See also the Admissions Procedures/Degree Programs and the Spanish Graduate Manual.

The M.A. in Spanish offers graduate students the opportunity to develop their language skills in many interesting ways. The M.A. has a heavy concentration in Spanish and Spanish-American Literature and Cultural Studies. It also offers an in-depth study of Spanish language within a diverse variety of texts and contexts: the study of Spanish linguistics and Spanish usage in different geographical settings, as well as Spanish texts in comparative studies. Our M.A. graduates for the most part opt for a career in teaching Spanish at the college level, either by finding instructor positions in colleges and universities, or by pursuing a Ph.D. here at USC or elsewhere.

Master of Arts in Spanish

The M.A. in Spanish is your opportunity to participate in the intellectual and social life of a vigorous department while obtaining an advanced degree. The Spanish Studies Program at the University of South Carolina invites you to pursue the in-depth study of literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Our department fosters interdisciplinary growth through its strengths in cultural studies, gender studies, literary history and theory, linguistics, and comparative literature. As a student in the M.A. program you can work with many scholars to experience first hand how new ideas are created through the research process. Best of all, you can join a community that you will feel part of by socializing with faculty and peers, teaching and collaborating in intellectual endeavors.

The M.A. degree is valued throughout the world. Once you have earned your M.A., you will be recognized as having the kind of analytical, interpretive, and writing skills that guarantee success in whatever career you choose. An M.A. degree is also a solid base for further academic study. The University is in the process of approving a new Ph.D. in Spanish Studies. Spanish currently collaborates with other Ph.D. degrees within the department in Comparative Literature program and Linguistics. Students with the MA in Spanish are therefore well positioned to continue their studies and earn the doctorate in either Comparative Literature with an emphasis on Spanish culture and literature, or in Linguistics with an emphasis on Hispanic linguistics.

Students who wish to obtain the M.A. degree may elect either the thesis option or the non-thesis option. You may make this choice any time during the first year of study or in the third semester.

Curriculum Requirements for the Thesis Option Program of Study
The M.A. thesis option requires 33 semester hours of graduate work, with a distribution as follows: a minimum of 15 hours in graduate courses at the 700 level; a maximum of 9 hours in approved courses at the 500 level; and 6 hours of thesis research. You are required to take Spanish 512, Advanced Research Methodology, Spanish 711, Literary Theory applied to Spanish texts, and Spanish 515, Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Additional information about the thesis may be found in the department's Graduate Manual. This program of study is recommended to all students whose career objective is to pursue a Ph. D.

Curriculum Requirements for the Non-thesis Option Program of Study
The M.A. non-thesis option requires 33 semester hours of graduate work, with a distribution as follows: a minimum of 21 hours in graduate topics courses at the 700 level, one of which must be Spanish 715, History of the Spanish Language; a maximum of 12 hours may be in courses at the 500 level. You are required to take Spanish 512, Advanced Research Methodology, Spanish 711, Literary Theory applied to Spanish texts, and Spanish 515, Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Students in the non-thesis option will take the same comprehensive examination required for students in the thesis option. This examination will be taken toward the end of your degree program. Details about the timing, format, and content of the comprehensive examination are included in the department's Graduate Manual.

Study Abroad
The University encourages study abroad during the summer months. We currently have two programs, one in Spain and one in Latin America. Although these programs target undergraduate students, they may include graduate students as assistants to the program director and/or as students working on a research project. A maximum of 3 credits of independent study may be taken abroad with the approval of the graduate academic advisor.

Currently we are exploring various programs of exchange with universities in Spain involving a year-long program of study and service at a Spanish university.

Admission Procedures to the M.A. Program

Financial Support for Graduate Study in the M.A. Program

The Spanish Studies Program offers graduate teaching assistantships. Students who apply for admission to the program may elect to be considered for financial aid as a graduate teacher assistant. These assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit, with additional consideration of the teaching needs of the Department. Normally students will be eligible for a teaching assistantship in their first year of study. Renewal of the awards is at the discretion of the graduate committee, but in general students in the M.A. program in good standing can expect support for two years. Second year students in good academic standing may be promoted to Senior Teacher assistants with higher stipends.

Students awarded a teaching assistantship must be enrolled a minimum of 9 sehours of graduate course work, and may receive up to $11,000 plus a substantial tuition abatement each year.

Teaching assistantships give you a hands-on experience of the teaching profession as the instructor of a course offered by the Spanish Program. All graduate assistants undergo both theoretical and practical training in the teaching of Spanish. They work closely with the regular teaching faculty. Normally they teach in the beginning Spanish language program. In addition, they fulfill a service obligation to the department which takes many forms including leading student extracurricular activities related to language learning.

Course Load and Length of Time to the Completion of the Degree
The M.A. in Spanish Studies is designed to be completed in four semesters. Courses may also be taken in the Summer I and Summer II sessions. Most students begin their degree program in the fall semester. It is also possible to begin in the spring or summer, but not recommended.

Normally students in the M.A. program will take 9 credit hours or 3 courses per semester, for a combined total of 18 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters. The remaining courses, comprehensive exam, and thesis (thesis option) or 6 hours 700 level credit will be completed in the second year of graduate study. In addition to this course load expectation, there is a distribution requirement that must be met before you complete your degree: 15 credit hours in the thesis option, or 21 credit hours in the non-thesis option, shall be earned in graduate courses at the 700 level, excluding FORL 776 and FORL 776-S (Teaching Practicum).

Students who receive teaching assistantships are expected and encouraged to carry the maximum course load of 9 credit hours or three courses per semester. They must, however, carry a minimum of 6 credit hours or 2 courses per semester for a total of 12 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters. Under normal circumstances financial support from the department will be limited to two years, and students must take this into account when planning their course load.

Students who do not receive teaching assistantships or research assistantships or any other form of financial aid from the University are expected to carry the normal course load. However, the Department will permit those who do not receive support to be flexible in the number of courses taken each semester. If you take a reduced course load you will have no more than 6 years to complete your degree. Comprehensive exams are only valid for two years from the semester in which they are passed.

For a description of all graduate Spanish courses offered, please consult the Spanish Graduate Manual. For more detailed information on Graduate Seminars, click here.

For more information contact:

Professor María Cristina C. Mabrey
Spanish Graduate Program
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
Tel.: (803) 777-4884
Fax: (803) 777-0454
E-mail: Mabrey-maria@sc.edu