College of Arts and Sciences

Departmental URL: www.indiana.edu/~spanport/

Departmental E-mail: gradhisp [at] indiana [dot] edu

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Admission Requirements

1. Undergraduate major in Spanish or Portuguese or its equiv­alent. (Students lacking a complete major must remove deficiencies);
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test;
3. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)—international students only;
4. Three letters of recommendation;
5. Statement of purpose;
6. Official Transcripts;
7. Writing sample (Ph.D. Hispanic literature applicants only)

Master of Arts Degree

Admission to the M.A. program does not imply that once the degree is received the student may automatically begin work for the Ph.D.; the department will decide in each case.

The following requirements apply to all M.A. degrees.

Final Examination

Six-hour written examination, based on a reading list, and a one-hour oral examination. Both must be passed at least two weeks before the end of the semester in which the degree is to be granted. Students must demonstrate a good command of oral and written Spanish or Portuguese language on the exami­nations. There are separate reading lists for students of Literatures in Spanish, Portuguese, and Hispanic linguistics. The M.A. examination is held the first Saturday in April and the first Saturday in November only for all programs.

Other Provisions

Students must serve one year (or longer at the discretion of the department) as associate instructors in the department. Students who have taught elsewhere may petition the faculty to have that experience fulfill this requirement.

Master of Arts Degree in Spanish

Concentration in Literatures in Spanish

Course Requirements

A minimum of 30 credit hours of departmental courses num­bered 500 or higher, four of which must be 500-level Spanish literature courses.

Language Requirement

Reading knowledge of an approved second foreign language. Proficiency is satisfied as outlined in the “Doctor of Philosophy, Language Requirement” section.

Concentration in Hispanic Linguistics
 
Course Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours of which at least 21 must be in His­panic linguistics. S425 or the equivalent is required and counts toward the required 21 credit hours. Up to 9 credit hours may be taken in other departments related to the student’s field of study.

Language Requirement

Reading knowledge of an approved second modern language. Proficiency is satisfied as outlined in the “Doctor of Philosophy, Language Requirement” section.

Master of Arts Degree in Portuguese

Course Requirements

A minimum of 30 credit hours in graduate-level courses, at least 20 credit hours of which must be in departmental courses in Portuguese. A thesis (1-6 credits) is optional. With the approval of their advisor, students may take up to 10 credit hours of course work in a minor field.

Language Requirement

Reading knowledge of an approved second foreign language. Proficiency is satisfied as outlined in the “Doctor of Philosophy, Language Requirement” section.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Two degrees are offered. The following requirements apply to both. Students are eligible to apply to the Ph.D. programs upon successful completion of an M.A. degree in the intended area of study.

Language/Research-Skill Requirement

Proficiency in multiple languages is an important tool for research. Therefore, students should consult with their advisors and the Director of Graduate Studies before determining which languages they will choose for proficiency. For all plans, students must have reading proficiency in two additional languages (or one in-depth proficiency) besides English and the language of the target program. These may be satisfied in the following ways:

1.   Proficiency for students taught inside the Department of Spanish and Portuguese:

a. Spanish: completing with a grade of B (3.0) or better, S105, or the equivalent, and one course at the 500 level or higher (excluding S517);

b. Portuguese: completing, with a grade of B (3.0) or bet­ter, P135, or the equivalent, and one course at the 500 level or higher;

c. Catalan: completing, with a grade of B (3.0) or better, two courses at the 400 level or higher;

d. In-depth language proficiency: The student must first establish proficiency in the language by one of the methods listed above (a-c). Then the student must pass, with a grade of B or better, another course at the 500 level or higher.

2.    Proficiency for students not taught in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese: The Department of Spanish and Portuguese accepts language proficiency by any of the fol­lowing methods, provided that these also fulfill the target language department’s proficiency requirements:

a. For Spanish, passing a language proficiency examination;

b. For Spanish, passing an S300-level, or higher, literature, linguistics or culture course with a grade of B (3.0) or better; For Portuguese, passing a course numbered P300-level or higher course with a grade of B (3.0) or better; For Catalan, passing a C400-level, or higher, course with a grade of B (3.0) or better;

c. For Spanish or Portuguese, passing the second half of a 400-level reading course (492) with a grade of B (3.0) or better;

d. In-depth language proficiency: The student must first establish proficiency in the language by one of the methods listed above (a-c). Then the student must pass, with a grade of B (3.0) or better, another course at the 500 level or higher. The course must be taught in the target language.

S803, Individual Readings, cannot be counted towards language proficiency. Ph.D. students in linguistics may replace reading proficiency in one foreign language with two 500-level courses in statistics or two courses, chosen in consultation with the Director of Hispanic linguistics, in computer science.

Neither English nor the language of the degree program may be presented as one of the foreign languages.

Qualifying Examination

See individual program outlines for qualifying exam require­ments.

Final Examination

Oral, primarily a defense of the dissertation.

Other Provisions

Competence in speaking Spanish or Portuguese fluently and with correct diction is expected of every student; hence, for­eign residence in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country prior to receiving the Ph.D. is highly desirable.  Students must serve one year (longer at discretion of the de­partment) as associate instructors in the department. Students who have taught elsewhere may petition the faculty to have that experience accepted as fulfilling this requirement.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Spanish

Concentration in Literatures in Spanish

Course Requirements

A total of 90 credit hours, including at least 18 credit hours (six courses in departmental Spanish literature courses beyond the M.A. (S504, S512, and S517 do not count as literature courses); one of these courses must be an S708 seminar. In addition, students must take S512 or its equivalent. Students must also satisfy course requirements for a graduate minor (at least 12 credit hours). Students must have 60 credit hours in course work before being eligible to take the qualifying examination. (A maximum of 30 credit hours may be transferred from the M.A.) The remaining credit hours can be taken as thesis hours. Ph.D. students in Literatures in Spanish may not take 400-level courses in Spanish.

Minor

Twelve credit hours or more in a related field. Some recom­mended fields: anthropology, Catalan, comparative literature, history, Latin American studies, philosophy, Luso-Brazilian, cultural studies, folklore and ethnomusicology, and West European studies. Ph.D. students in Spanish who wish to minor in Portuguese must take three graduate courses in literature beyond the foreign-language proficiency requirement.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination for Literatures in Spanish will consist of three parts: (1) two three-hour written exams; (2) an explor­atory paper; and (3) an oral examination. In addition, a written or oral examination may be required in the minor field, at the discretion of the minor department. The qualifying examination may be repeated only once. For details about examinations, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Concentration in Hispanic Linguistics

Course Requirements

The degree consists of 90 credit hours. Course work consists of 63 credit hours (up to 30 credit hours in Hispanic linguistics may be applied from the M.A.): (1) 12 credit hours in Hispanic linguistics (9 at the 600 level and 3 at the 700 level); (2) 12 credit hours in the student’s primary research area; (3) 12 credit hours in another primary area of interest; (4) 9 credit hours in a secondary area of interest; and (5) 30 elective credit hours. (These distribution requirements fulfill the Ph.D. minor of at least 12 credit hours in another department.) Thesis work consists of 15 credit hours.

Qualifying Examination

Students will take examinations in each of the three areas of concentration. The examining committee will determine whether the format is to be sit-down or take-home. If the ex­ams are sit-down, they will last nine hours, six hours, and three hours, respectively. The nine-hour exam will cover the student’s principal area as reflected by the dissertation topic. The six-hour exam will cover the second concentration. The three-hour exam will cover the third concentration, consisting of 9 credit hours. If the format is to be take-home, students will have one week to write each portion of the exam, and these exams will be taken in series. In either case, the sequence of exams must be completed within 60 days.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Portuguese

Course Requirements

A total of 90 credit hours (a maximum of 30 credit hours may be transferred from the M.A.). Work in the major, secondary, and minor fields must total 75 credit hours in courses and seminars in addition to completion of a doctoral dissertation. Students’ programs are individualized and depend on the ap­proval of the graduate faculty in Portuguese.

Minor

Twelve credit hours or more in a related field.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is both written and oral. Students concentrating in Portuguese will also be examined in Spanish or another approved secondary area of interest. The written examination is 12 hours. A written or oral examination may also be required in the minor field, at the discretion of the minor department. The qualifying examination may be repeated only once. For details about examinations, contact the director of graduate studies.

Outside Minor Requirements

Ph.D. Minor in Literatures in Spanish

Doctoral students from other departments may complete a minor in Spanish by successfully completing no fewer than four Spanish literature courses (12 credit hours). All courses must be at least at the 500 level and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. S803 Individual Readings cannot be counted toward the minor.

Ph.D. Minor in Hispanic Linguistics

Doctoral students may complete a minor in Hispanic linguis­tics by successfully completing no fewer than four courses in Hispanic linguistics (12 credit hours). All courses must be at least at the 500 level and approved by the director of Hispanic linguistics. Transfer credits for courses taken elsewhere are not accepted. S803 Individual Readings cannot be counted toward the minor.

Ph.D. Minor in Portuguese

Doctoral students from other departments may complete a minor in Portuguese by successfully completing no fewer than four Portuguese courses (12 credit hours) listed in the Universi­ty Graduate School Bulletin as carrying credit toward the Ph.D. S803 Individual Readings cannot be counted toward the minor.