
• Course of Study
• Course Equivalencies
• Placement Table and Information
• Resources for Language Learners
• Undergraduate Life
• Why Major in Spanish?
• Why Minor in Spanish?
• Spanish/English Bilingual Education Minor
• La Casa Nuestra
• Study Abroad
• Testimonials
• Undergraduate Forms
• Prospective Students
• Student Testimonials
• The M.A. in Spanish

The Ph.D. in Spanish

• Professionalization
• Teaching Assistantships
• Meet Our Students
• Alumni Placement
• Graduate Forms
• Application Information
• Upcoming Talks and Screenings
• Conferences, Colloquia and Speakers
• Core Faculty
• Emeritus Faculty
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• PHD PROGRAM

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a Ph.D. degree 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. The Department seeks to professionalize its Ph.D. candidates not as narrow specialists but rather as scholars and critics acquainted with a range of fields that relate to and enhance their discipline. For this reason, Ph.D. students are encouraged to take  courses outside of the Department. Graduate emphases in Comparative Literature, Critical Theory, and Women’s Studies are available; other areas of study (for example, film, history) may be designed with approval from the student’s Ph.D. guidance committee. The Department has traditionally been committed to excellence in teaching, both in its own practice and in the formation of its graduates.

Upon acceptance to the doctoral program and in consultation with the Graduate Director, the Ph.D. student is assigned a primary Advisor and an alternate Advisor (in case the primary advisor is temporarily absent). The Ph.D. Advisor will head the Ph.D. Guidance Committee and presumably direct the dissertation. The Ph.D. Advisor in conjunction with the Guidance Committee guides the student in preparing for the qualifying exams, informs the student of departmental and university requirements, signs and approves the Academic Planning Guide each quarter, and serves as faculty mentor for the student. In addition, the Ph.D. Advisor informs the Graduate Director about the qualifying exam (dates, committee membership, outcome). If necessary, the Ph.D. Advisor may convoke a meeting of professors with whom the student has studied to evaluate academic progress and performance. All students are required to meet bi-annually with their Advisors during the second week of instruction in the Fall and, once again, during the second week of Spring quarter. The purpose of these meetings is to advise students in their courses of graduate study and monitor their progress towards the timely completion of the Ph.D. degree. The student may petition the Chair or Graduate Director for a change of advisor or committee (except between the qualifying exam and any retake); any change must be approved by the Graduate Director. The Ph.D. Advisor chairs the Exam Committee and organizes and coordinates the qualifying exam.

• REQUIRED COURSEWORK

The doctoral program comprises a minimum of 16 courses, that is, 8 courses beyond the 8 courses required for the M.A. degree. As part of the 8 courses required for the Ph.D., all students must take the following:

• one graduate course in Linguistics (diachronic or synchronic)
• one graduate course in Luso-Brazilian literature and culture
• Spanish 265A & B (Spanish Teaching Methodology), unless this course was taken as part of the MA coursework at UCI. Equivalent courses from other institutions may satisfy the requirement.

The remaining elective courses will be selected by the student in consultation with the Ph.D. Advisor and the Ph.D. Guidance Committee. A student may pursue the Ph.D. with an emphasis in Comparative Literature by taking a minimum of five courses in the Comparative Literature program.

Directed Reading

Students preparing to take the Ph.D. qualifying examination may enroll in a maximum of two Directed Readings (SPAN 291). All requests for Directed Readings must be formally petitioned no later than the first week of classes. Formal petitions comprise of:

• A detailed rationale for taking the course
• Reading list
• Course objective
• Evaluation components

Note that Directed Readings are taken on a S/U basis and do not count towards coursework.

Individual Study

Doctoral students are expected to enroll in regularly scheduled graduate seminars. However, whenever a topic is not available, either in whole or in part, in a graduate seminar offered in our department or in another department at UCI, students can enroll in a maximum of two Individual Studies (SPAN 290). Individual Study courses are for the purpose of expanding an existing paper or a longer project. The following rules are to be strictly observed:

•  It is recommended that students complete the required minimum coursework towards the Ph.D. before taking an Individual Studies.
•  Individual Studies MUST NOT be taken for the purposes of preparing readings for the Ph.D. qualifying examination (see Directed Reading above).

All requests for an Individual Study course must be formally petitioned no later than the first week of classes. Formal petitions comprise:

• A detailed rationale for taking the Individual Study with appropriate documentation of eligibility (i.e. completion of all required minimum coursework for the Ph.D.)
• A course description and complete reading list for the course
• Evaluation components, which must include a research paper
• An endorsement from the Ph.D. advisor

After considering the petition, the Graduate Director submits it to the Chair of the Department for final approval. Any petition for an exception to the maximum number of 2 Individual Studies and 2 Directed Readings allowed per doctoral student will only be considered in special circumstances, which must be officially documented and properly endorsed in writing by the student’s Ph.D. advisor.

Students who received an Incomplete have up to one quarter to complete and hand-in the required course assignment. The Instructor has the right to require an earlier due date on Incompletes. Should the Incomplete occur in the spring quarter, the student has until date of notification from Graduate Dean’s office in mid August to complete all required coursework. Students must file with the Graduate Program Coordinator a “Contract” appropriately completed and signed by both the student and professor. This contract should be honored no later than the ninth week of the quarter following the request for an Incomplete, so as to allow the professor enough time to evaluate the work and document the change of grade.  

A student who transfers into the doctoral program from elsewhere must take 8 graduate courses at UCI, of which 6 must be in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. A student may petition to obtain credit for the required Linguistics or Luso- Brazilian Literature course, if such courses have been taken elsewhere

In addition to Spanish and English, all doctoral candidates must take a Graduate Seminar in Luso-Brazilian Literature and culture or equivalent. A student may take an upper-division undergraduate course taught in Portuguese for which a doctoral student may register under Port. 290 following the procedure outlined above (see Individual Study, p.9). An additional foreign language (with proficiency equivalent to the 2C level) is required; this requirement may be satisfied by examination or by taking one course numbered 97 (example: Fundamentals French). The selection of the foreign language must be approved by the student's guidance committee and should be based on the specific research interests and field of study of the candidate.  

The Department recognizes its responsibility to train all Ph.D. candidates as teachers and requires that all doctoral students with no prior teaching experience complete a minimum of 3 quarters of language teaching (Spanish 399, University Teaching). For incoming students who have not taken a graduate level foreign language teaching methodology course, the seminar course (HUMAN 398A-HUMAN 398B) is required. HUMAN 398A-HUMAN 398B will be completed over the course of two quarters; HUMAN 398A will be completed during the spring quarter of the first year, and HUMAN 398B in the fall quarter of the second year. HUMAN 398A-HUMAN 398B will not be part of the 16 required courses beyond the B.A. or eight beyond the M.A. Note that these requirements may include course work completed in the master’s program; the remaining elective courses are selected with the approval of the student’s guidance committee to prepare for the doctoral examination and the dissertation. Students are encouraged to take more than the minimum number of required courses. Moreover, all doctoral students are encouraged to complete a teaching practicum by co-teaching an upper-division course with a professor and enrolling in SPANISH 292, which is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only (maximum of 2 which must be taken prior to advancement). The purpose of this course is to gain professional training in teaching literature and culture. Prior to the quarter, the professor and student will meet to design the syllabus and objectives of the course; in addition to attending class sessions, the student will also teach a minimum of three, maximum of five, class hours under the supervision of the professor. It is recommended that the student prepare a class plan for discussion with the professor prior to teaching a class. The student may also hold office hours, conduct review sessions, give exams, and help in the grading of papers and exams. 

• PH.D. QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Upon completion of course work, the Ph.D. student advances to candidacy by passing the written and oral qualifying examinations by unanimous decision. The exam is administered by the Ph.D. Exam Committee appointed by the Department on behalf of the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Council. The Ph.D. Exam Committee comprises five members. Of these five members, one must be regular-rank faculty from another department at UCI. This committee is chaired by the candidate's Ph.D. Advisor. Ph.D. exams must be completed within two quarters after finishing coursework. Failure to do so will result in termination of Teaching Assistantship. The student must submit the Ph.D. Exam Reading List (with the rationale for the two topics explained on page 13) for approval of all members of the Committee at least one quarter before the intended exam date. After the Reading List has been approved, it is considered final. The final version of the Reading List must be submitted to the graduate coordinator; he/she will date the final version and place a copy in the student’s file.

There are several faculty Ph.D. committees which should be distinguished to avoid confusion. Remember that the student has the right to petition changes in advisor, director, and committee membership so the configuration of any given committee may change considerably over the course of time. The Ph.D. Guidance Committee is the initial committee of three faculty members selected by the student and approved by the Graduate Director. Students who have completed the Masters program at UCI will participate in the selection of the committee members. Those students entering the doctoral program after attaining their Masters elsewhere, in consultation with the Graduate Director will be assigned a temporary Guidance Committee in accordance with the student's stated interests on the application for admission. The Ph.D. Guidance Committee will evaluate the transcripts of transfer students to determine how many courses will apply toward coursework requirements for the Ph.D. For all beginning Ph.D. students, the Guidance Committee convened by the Ph.D. Advisor will help the student map out an appropriate course of studies that will prepare the student for the qualifying exams and the writing of the doctoral thesis. As the date of the qualifying exams approaches, the Ph.D. Guidance Committee will form the core of the Ph.D. Exam Committee. The Exam Committee comprises five faculty members, including a professor from another department at UCI. The committee, chaired by the Ph.D. Advisor, will read the student's written exams and participate in the oral exam. The Exam Committee, by unanimous vote, will determine if the student passes the qualifying exam. After successful completion of the qualifying exams, the three core members of the Exam Committee may comprise the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee, chaired by and including the Ph.D. Dissertation Director. The main functions of this committee are to participate in the dissertation proposal, read drafts of the dissertation distributed by the Dissertation Director or the student, propose changes or comments, and participate in the dissertation defense. Upon successful completion of the defense the committee will accept the finished dissertation by signing on the title page.

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is an important part of a graduate education. It requires that students demonstrate an appropriate level of scholarly competence in their chosen fields, independently of knowledge acquired through coursework and of their specific interests for doctoral dissertations. It is designed to help students develop the following professional skills:

• The ability to work independently, to gather information and process it critically.
• The transmission of knowledge acquired in the form of written responses, as well as the ability to expand upon these in an intellectual dialogue with professors during the oral part of the exam.

Students’ competency in their fields of expertise must be proven at four basic levels in the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination:

• Knowledge of texts, authors and literary movements.
• Familiarity with historical contexts and intellectual currents relevant to the above
• Ability to draw from and critically engage major secondary texts relevant to the chosen fields of study
• Capacity for theoretical discussion of themes, topics or problems recurrent in those fields.

Any student unable to demonstrate adequate capacity in any of the four areas outlined above and/or unable to comment or discuss texts included on the Ph.D. Examination Reading List will be subject to failure in the exam, and be required to repeat it either in whole or in part. The Ph.D. Examination or any part thereof can only be repeated once. Please note that performance in coursework is independent of and will be evaluated apart from performance in the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. After successfully passing the Comprehensive examination, students will be required to meet with their Dissertation Committee and present a Dissertation Prospectus. This meeting should occur the quarter immediately following the PhD examination. The Committee will make comments and provide guidance to the student.

Advancement to candidacy must occur at least one quarter before the final quarter of enrollment.

The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination will consist of the following three major components: 1. Part One: A written examination in the Major Field to be studied. The student is required to propose a critical problem or topic in the form of a rationale of about two pages followed by a complete bibliography of both primary and secondary sources. The critical problem must have a historical (diachronical) perspective that will cover one of the representative fields in the profession, such as Modern and Contemporary Latin American literature, Medieval Spanish literature, Modern and Contemporary Spanish literature, and the like. The student will develop the problem in close consultation with the main advisor and the members of the PhD Exam Committee. Initial versions of the draft will circulate among members of the committee so that all will provide input. Later on, the members of the committee will draft a number of questions that the student must answer in the form of an essay in a period of 24 hours. This part of the exam is designed to provide students with an extended knowledge of their chosen field of study.

2. Part Two: A written examination in a Topic or critical problem, which may cover a specific research interest within the student's major field. Students will be required to write a two-page rationale for the topic accompanied by pertinent bibliography. The student will develop the topic in close consultation with the main advisor and the members of the PhD Exam Committee. Initial versions of the draft will circulate among members of the committee so that all will provide input. Later on, the members of the committee will draft a number of questions that the student must answer in the form of an essay in a period of 24 hours. This part of the exam is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop a more specific topic that should form part of their future dissertation project. Students will be encouraged to approach the topic from theoretical and/or interdisciplinary perspectives.

3. Oral Examination: The oral exam is approximately 2 hours long and includes discussion of the written exams. Students will also be asked to respond to other questions based on their reading lists. At the conclusion of the oral exam, the committee will issue an oral evaluation on the exams and inform the student if (s)he has been advanced to candidacy or if one or more parts of the exam must be retaken.

Procedures:  The Ph.D. Advisor chairs the Exam Committee and organizes and supervises the qualifying exams. The written exams must be taken within the same week (i.e., Sunday - Saturday, but not Tuesday - Tuesday, etc.) and the oral exam is scheduled within 2 weeks of the written exams. Two or three questions shall be given on each of the written sections. The Graduate Division stipulates that a student can only take the Qualifying Exam twice. “If the student does not pass the written examination, the student may not proceed with the second part of the exam, i.e., the oral portion. Once the student has taken the written exams, the membership of the Exam Committee cannot be altered. The student must retake any part(s) of the exam within 2 quarters of the first exam. The student will be provided with a copy of the exam to prepare for the oral; this copy is for the private use of the student and must not be circulated for commentary.

Upon the successful completion of the qualifying exam, a Ph.D. student must choose a Dissertation Director. Normally, that Director is the same individual as the Ph.D. Advisor, but students —if they so desire— have the option of choosing a different faculty member as their Dissertation Director. The Dissertation Director, in consultation with the Dissertation Committee, helps the student choose a topic, prepare a dissertation proposal for committee feedback and approval, coordinates and chairs the dissertation defense, and oversees the preparation and completion of the doctoral dissertation. The director acts as liaison between the student and other faculty members of the committee and also informs the Department of the plans and progress of the student.

• PHD DISSERTATION

A dissertation topic will be chosen by the candidate in consultation with her/his Dissertation Director and Dissertation Committee and will normally fall within the major field covered by the qualifying exams. Three faculty members are chosen by the student and appointed by the Department Chair, on behalf of the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Council, to constitute the Dissertation Committee that supervises the preparation and completion of the doctoral dissertation. The Dissertation Committee assumes the academic direction of the thesis, and the Dissertation Director wields the administrative responsibility for supervising the thesis and for informing the Department of the plans and progress of the student.  

Procedure: In an initial meeting between the committee and the student, the candidate presents a formal dissertation proposal to the committee, who will evaluate and approve it. The proposal should be 4-7 pages, single-spaced, not including bibliography. The meeting must take place during the quarter following the successful completion of the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination. A copy of the proposal will be kept in the student’s file. The student will then submit drafts of chapters or sections of the thesis to the Dissertation Director who will evaluate and correct the drafts. When the Dissertation Director approves the draft, the student will circulate the draft to the other members of the Dissertation Committee who will submit their commentary and suggestions to the student with a copy to the Dissertation Director. While writing the dissertation, the student enrolls in Spanish 299.

Dissertation Length: The dissertation must be at least 170 pages, not including bibliography. It must be written in 12-point font (Times New Roman or equivalent), and follow the UCI Theses and Dissertations Manual 

Dissertation Defense: In order to be able to meet the deadlines for graduation, the dissertation defense must take place one week prior to the quarter deadlines established by the Office of Graduate Studies (see webpage for guidelines and deadlines at - http://www.rgs.uci.edu/grad/students/thesis.htm) during the residency of the candidate. For example, if a student plans to graduate in the spring, the filing deadline for all documents is usually during the first week of June. The student must turn in a complete draft of the dissertation to his/her committee at least five weeks before the planned defense date. At that time, a copy must also be turned in to the Graduate Program Coordinator, who must confirm by email to the respective committee the completion of the draft of the dissertation, so that the exact defense date can be established. The defense of the dissertation will occur upon its completion during the residency of the candidate.  

The committee certifies the acceptance of a completed final dissertation with the signatures of the individual members on the title page. The finished dissertation is then forwarded to the Graduate Division.  

Contact Spanish and Portuguese

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Spanish Linguistics, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Spanish Linguistics

The PhD program in Spanish linguistics offers advanced interdisciplinary graduate training that combines key areas in second language acquisition and teaching, applied linguistics, heritage language research and pedagogy, sociolinguistics and bilingualism. With the supportive guidance from their advisor, students are well prepared for a productive career in the discipline of Hispanic studies.

Focus Areas

Spanish heritage studies and sociolinguistics:  Advanced interdisciplinary graduate training that combines key areas in Spanish heritage language research and pedagogy, bilingualism and Spanish sociolinguistics

Second language acquisition and teaching: Advanced interdisciplinary graduate training that combines key areas in second language acquisition and teaching, applied linguistics, heritage language pedagogy and language program administration.

Courses and Electives

The coursework for each student is individualized and based upon the student's previous training, research goals and mentor and committee consensus. Our research-heavy program requires students to complete a written comprehensive exam, prospectus and dissertation.

Meet the faculty

The 84-hour program of study includes a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus, and a dissertation. Prospective doctoral candidates should have a passion and interest in Spanish linguistics.

Under-represented minorities

Students in phd programs, international students, degree requirements, curriculum plan options.

• 84 credit hours, a foreign language exam, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 credit hours) SPA 543 Structure of Spanish (3)

Track (9 credit hours)

Electives or Research (41 credit hours)

Other Requirements (19 credit hours) COE 502 Introduction to Data Analysis (3) GRD 791 Seminar: Preparing Future Faculty and Scholars (PFx) (1) SPA 544 Spanish Phonology (3) SPA 546 Heritage Language Pedagogy (3) SPA 598 Topic: Research Methods for Linguists (3) SPA 598 Topic: Sociolinguistics (3) SPA 598 Topic: Spanish Second Language Acquisition (3)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) SPA 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Students choose from two available tracks: Spanish heritage studies and sociolinguistics, or second language acquisition and teaching. Students should see the academic unit for the approved course list for each track.

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.

Other requirement courses may be substituted with approval of the academic unit.

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 toward this degree. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, the 30 credit hours of coursework is made up of electives or research to reach the required 84 credit hours.

Admission Requirements

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 a related field from a regionally accredited institution.

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 a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Applicants are required to submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• two letters of recommendation
• written statement
• professional resume
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, career opportunities.

The doctoral program in Spanish linguistics prepares students for entrance into an academic profession (teacher, scholar) as well as for a profession outside of academia. Professionals with the valued skills developed through this degree program can confidently move into business, diplomatic, government and international fields.

Career examples include:

• foreign language and linguistics teachers and professors
• instructional design coordinators
• interpreters and translators
• reporters and correspondents
• social and community service managers
• teachers and professors of area, ethnic and cultural studies

Program Contact Information

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.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-6281

Application fee waiver

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.

Doctorate (PhD) in Spanish

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a comprehensive and innovative graduate program in the literature and cultures of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian world. We offer courses that cover a range of chronological, geographical, and generic categories, including Peninsular and Latin American literature and visual culture from the pre-modern period to the present day, as well as courses in literary, aesthetic, and political theory. Our program is distinguished by cross-unit collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches. Our faculty is dynamic, professionally active, and committed to working closely with students to prepare them for careers in university teaching and research.

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 Hispanic literatures and cultures.

Recent Publications by Faculty in Literature & Cultural Studies

2022  Fraser, B. Beyond Sketches of Spain: Tete Montoliu and the Construction of Iberian Jazz . New York: Oxford University Press.

  2022  Fraser, B. Barcelona, City of Comics: Urbanism, Architecture and Design in Postdictatorial Spain . Foreword featuring original comic by Pere Joan. Albany: SUNY Press.

  2022  Fraser, B., Spalding, S. (eds). Transnational Railway Cultures: Trains in Music, Literature, Film and Visual Art. Series: Explorations in Mobility, vol. 6. New York; Oxford: Berghahn Books.

2022 Murphy, Kaitlin and Yifat Gutman, Kerry Whigham, and Jenny Wüstenberg, et al. Routledge Handbook of Memory Activism. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

2021 Arias, Santa, and Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel, eds. The Routledge Hispanic Studies Companion to Colonial Latin America and the Caribbean (1492-1898). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

2021 Bezerra, K, Graciela Ravelli, and Teresa Barbosa. Representações do espaço público (Special volume). Revista Aletria 31.4.

2021  Fraser, B. Obsession, Urban Aesthetics and the Iberian City: The Partial Madness of Modern Urban Culture . Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.

2020 Harden, Faith. Arms and Letters: Military Life Writing in Early Modern Spain . University of Toronto Press.

2019  Fraser, B. Visible Cities, Global Comics: Urban Images and Spatial Form . Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.

2019  Fraser, B. The Art of Pere Joan: Space, Landscape and Comics Form . Austin: University of Texas Press.

2018 Acosta, A. "Unsettling Coloniality: Readings and Interrogations". Special Issue edited by Abraham Acosta. Journal of Commonwealth and Postscolonial Studies.

2018  Fraser, B. Cognitive Disability Aesthetics: Visual Culture, Disability Representations, and the (In)Visibility of Cognitive Difference . Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 

2018 Murphy, Kaitlin M. Mapping Memory: Visuality, Affect, and Embodied Politics in the Americas. Fordham Univ Press.

2017 Morales, Mónica. Reading Inebriation in Early Colonial Peru . (1st edition Ashgate 2012; 1st reprint edition Routledge 2017)

CHAPTERS AND ARTICLES :

2023 Arias, S. “La reinvención de la Isla San Juan de Puerto Rico bajo la Ilustración: desfronterización e imperialidad.” Cuadernos de Literatura en el Caribe Hispánico e Hispanoamérica . Special Issue: Colonialismo y Colonialidad en el Caribe. Forthcoming.

2023  Fraser, B. “La trisomia 21, la discapacitat intel·lectual i l’escriptura de la vida a Barcelona.” Catalan Review , pp. forthcoming.

  2023  Fraser, B. “‘Fraught with Background’: Narration, Monstration and Style in the Biblical Adaptations of R. Crumb and Chester Brown.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics , pp. preprint published online in 2021.

2022 Bezerra, K. “O sol se põe em São Paulo; Noções de pertencimento num mundo globalizado.” Revista ANPOLL (forthcoming).

2022 Bezerra, K. “Yde Blumenschein.” Memorial do Memoricídio . Vol.2. Ed. Constância Lima Duarte. (forthcoming 2022)

2022 Fitch, M. "The Latin American Novel and New Technologies". Oxford Handbook of the Latin American Novel . Ignacio López-Calvo and Juan E. de Castro, eds. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, pp. 542-554.

2022  Fraser, B. “The Poetry of Snails: The Shown, the Intervened, and the Signified in Duelo de caracoles (2010) by Sonia Pulido and Pere Joan.” European Comic Art 15.2, forthcoming.

2022 Harden, Faith. “Estebanillo González.” A Companion to the Spanish Picaresque Novel . Edited by Edward H Friedman. London: Tamesis, pp. 135-146.

2022 Murphy, Kaitlin. “Memory Mapping as Activist Intervention.” In The Memory Activism Handbook, edited by Yifat Gutman, Jenny Wüstenberg, et al. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

  2022  Murphy, Kaitlin and Kerry Whigham. “Introduction to Memory Activism Practices.” In The Memory Activism Handbook, edited by Yifat Gutman, Jenny Wüstenberg, et al. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

2022 Bezerra, K. “Afterword.” Contemporary Brazilian Cities, Culture, and Resistance . Ed. Sophia Beal and Gustavo Prieto. Hispanic Issues On Line 28, pp.248-257.

2021 Arias, Santa, and Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel . “Between Colonialism and Coloniality: Colonial Latin American and Caribbean Studies Today.” The Routledge Hispanic Studies Companion to Colonial Latin America and the Caribbean (1492-1898). Edited by Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel and Santa Arias. Routledge. 1-40.

2021 Bezerra, K., Teresa Barbosa, and Graciela Ravetti. “Introduction” and “Afterword” to Special Issue. Representações do espaço público (Special volume). Eds. Kátia Bezerra, Graciela Ravelli, and Teresa Barbosa. Revista Aletria 31.4, pp. 9-21.

2021 Bezerra, K. “Adriana Lisboa: revisitando a cidade a partir de um espaço de enunciação fronteiriço.” Panoramas da literatura brasileira 2020: drama, poesia, prosa e outras escrituras . Org. Rafael Climent-Espino, and Michel Mingote. São Paulo: Editora PUC-São Paulo, pp.

2021 Fitch M. “Chilean Digital Literature” in The Cambridge History of Chilean Literature . Ed. Ignacio López-Calvo. Cambridge University Press. 612-626.

2021 Fitch, M. "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Hispanic Studies, New Technology and the Future of the Profession"  Language, Image, Power: Luso-Hispanic Cultural Studies. Susan Larson, ed. New York: Routledge. 171-190.

2021 Fitch, M. “In memoriam, David William Foster. The Conversation We Never Had” Chasqui: Revista de literatura latinoamericana 50.2. 

2021  Fraser, B. “The Sonic Force of the Machine Ensemble: Transnational Objectification in Steve Reich’s Different Trains (1988).” In Transnational Railway Cultures: Trains in Music, Literature, Film and Visual Art. Edited by B. Fraser, S. Spalding. Series: Explorations in Mobility, vol. 6. New York; Oxford: Berghahn Books, pp. 46-63.

  2021  Fraser, B. “Down Syndrome Ensembles, Autonomy and Disability Rights in The Grown-Ups (2016) by Maite Alberdi.” Chasqui 50.2, pp. 233-52.

  2021  Fraser, B. “‘A Sort of Enchanted Place’: Town and Country Mysticism and the Architectural Façade in Seth’s Clyde Fans .” ImageText: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies 13.1

. https://imagetextjournal.com/a-sort-of-enchanted-place-town-and-country-mysticism-and-the-architectural-facade-in-seths-clyde-fans/ .

  2021  Fraser, B. “Tactile Comics, Disability Studies and the Mind’s Eye: On ‘A Boat Tour’ in Venice with Max.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics 12.5, pp. 737-49.

  2021  Fraser, B. “Forging the Iberian Comic in Post-Dictatorial Barcelona: Space, Place and Nonplace in Pere Joan’s Passatger en trànsit (1984).” Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies 22.3, pp. 367-86.

  2021  Fraser, B. “El ingenio visual de Miguel Noguera: el noveno arte vs la literatura en el cómic ‘Camilo José Cela’ (2010).” Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies 5.1, pp. 111-33.

  2021  Fraser, B. “Architecture, Urbanistic Ideology, and the Poetic-Analytic Documentary Mode in Mercado de futuros (2011) by Mercedes Álvarez.” In Architecture and the Urban in Spanish Film . Edited by Susan Larson. Bristol: Intellect. pp. 22-37.

2021 Geyer, Charlie. “Abject Failure and Utopian Longing in the Lower East Side: The Poetry and Performance of Miguel Piñero.” Centro Journal , 33(2), 4-35.

2021 Murphy, Kaitlin M. “Fear and Loathing in Monuments: Rethinking the Politics and Practices of Monumentality and Monumentalization.” Memory Studies 14.6, pp. 1143-1158.

2021 Murphy, Kaitlin M. “Art as Atrocity Prevention: The Auschwitz Institute, Artivism, and the 2019 Venice Biennale,” Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 15.1, pp. 68–96.

  2020 Bezerra, K. “JR’s Morro da Providência Exhibit: A Politics of Cultural Intervention.” Luso-Brazilian Review 57.1, pp. 58-76.

2020 Fitch, M. “Los estudiantes huelen sinceridad” in Garate, Alberto Rivera, El profesorado frente a la pandemia: Relatos desde el curso del desastre . CETYS Universidad. Barcelona: Ediciones Octaedro, 2020. 69-76.

2020  Fraser, B. “Paco Roca’s graphic novel La casa (2015) as Architectural Elegy.” In Spanish Comics: Historical and Cultural Perspectives . Ed. Anne Magnussen. New York; Oxford: Berghahn Books. pp. 182-201. [Reprint of 2018 journal article from European Comic Art ]

  2020  Fraser, B. “Tete Montoliu, Blindness and Barcelona in the Key of Modern Jazz.” Catalan Review 34, pp. 1-17.

  2020  Fraser, B. “Trains, Time and Technology: Teaching ‘Mecanópolis’ through Mobility and Science Fiction Studies.” Teaching the Works of Miguel de Unamuno . Ed. Luis Álvarez-Castro. New York: MLA. pp. 112-18.

2020 Morales, Mónica. "Se puede hablar de solidaridad y defensa en la narrativa de Guamán Poma sobre los Indios en Buen gobierno?" Letras . 91.133, pp. 211-232.

2020 Murphy, Kaitlin M. “Braiding Borders”: Performance as Care and Resistance on the US-Mexico Border.” TDR: The Drama Review 64.4, pp. 72-83.

2020 Murphy, Kaitlin M. “Witnessing the Past and the Present: Photography and Guatemala’s Fight for Historical Dialogue.” In Historical Dialogue and the Prevention of Mass Atrocities , edited by Elazar Barkan, Constantin Goschler, and James Waller, 235-252. London: Routledge Press.

2019   Arias, Santa.  “Raza, colonialidad e Ilustración: Caminando la Ciudad de los Reyes.” Bibliographica Americana: Revista Interdisciplinaria de Estudios Coloniales 15 (2019): 5-20. 

2019 Bezerra, K. “ A casa Cai: Unveiling Geographies of Exclusion and Violence.” Revista Diadorim 19, pp. 99-108.

2019 Bezerra, K. “Milton Hatoum: Redesenhando fronteiras em uma cidade em transição.” De Oriente a Ocidente: Estudos da Associação Internacional de Lusofonistas. vol. IV, pp. 205-218.

2019  Fraser, B. “On Polysemiotic Interactions, Visual Paratexts, and Image-Specific Translation: The Case of Rodolfo Santullo and Matías Bergara’s Dengue (2012/2015).” Studies in Comics 10.2, pp. 279-95.

  2019  Fraser, B. “Joaquim Jordà and Nuria Villazán’s Mones com la Becky [Monkeys Like Becky] (1999) and the New Global Disability Documentary Cinema.” Disability Studies Quarterly 39.2, no pag.

  2019  Fraser, B. “Obsessively Writing the Modern City: The Partial Madness of Urban Planning Culture and the Case of Arturo Soria y Mata in Madrid, Spain.” Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies 13.1, pp. 21-37.

2019 Geyer, Charlie. “Creolizing the Canon: Manuel Puig, Junot Díaz, and the Latino Poetics of Relation.” The Comparatist , 43 , 173–193.

2019 Murphy, Kaitlin M. “Against Precarious Abstraction: Bearing Witness to Migration Through Moysés Zúñiga Santiago’s “La Bestia” Photographs.” Journal of Latin American and Latinx Visual Culture 1.1, pp. 7-22.

2018 Acosta, A. “Crisis and Migration in Posthegemonic Times: Primitive Accumulation and Labor in La Bestia.” Dialectical Imaginaries: Materialist Approaches to U.S. Latino/a Literature in the Age of Neoliberalism . Marcial Gonzalez and Carlos Gallego editors. University of Michigan Press. Pages 241-262.

2018 Acosta, A. “The Posthegemonic Turn.” New Approaches to Latin American Studies: Culture and Power . Juan Poblete, editor. New York; London: Routledge. Pages 255-271.

2018  Acosta, A. Introduction to Special Issue, "Unsettling Coloniality: Readings and Interrogations". Edited by Abraham Acosta. Journal of Commonwealth and Postscolonial Studies . 6.1: 3-16.

2018 Bezerra, K. “Urban Space in the Lusophone World: Contesting Inequality and Constructing Citizenship.” Edited in collaboration with Leila Lehnen and Jeremy Lehnen. [Special section] Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies ..

2018  Fraser, B. “El lenguaje visual innovador de Pere Joan: el pictograma analógico frente a la cultura digital en el cómic español contemporáneo.” Romance Studies 36.4, pp. 180-95.

  2018  Fraser, B. “Urban Difference ‘On the Move’: Disabling Mobility in the Spanish Film El cochecito (Marco Ferreri, 1960).” Freakish Encounters . Ed. Sara Muñoz-Muriana and Analola Santana . Hispanic Issues Online , vol. 20, pp. 234-51.

  2018  Fraser, B. “Miguel Brieva, quincemayista : Art, Politics and Comics Form in the 15-M Graphic Novel Lo que (me) está pasando (2015).” Transmodernity: Journal of Peripheral Cultural Production of the Luso-Hispanic World 8.1, pp. 42-62.

  2018  Fraser, B., A. Masterson-Algar and S. L. Vilaseca. “Cultural Studies, Behind the Scenes: Notes on the Craft of Interdisciplinary Scholarship.” Journal of Urban Cultural Studies 5.1, pp. 3-14.

  2018  Fraser, B. “Paco Roca’s graphic novel La casa (2015) as Architectural Elegy.” European Comic Art 11.1, pp. 87-106.

  2018  Fraser, B. “Visual/Geo-Spatial Knowledge and the Digital Library: On the ‘Mutaciones’ Section of Agustín Fernández Mallo’s  El hacedor (de Borges), Remake (2011).” Hispanic Studies Review 3.1, pp. 63-77.

  2018  Fraser, B. “The Public Animal in Barcelona: Urban Form, the Natural World and Socio-Spatial Transgression in the Comic “Un cocodril a l’Eixample” (1987) by Pere Joan and Emilio Manzano.” Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies 19.1, pp. 89-110.

2018 Geyer, Charlie. “Rethinking Todorov.” Chasqui , 47(2), 176-189.

2018 Harden, Faith. "Hacia una historia de la autobiografía militar del siglo XVII: el militar perfecto y las «vidas» de soldados." Aspectos actuales del hispanismo mundial . De Gruyter, pp. 317-324.

  EDITORS-IN-CHIEF OF ACADEMIC JOURNALS IN LITERATURE AND CULTURAL STUDIES

Arias, S. Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies Fitch, M. Studies in Latin American Popular Culture (University of Texas Press) Fraser, B. Hispania (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) Fraser, B. Journal of Urban Cultural Studies

BOOK SERIES EDITORS/DIRECTORS

Fitch, M. Co-director, Studies in Latin American Culture and Literature Series, Anthem Press.  Fraser, B. Founding Co-editor, Hispanic Urban Studies Book Series. Palgrave McMillan.

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• M.F.A. Program Content And Requirements
• Archivo Digital de KJCC Poetry Series y CWS Series
• UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
• MFA PROGRAM COURSES
• PhD PROGRAM COURSES
• Graduate Events
• Crooked Plow: Brazil Revealed in Translation
• Book Launch: Handbook of Latin American Environmental Aesthetics
• A conversation about "Entranced Earth: Art, Extractivism, and the End of Landscape" by Jens Andermann
• De Quiltras, Chuchas y otras Perras: Lectura y Coloquio alrededor del Feminismo
• Fridays on the Patio: A Conversation about Race in Spain, Italy, and the U.S.
• Edad y Territorio como Vehículos de Otrerización
• Fridays on the Patio - Dive into the Theater!
• Fridays on the Patio - Discussion and Open Mic
• Fridays on the Patio - Across So Many Seas
• CRUCE PRIM24 - Traducción como Forma y Acto Político
• CRUCE PRIM24 - Escribir como si estuviéramos muertos
• CRUCE PRIM24 - ¿El arte de la edición?
• CRUCE PRIM24 - El movimiento: la escritura en sus faces lunares
• CRUCE PRIM24 - ¿Por qué estudiar un MFA en escritura?
• CRUCE PRIM24 - Open mic y DJ Set
• Narrativa Contemporánea: una conversación con Mariana Enriquez y Kirmen Uribe
• Acción de Gracias: 20 años de poesía en KJCC Poetry Series

PhD Program in Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature

The PhD program in Spanish and Portuguese combines rigorous coursework with individual research in Spanish, Latin American, and/or Luso-Brazilian language and literature. 

Students admitted to the program will have the opportunity to work with world-renowned faculty with a wide range of focus areas and research interests.  In addition, the program boasts a dynamic student body representing 12 countries and numerous academic and professional backgrounds.   

Areas of scholarly focus in the Department range in historical scope from medieval Iberia and colonial Latin America to contemporary literature, culture, and art, drawing on critical vocabularies in visual studies, performance studies, cultural studies, continental philosophy, psychoanalysis, postcolonial studies, queer studies, film studies, biopolitics, and ethics, among others.

The program consistently ranks among the best in the country and every year attracts a diverse and highly competitive applicant pool. The Department typically accepts between four and six fully-funded students annually.  

For information about the admissions process, please visit  Admissions FAQs  and GSAS Application Resource Center .  If you have questions about the admissions process that are not addressed on either of these two pages, please contact Tyler Ingram at [email protected].

Director of Graduate Studies: Professor Zeb Tortorici

PhD Student Manual

• Click here to view PhD Student Manual

Spanish Literature and Culture, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
• Application deadlines
• Career opportunities
• Contact information

Language, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Spanish Studies, foreign, literature, spanish

Develop an advanced knowledge of Peninsular, Latin American and Mexican American literature and cultural production. Coursework and mentoring by renowned faculty help you develop a sound knowledge of genre, periodization and scholarly research in the field.

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.

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

84 credit hours, a foreign language exam, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

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:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• writing sample
• personal statement
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

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.

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:

• area, ethnic and cultural studies teachers and professors
• foreign language and literature teachers and professors
• instructional design coordinators
• interpreters and translators
• reporters and correspondents
• social and community service managers

School of International Letters and Cultures | DH 318 [email protected] 480-965-6281

Spanish, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

In addition to general university requirements for the Ph.D., the following regulations apply to graduate students in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures:

To be accepted into the Ph.D. program, students must demonstrate by an exceptionally strong academic record that they are capable of advanced study in literature. The student will normally take two to three years of graduate courses and devote the fourth year to study and research in the country on which the student’s study concentrates. The well-prepared student can expect to receive the Ph.D. after five years of study. The graduate program in Modern Languages and Literatures emphasizes work in three complementary areas: literary history, close textual analysis, and theory of interpretation. By way of preparing students in a variety of critical schools, the faculty and the visiting professors offer training in the different disciplines pertaining to critical theory, including philosophy, theory of language, psychoanalytic theory, intellectual history, and cultural anthropology.

In addition to the major language, the Ph.D. candidate must demonstrate proficiency in one or two other languages besides English, depending on the specialization.

The student must take a minimum of four semesters of graduate courses. After this period, normally in the third year, the student will present a dissertation prospectus that, if completed successfully, will lead to candidacy for the Ph.D.

Graduate Study Abroad

The Department encourages and expects graduates student to do research abroad during their program of study. Spanish students may elect to make their fourth year a non-teaching year.

After presenting a research proposal to their advisor, with the approval of that advisor and the head of section, students may elect to go abroad for a semester or the entire academic year in order to conduct research essential to their dissertation.

Admission Requirements

Application procedures.

Prospective graduate students may visit the departmental website  for further information on programs and faculty. All questions regarding the programs offered by the department should be emailed to  [email protected] . Prospective students are encouraged to apply online through the secure Graduate Admissions website . 

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Spanish and Latin American

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 contemporary negotiations between culture and politics, including gender studies and Latino studies. Language is the core of literary analysis, and our faculty teaches texts in the original, primarily in Spanish and Portuguese, but often including other languages (Arabic, Catalan, French, Galician, Hebrew, Mapuche, Quechua, etc.). At the doctoral level, our classes are small seminars and discussion groups, some with specialized foci and others with a panoramic approach.

The graduate student at RLL can expect a vibrant intellectual life, which promotes originality and rigor in students, encouraging them to explore new close and contextual readings in our own field, and also interdisciplinary paths across the university. Some students develop clusters of courses in other sections of the Department, which allows them to pursue comparative studies in Romance languages, while other students develop links to allied disciplines, such as philosophy, film studies, government, women's studies, African and African American Studies.

The collaboration among faculty members and our graduate students in a range of intellectual projects had grown steadily and encourages our future colleagues to gain experience in the administration of conferences, the design of courses, and the edition and translation of books and manuscripts. Currently, our faculty sponsors conferences and lecture series on Hispanic Cultures, Gay and Lesbian Studies, Cultural Agents, at the Center for the Humanities, as well as research seminar sessions in the Houghton Rare Books Library, and events at the Real Colegio Complutense and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS). A new initiative on Cultural Agents, housed at the Center for Government and International Studies, promotes the social contributions to be made through humanist scholarship.

Our current distinguished program in Hispanic Literatures continues an illustrious history which dates from the nineteenth century, when figures such as George Ticknor and Henry Longfellow fostered the study and dissemination of the literatures of Spain in the U.S. During the twentieth century, the program grew to include stellar Latin American figures such as Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa and other writers who have taught in our Department, together with renowned scholars including Raimundo Lida, Juan Marichal, Dámaso Alonso, Jorge Guillén, Claudio Guillén, Stephen Gilman. Yet today, our greatest source of pride are the young colleagues who have graduated from our program and who enrich the intellectual lives of many prominent universities, including Harvard.

Diana Sorensen  

To see our program requirements, see the  GSAS Policies .

Graduate Contacts

Kathy Hanley (Graduate Program Coordinator)

  Spanish Placement

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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 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: 

• an annual stipend of $30,000 ($24,000 during the academic year and $6,000 of summer funding)
• two years of teaching release (typically taken in years 1 and 5)
• a teaching load of 1 course per semester (1-1 for the year)
• full payment of tuition and fees ($75,000-$114,000 at 2023 rates)
• full payment of single-person health insurance

How to Apply

Graduate Admissions

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:

• Complete Online Application
• Unofficial transcripts from all past schools, submitted electronically ( Important: Please DO NOT mail your official transcripts to the Graduate School unless you have received an offer of admission and have decided to attend the University of Virginia. )
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation from previous educational institutions, submitted electronically
• Two (2) academic writing samples, one in English and one in Spanish

International Students

In addition to the materials listed above, the Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese requires that you also submit the following:

• Official TOEFL Scores (Official scores must be sent directly to the University of Virginia by the Educational Testing Service.)
• Final Official Transcript (Transcripts from schools located in non-English-speaking countries must have the original language record and a direct translation into English)

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].

Overview of PhD

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.

Department Handbook

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 .

Graduate Guide

For more information on career development and diversity affairs, please see the College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Guide .

Course Descriptions & Sequences

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.

Student Research & Support

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.

Current Graduate Students

To learn more about current students and their research projects, please visit their profile pages .

Recent Graduate Spotlights (PhD)

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 .

Doctoral Language Exams

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 .

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Spanish Language and Literature PhD

College of arts and sciences, program description.

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) at the University at Buffalo, trains students to develop new knowledge about the languages, literatures and cultures of the Romance languages, as well as the cultures and diasporic communities with which they have remained in sustained contact. Students in RLL are prepared to participate in critical discussions in the discipline and engage meaningfully with the scholarship of colleagues in neighboring disciplines.

Kevin Vazquez Mendez 910 Clemens Hall Buffalo, NY 14261 Email: [email protected] Phone: 716-645-2191

Instruction Method

• In Person   (100 percent of courses offered in person)

Full/Part Time Options

Credits required, time-to-degree, application fee, admission tests**.

This program is officially registered with the New York State Education Department (SED).

** At least one of the admissions tests are required for admission. Test and score requirements/exceptions vary by program. Contact the department for details.

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Graduate Program in Spanish and Portuguese

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 Spain and Latin America. Students may complement their areas of specialization with course work in a second language or in other disciplines such as Comparative Literature, English, History, and Philosophy. Interdisciplinary study is also invited through participation in the many lectures and colloquia sponsored by the various Graduate Groups and affiliated research institutes and centers at Penn. All graduate students have the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses in Spanish language and Hispanic culture, for which they attend extensive teacher training seminars and workshops. Faculty members are committed to enhancing graduate students' preparation for professional life through annual seminars on professional concerns and through comprehensive job placement support. The Department of  Spanish and Portuguese  publishes The Hispanic Review , and graduate students in Hispanic Studies may serve as editorial assistants to the journal.

• Hispanic Studies
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Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies

Department of Hispanic Studies University of Houston 3553 Cullen Boulevard, Room 416 Houston, TX 77204-3062 713.743.3007 Contact Us

The department of Hispanic studies at the University of Houston is offering a new program,   The Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies . In conjunction with the existing   Online Graduate Certificate in Spanish as a Heritage Language , also offered by the department of Hispanic studies, this new M.A. is aimed at preparing a corps of well-trained teachers of Spanish and Hispanic culture for heritage language learners and allowing professionals from diverse fields (e.g., medical, business, the arts) to acquire the necessary tools to successfully work with the Hispanic community in the United States and in global environments. 

The courses of the   Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies   are delivered through the   Blackboard Learn   classroom management system. The format of all the courses is similar, and it has been designed in a way that the learning activities that each module contains are easy to follow. Faculty for the program is composed of professionals whose research and teaching areas are related to Hispanics in the United States, some of them renowned leaders in their field and with extensive experience in U.S. Spanish literature, language, culture, business, arts and pedagogy. Most of the faculty also have extensive experience teaching online courses. Students can contact their professors by email, phone or Skype. For technical assistance, students can contact the Blackboard Helpline as well as UH’s   Office of Online & Special Programs .

The format of the   Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies   allows its students to complete their master's degree in four semesters. This is an ideal program for professionals who work in education or in a variety of disciplines who are not able to follow a rigid schedule but can work at their own time and pace.

Requirements

The   Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies   will consist of a sequence of 10 courses and a six-hour thesis or community project that will offer training in U.S. Spanish and Heritage Language Education to professionals from diverse fields. The selected required courses will prepare M.A. students in the most important areas related to teaching to Hispanic heritage students: teaching methodology, linguistic, cultural and literary studies. The prescribed courses will prepare future graduates from this program in important areas that are part of the everyday life of the U.S. Hispanic community: Spanish in the U.S. professions, film, history, education, language diversity, etc. More courses will be created in the following years in order to offer more thematic diversity.

The   Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies   adheres to the same performance expectations as our face-to-face program.

Required Core Courses SPAN 6344: U.S. Hispanic Literature SPAN 6397: U.S. Hispanic Culture and Civilization SPAN 6352: Sociolinguistic Aspects of U.S. Spanish SPAN 6389: Methods for Teaching Spanish to Heritage Learners   Prescribed Elective Courses SPAN 6395: U.S. Latinx in Film SPAN 6353: Spanish-English Contrastive Analysis SPAN 6310: U.S. Latino Literature and Children and YA SPAN 6395: Spanish Language as a Resource in the U.S. Professions SPAN 6390: Research in Heritage Language Education SPAN 6395: U.S. Spanish Dialectology   SPAN 6399: Master’s Thesis/Community Project SPAN 7399: Master’s Thesis/Community Project

View Master’s Thesis/Community Project  

Nicolás Kanellos , Ph.D. The University of Texas, Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Literature; Director of Arte Público Press and Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage

Manuel Gutiérrez , Ph.D. University of Southern California, Professor of U.S. Spanish Sociolinguistics; Director of The STARTALK Texas Teacher Program at the University of Houston; Director of the UH-University of Salamanca M.A.

Marta Fairclough , Ph.D. University of Houston, Professor of Spanish Heritage Language Education; Director of the Spanish Heritage Language Program; Director of the Graduate Certificate in Spanish as a Heritage Language

Gabriela Baeza Ventura , Ph.D. University of Houston, Associate Professor of Hispanic Literature; Executive Editor,   Arte Público Press

Guillermo de Los Reyes , Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania, Associate Professor of Mexican Literature; Director of Undergraduate Studies

Liz Goodin-Mayeda , Ph.D. University of California Los Angeles, Associate Professor of Spanish dialectology and phonology

Christina Sisk , Ph.D. Tulane University, Associate Professor of U.S. Hispanic Studies

In order to be admitted into the Online M.A. in U.S. Hispanic Studies program, prospective students must have at least one of the following:

• B.A. in Spanish
• B.A. in another language*
• B.A. in another discipline*

*After evaluating the undergraduate transcript of applicants whose B.A. is in an area other than Spanish, the Spanish Graduate Committee of the University of Houston may require them to take one or more of the following undergraduate courses before starting the program. (Equivalent courses taken in other institutions are accepted.)

Application Process

• Completed online application through  CollegeNet   (All required documents must be directly uploaded to your account during the application process.)
• A statement of purpose in Spanish (between 500 and 1000 words) explaining why you wish to be part of this program
• Two letters of recommendation (at least one from a professor detailing your potential as a graduate student)
• Official transcripts: Two sets of official transcripts reflecting an awarded degree must be sent in sealed envelopes to the following addresses:

Application Deadline Dates

Spring semester: November 1 st

Fall semester: May 15 th

To learn more about this program, please contact:

Paola Arboleda-Ríos, Ph.D. Graduate Director [email protected]

Graduate Programs in Spanish

Approach your Spanish studies with intention—building language skills and cultural awareness in preparation for a future in business, government, academia, public health, and dozens of other fields.

The program options offer the flexibility you need to earn a graduate degree in Spanish while pursuing your academic and career goals.

Graduate Degree Options

• Master in Spanish (optional abroad component)
• Master in Teaching (MAT) with Licensure (required online and practicum component)
• Doctor of Modern Languages (DML)
• Non-Degree Graduate Option

Please see Vermont courses , Madrid courses , and Buenos Aires courses .

All graduate students must successfully complete an initial 6-week graduate summer session on the Vermont campus before establishing their candidacy for the Master of Arts degree. The Spanish master’s degree requires the successful completion of 12-course units. Middlebury awards one unit of graduate credit (equivalent to three semester hours) for each graduate course. The normal course load is 3-course units per summer.

Depending on which degree option you pursue, you may choose to do 4 summers in Vermont, 3 summers in Vermont with summer in Buenos Aires, or summer in Vermont followed by a year in Madrid. See more about our locations .

Eligibility

Graduate degrees are for students who have already acquired graduate-level proficiency in their language and have generally studied their language for four years or longer unless they are native speakers. Applicants who will not hold a BA, or who plan to attend for one summer only for professional development, should select the 6-week non-degree graduate option . The GRE is not required. See additional Spanish application instructions .

• BA (or equivalent) from a  regionally accredited institution
• Graduate-level proficiency in the language

Jenny Lona, Inspiring Faculty, Spanish MA

Thanks to the support of generous donors (including many Language Schools alumni) and Middlebury’s commitment to providing an opportunity for as many students as possible, we are pleased to offer significant need-based financial aid and merit-based fellowships and scholarships for graduate students.

Career Outcomes

Students who earn a graduate degree in Spanish pursue rewarding careers and opportunities in a range of fields:

MA in Spanish

• Doctoral programs
• Teaching or academic administration
• Social work
• Speech and language pathology
• Nonprofit organizations

Talk to a graduate  of our Master of Arts program, and you’ll likely hear them describe the remarkable language acquisition and academic achievement that has dramatically broadened their perspective and helped them to realize their career goals.

Ready to Apply?

Spanish, Graduate Certificate

Prepare yourself to become a dual-credit teacher in high school or a community college instructor with the Graduate Certificate in Spanish from IU Online. Enhance your cultural and language proficiency in the Spanish language.

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Course Delivery : 100% Online

Total Credits : 18

In-State Tuition Per Credit : $350.00

Out-of-State Tuition Per Credit : $490.00

Cost of attendance may vary by campus. View the total cost calculator

Degree Overview

IU Online’s Graduate Certificate in Spanish offers advanced-level instruction in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture, literature, and linguistics. Enhance your language proficiency and teaching techniques. Study current research on effective pedagogical strategies and foreign language instruction.

You’ll graduate with an Indiana University certificate respected by employers worldwide—and you can work on yours anytime and anywhere. Plus, you’ll enjoy personalized support services throughout your academic journey.

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• 3.0 minimum undergraduate GPA

Spanish instructors affiliated with IU’s Advanced College Project will be admitted to the program on the basis of ACP’s admission process.

To apply to this program, complete an online application that includes:

• Official transcripts from each undergraduate institution
• 250-word personal statement explaining background and reasons for entering the program
• Evidence of significant study in Spanish (at least 12 credit hours at the 300/400 level, with a minimum 2.5 GPA)

Note: This program is not eligible for financial aid.

This graduate certificate is available at IU Bloomington, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU Indianapolis, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast.

Career Outcomes

Your IU Online Graduate Certificate in Spanish prepares you for such careers as:

• Dual-credit teacher in high school
• Community college instructor

Of Special Interest to Teachers Needing to Meet HLC Standards

The Graduate Certificate in Spanish is ideal for those wanting to teach dual-credit courses in high school or university-level courses in community colleges. The certificate meets Higher Learning Commission standards. These standards require teachers wanting to teach dual-credit courses/community college courses to hold either a master's degree in their area of instruction or a master's degree in another discipline (such as education), plus at least 18 credit hours of discipline-specific graduate coursework.

If you hold a master's degree in another discipline, you can meet HLC standards by completing the 18-credit hour Graduate Certificate in Spanish.

Certificate Requirements

To earn a Graduate Certificate in Spanish, you must complete 18 credit hours.  

Requirements are broken down as follows:

• Core courses (18 credit hours)

Find course descriptions with our Search Schedule of Classes/Courses tool .

Find the answers you need or start your application. We’re here to help!

• Request Information

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Southern Seminary Announces New Online PhD in Christian Studies

Jacob Percy — September 18, 2024

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is excited to announce the launch of its new online Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Studies, further solidifying its commitment to making the highest quality theological education accessible to God-called men and women around the world. This innovative program is designed to equip students with the academic rigor and practical skills necessary for impactful ministry and scholarly contribution without the need to relocate or pause their current ministry engagements.

“Technological changes continue to adjust the world of higher education, allowing us to offer programs online at the highest quality of scholarship with the most effective distribution of opportunity,” said R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “I am excited to announce that these changes allow us to introduce the new online Ph.D. in Christian Studies, which marks another innovative step in our goal to deliver accessible, world-class theological education.”

Southern Seminary introduces the online Ph.D. in Christian Studies as part of their commitment to providing accessible, high-quality theological education to ministry leaders and pastors worldwide. This program is uniquely designed to accommodate those who are passionate about deepening their scholarship even as their current context does not allow them to travel to Louisville for doctoral studies by providing a fully online format, allowing students to balance their academic pursuits with their ministry responsibilities.

The curriculum spans multiple disciplines, from biblical and theological studies to practical theology, ensuring a comprehensive academic experience that prepares students for the diverse challenges of contemporary ministry. This multidisciplinary approach reflects Southern Seminary’s dedication to equipping leaders for effective teaching, advanced scholarship, and missional service. By offering this program online, Southern Seminary aims to extend the global reach of the degree, making it possible for students everywhere to benefit from the rigorous academic training that Southern Seminary is known for.

Southern Seminary’s new online Ph.D. continues the institution’s legacy of academic excellence and theological depth, now offered with unmatched flexibility. Live online lectures and comprehensive evaluations are part of a learning experience designed to maximize accessibility. Students in this program will continue to be guided by the supervision and mentorship of Southern Seminary’s renowned faculty and complete a scholarly dissertation in a specific research area.

For more information about the Ph.D. in Christian Studies, visit sbts.edu/online-phd .

Are you ready to become a pastor, counselor, or church leader who is Trusted for Truth?

Preview day, friday, oct. 11.