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The M.A. in Spanish Language, Literature & Culture is designed to meet a variety of student goals. The program provides students with thorough preparation for study at the doctoral level. It also meets the needs of students for whom the master's degree is a terminal degree and who wish to pursue job opportunites in areas where critical thinking, leadership qualities, and clear, persuasive communication are valued, especially when a superior knowledge of Spanish language and culture is called for.

The M.A. program provides all students with an intensive and balanced introduction to the literature and cultures of the Hispanic World, from the pre-Columbian period to the present. Students may take courses in the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Spain and Latin America, the literatures and cultures of contemporary Spain, the Carribean and Southern Cone of Latin America, and Hispanic linguistics. In addition to the traditional coverage of literary periods, genres, and major authors, students a re introduced to a variety of current theoretical and methodological approaches and to the orientations of comtemporary theory. Those students interested particularly in linguistics may study general linguistics as well as Hispanic linguistics in the department.

In the M.A. program students work to improve proficiency in the use of the Spanish language. They take at least three-fourths of their courses in Spanish and have on-going opportunities to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills at the professional level.

The M.A. program provides students with thorough training in research, including the scholarship of discovery, application, dissemination, and teaching. The program enables students to become proficient and discriminating in the use of scholarly resources available at libraries and via the Internet.

Students are prepared to be effective and committed language instructors. They acquire computer skills relevant to scholarship in the area of literary criticism and language instruction. They have the opportunity to obtain the Certificate in Univ ersity Teaching through participation in the Future Professoriate program.

The student seeking the M.A. in Spanish language and culture must complete 33 credits of graduate work, 30 of which must be fulfilled by courses given in Spanish. Coursework must also include SPA 601 Literary Theory and Research Methods.

Exit requirements include successful completion of either:

(1) a written final exam with an oral defense or

(2) a master's thesis with an oral defense