Master of Arts in Spanish| Hispanic Linguistics Option

Our MA program in Spanish (Hispanic Linguistics option) has a strongly theoretical orientation, and it is designed to offer students the tools they need to offer detailed accounts of the structure, development, and use of the Spanish language in its many forms. The program primarily serves to provide a solid foundation for more specialized study and research in Hispanic Linguistics at the PhD level, but it is also an excellent fit for motivated students with a prior background in linguistics who wish to earn their MA in order to teach Spanish at the high school or junior college levels.

The MA program is highly interdisciplinary and interdepartmental. Students take seminars in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Department of Linguistics, and they are also encouraged to take courses in Psychology, Sociology, and Education.

The MA program consists of 30 units of graduate coursework taken in six subject areas:

1. Spanish Phonology
2. Spanish Morpho-Syntax
3. History of the Spanish Language
4. Sociolinguistics
5. Applied Linguistics
6. General Linguistics

After finishing their coursework and language requirements (students must demonstrate proficiency in one other language beyond Spanish and English), students must take an MA Comprehensive Examination that consists of both a written and an oral component. This exam is based on an established reading list.

Students admitted into the MA program in Spanish (Hispanic Linguistics option) have a number of opportunities for economic support. Most of our students receive teaching assistantships, which cover tuition and student health insurance fees while paying a monthly stipend. For more information on the various forms of economic support available to our students, please visit our Financial Support web page.

Applying to our graduate program is simple. Just go to our Application Instructions web page and follow the listed steps. All the necessary forms are available for download. And if you have questions about our MA program, please consult our Graduate Manual or contact Prof. John Slater, our Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.