THE Spanish PROGRAM
Department OF Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures

Master's Program in Spanish

A. Admission Requirements for the M.A. in Spanish:

1. A Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. If the candidate does not have a B.A. in Spanish, he/she may have to take at least 18 units of coursework in Spanish before he/she can be accepted into the program.
2. A score above the 50th percentile on one of the three portions of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
3. GPA of 3.25 or higher
4. Three letters of recommendation from professors and professionals in your field
5. A writing sample (15-30 pages) of a research topic on literature, culture, or linguistics
6. Well-cultivated critical thinking skills, in other words, the ability to be intellectually autonomous; that is, the ability to use precision, depth, clarity, and relevance as well as exhibit a line of reasoning that recognizes the multiple insights of literatures, languages, and cultures.

B. Academic Standards for the M.A. in Spanish:

1. University Regulations:
   
   Graduate students will be placed on academic probation whenever their GPA falls below 3.0 in all units attempted. To be removed from probation, students must earn sufficient grade points in the following semester of enrollment to raise their GPA to 3.0 or above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the university.
2. Departmental Regulations for the M.A. in Spanish:
   
   a. Students will be disqualified from the M.A. in Spanish if they do not pass the comprehensive exam on their second attempt.
   
   b. No grade below B can be counted in the formal program. Any grade of B- or lower must be repeated. If the student does not receive a grade of B or better on the second attempt, the student will be disqualified from the M.A. in Spanish.
   
   c. A student must earn a grade of B or better in all coursework in the M.A. program in order to be eligible to take the comprehensive exams.
   
   University regulations allow graduate students to repeat only up to 6 units. The repeat grade will appear on the transcript.
   
   Students must request approval to repeat a course using the Course Repeat Request Form from the Department Coordinator/Advisor in advance of enrolling in the course.

C. Foreign Language Requirement:

M.A. candidates in Spanish are required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than Spanish and English. Students may satisfy this requirement in several ways:

1. Students may pass the Foreign Language Reading Examination set by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures (MCLL), provided that the Department is able to administer an examination in the particular language. In order to be eligible for this option, students must demonstrate intermediate level proficiency in the language, which can be done by completing two semesters of the foreign language at the intermediate level with a grade of “B” or better, or by passing a language exam such as the WebCAPE at the intermediate level.
2. Students are exempt from the requirement by completing an advanced level course in a foreign language with a grade of “B” or better.
3. Students are exempt from the requirement if they are native speakers of a foreign language.
4. Students are exempt from the requirement if they took an upper-division university course in any discipline, taught in a foreign language, with a grade of “B” or better.
   
   This requirement must be completed the semester before enrolling in SPAN 697 to take the comprehensive exams.

Required Courses (18 units)

Choose a total of 6 courses (at least one in each field):

Language

• SPAN 600 History of the Spanish Language (3)
• SPAN 603 Seminar in Romance Linguistics (3)
• SPAN 605 Advanced Translation (3)

Literature

• SPAN 606 Seminar in a Genre (3)*
• SPAN 607 Seminar in a Literary Period (3)*
• SPAN 608 Seminar in Selected Authors (3)*
• SPAN 609 Seminar in Style (3)
• SPAN 620 Spanish Literary Criticism (3)

*May be repeated once with change in topic.

Civilization

• SPAN 680 Topics in Latin American Culture (3)
• SPAN 681 Topics in Spanish Culture (3)

Electives (12 units)

Choose a total of 4 courses:

Language (at least 1 course)

• SPAN 400 Structure of the Spanish Language (3)
• SPAN 497 Comparative Structure of Spanish and English (3)
• SPAN 505 Art of Translation (3)
• SPAN 506 Advanced Written Expression (3)

Literature or Civilization (at least 2 courses)

Any 400- or 500-level literature or civilization courses not used to satisfy B.A. degree requirements, or any 600-level courses not used to satisfy the required courses.

Total Units Required for the M.A. degree: 30