Program Information
The Master of Arts degree in Spanish offers students the opportunity to pursue studies in Hispanic literature, linguistics, and culture. The program prepares students for doctoral studies and for careers in the teaching of Spanish, bilingual education, international business, social and governmental services, and other related areas.
Program Learning Outcomes
Ability to understand the historical development of the Spanish language in its external (history, culture) and internal development (morphology, syntax and semantics).
Knowledge of and familiarity with the linguistic variation of Spanish and its main dialects, including phonology, geographical variation, social dialects, and registers.
Knowledge of the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world (Spain, Spanish America and the Hispanic U.S.) and relevant literary and cultural criticism.
Ability to write and present orally in a scholarly fashion.
Faculty
Dr. Damian Bacich
Department Chair
Dr. Cheyla Samuelson
Spanish MA Program Coordinator
Dr. Cheyla Samuelson
Spanish Program Coordinator
Teaching Associate Program Coordinator
Dr. Cheyla Samuelson
Assessment Coordinator
Program Requirements
Basic Requirements
In order to be admitted to the M.A. program in Spanish, students should possess a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent, as assessed by the department), with a major in Spanish, and including at least 15 units of upper division work in the major with a grade of "B" or better.
A student may be admitted to conditionally classified standing if he or she meets minimum requirements for admission to the SJSU Graduate Division but does not fully meet requirements for admission to the Spanish M.A. program.
Requirements for Classified Standing
To become officially classified in the Spanish M.A. at SJSU students are expected to have completed upper division courses (or their equivalents) in the following areas prior to undertaking graduate coursework.
● Advanced grammar and composition in Spanish (two courses)
● A survey of Spanish American literature
● A survey of Spanish (Peninsular) literature
● Spanish American culture
● Spanish (Peninsular) culture
● Spanish phonology
● Spanish morphology and syntax
Students admitted to the program unconditionally can begin graduate coursework immediately.
Unit Requirement
Candidates must complete a total of 30-32 semester units (not including any prerequisites); of these, 18 must be at the 200 level, the other 12 may be approved upper division courses. With the graduate advisor's approval, a maximum of 9 units related to the student's field of concentration may be taken as transfer courses from other disciplines. N.B: courses taken through Open University prior to admission to the M.A. program are considered transfer courses. Please see advisor if you wish to transfer any Open University courses.
Language of Instruction
Courses and seminars are taught in Spanish.
Courses
FORL 200 Graduate Research and Writing (Required of all students) also fulfills the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).(4 units)
Span 201 Modern Spanish (Topics, Spanish Linguistics) (4 units)
Span 202 Special seminars in a variety of Hispanic cultures (Peru, Mexico, Spain, etc.) (4 units)
Span 210 Old Spanish (linguistics) (4 units)
Span 220 Seminar in Historical Spanish Linguistics (4 units)
Span 225 Seminar in Spanish Dialectology (4 units)
Span 250 Seminar in the Siglo de Oro (4 units)
Span 260A/B/C Special Topics Seminars in Hispanic Cultures, Linguistics, and Literature (4 units)
Span 270 Seminar in Contemporary Literature of Spain and Latin America (4 units)
Span 280 Seminar in Romanticismo of Spain and Latin America (4 units)
Program Handbook
SPANISH MA HANDBOOK 2021-2022.pdfExit Exam Reading List
FALL 2020 Updated- SPANISH MA PROGRAM READING LIST REVISION copy 2.pdf