See also the Graduate Brochure and Spanish Graduate Manual.

The M.A. in Spanish offers graduate students the opportunity to develop their language skills in many interesting ways. While the M.A. has a heavy a 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. The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of South Carolina focuses on the study of many languages and cultures and invites students to diversify their knowledge by exploring different venues which involve the study of Spanish and its relation to the development of culture, the arts and literature of various regions of the world, but principally Europe and America.

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. Many have also found jobs in private companies or government agencies where their advanced communication skills in Spanish, and their knowledge of the cultures and literatures of the Spanish-Speaking world have been a major asset in making them prime candidates for these administrative or executive positions.

As Spanish is heading to be the language spoken by greater and greater numbers of speakers in the United States, a need for well-trained speakers increases. We are proud to have supported and taught students in the M.A. in Spanish who are now successful in the careers they chose as a result of their Spanish major.

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 of knowledge 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. Although the Spanish Program does not offer a Ph.D. degree, it has a close working relationships with two units who do: theComaprative Literature program and the Linguistics Program. 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.

The Thesis Option
The thesis option offers you the opportunity to carry out a research project, in sustained collaboration with one of your professors, culminating with a thesis. This traditional route to the M.A. degree will be more appropriate for students who enter the program with some experience of academic research and a strong sense of the area in which they wish to concentrate. It is recommended to all students whose career objective is to pursue a Ph. D.

Curriculum Requirements for the Thesis Option
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 715, History of the Spanish Language. Additional information about the thesis may be found in the department's Graduate Handbook.

Students in the thesis option will also take a comprehensive examination covering their basic knowledge of the field of Spanish Studies. The examination is based on courses taken and on a reading list compiled by the department. Normally you will take the comprehensive examination after the completion of your course work but before your thesis is submitted. Details about the timing, format, and content of the comprehensive exam are included in the department's Graduate Handbook.

The Non-thesis Option
The non-thesis option offers a broader exposure to Spanish Studies through greater participation in course work. The 6 hours thesis will be in this option replaced by 6 hours of credit taken at the 700 level. Students are encouraged to further their knowledge on a single area of study. Students whose area of specialization is Spanish pedagogy in secondary schools (those already holding a teaching certificate) will take the 6 hours of 700 level non-thesis option in the area of Spanish pedagogy and new technologies in teaching Spanish.

Curriculum Requirements for the Non-thesis Option
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; 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 715, History of the Spanish Language. 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 Handbook

Study Abroad
The University encourages study abroad during the summer months. We have currently two programs in Guadalajara, Mexico and in Castellón, Spain. 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 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

Beyond the standard admission requirements, applicants to the M.A.T. in Spanish will have a B.A. in Spanish. In the event that an applicant does not hold a B.A. in Spanish, a student must complete at USC or at another institution the following courses in order to be considered as a candidate for the M.A.:

• Spanish 312 Introduction to Interpreting Literary Texts
• Spanish 400 Spanish Civilization and Culture
• Spanish 401 Latin American Civilization and Culture
• Spanish 404 Survey of Spanish Peninsular Literature
• Spanish 405 Survey of Spanish-American Literature

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

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. This time frame may be shortened if you elect to take one or two courses, do independent study courses or thesis preparation during the summer. Most students start their degree program in the fall semester, but it is also possible to begin in the spring or summer.
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 Spanish 776 and 777 (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.

The Following courses are offered yearly, sequentially or in alternate years in the Spanish Studies Program (SPAN). In addition, consult the Spanish Graduate Bulletin

• 500 -- Contemporary Spain. (3) Analysis and discussion of 20th-century Spanish history and the socio-cultural forces that have contributed to define this country's national identity. Taught in Spanish.
• 501 -- Contemporary Spanish America. (3) Analysis and discussion of 20th-century Spanish American history and the socio-cultural forces that have contributed to define this area's national identities. Taught in Spanish.
• 512 -- Advanced Writing and Research in Spanish Language Studies. (3) Reading, writing, and research methodologies, bibliographic documentation, and research papers on Spanish language and Hispanic literatures. (Required of all M.A. and M.A.T. candidates in the first year of study.)
• 515 -- Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. {=LING 514} (3) Phonology, morphology, and syntax of modern Spanish.
• 517 -- Contrastive English-Spanish Phonetics and Phonology. {=LING 514} (3) Introduction to the study of phonetics and phonology and their application to the sounds and sound systems of English and Spanish. Includes transcription practice and discussion of relevance to teaching.
• 524 -- Renaissance and Golden Age Literature. (3) Survey of the works of Garcilaso, the Spanish mystics, Lope, Quevedo, Tirso, Calderón, Gongóra and others.
• 534 -- Nineteenth-Century Spanish Literature. (3) Survey of the works of the major literary figures of the period.
• 538 -- Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature. (3) Survey of major peninsular writers from the Generation of '98 to the present.
• 541 -- Colonial Spanish-American Literature to Neoclassicism. (3) Survey of pre-Columbian poetry and of texts dating from the time of Columbus to the end of the Colonial period.
• 543 -- Spanish-American Literature from the Independence Through Modernism. (3) Survey of the most significant works of the Independence through Modernism.
• 550 -- Advanced Language Study Abroad. (3) Intensive language practice in native environment with special emphasis on oral skills. Instruction by native speakers; extensive community contact and home stay. Prior placement test required.
• 555 -- Spanish-American Literature from Modernism Through 1960. (3) Survey of the most significant works of this period.
• 557 -- Contemporary Spanish-American Literature. (3) Survey of the most significant works from 1960 to the present.
• 711 -- Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism. (3) Overview of the main theories and methods in analyzing Spanish and Spanish-American literature. (Required of all M.A. and M.A.T. candidates in the first year of study.)
• 715 -- History of the Spanish Language. {=LING 734} (3) Development of the language from its origins to the present day.
• 722 -- Cervantes. (3) Selected topics from among the works of Cervantes, including Don Quixote, the Galatea, the Persiles, the Novelas ejemplares, and his dramatic works.
• 724 -- Renaissance and Baroque Poetry and Drama. (3) In-depth study of the works of Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Góngora, Calderón, and others.
• 730 -- Contemporary Spanish Prose Fiction. (3) Emphasis on the post-Spanish Civil War narrative.
• 732 -- Nineteenth-Century Spanish Prose and Poetry. (3) Intensive reading of major works of Spanish Romanticism and Realism.
• 734 -- Spanish Poetry: Generation of '27. (3) Intensive study of the works of Alberti, Aleixandre, Cernuda, García Lorca, Guillén, Salinas and others.
• 736 -- The Generation of 1898. (3) Essay, verse, drama, and fiction of the major writers of this generation.
• 745 -- Seminar in Spanish-American Drama. (3) Selected Spanish-American dramatic works from the colonial period to the present.
• 746 -- Post-Baroque Spanish Drama. (3) An application of major European stage theories to the Spanish modern stage (1800-2000).
• 747 -- The Modern Spanish-American Novel. (3) Seminar on selected Spanish-American novels from independence through the Hispanic Vanguard.
• 749 -- Spanish-American Poetry. (3) In-depth study of selected Spanish-American poets from the colonial period to the present.
• 751 -- Twentieth-Century Spanish-American Short Story. (3) Spanish-American short story from 1901 to 2000.
• 763 -- Contemporary Spanish-American Narrative. (3) Study of the Spanish-American narrative of the 20th century (novel and short story).
• 765 -- Contemporary Spanish-American Poets. (3) The works of Vallejo, Mistral, Neruda, Borges, Cardenal, Paz, and others.
• 767 -- Spanish-American Testimonial Literature. (3) Study of texts revealing patterns of disenfranchisement and human rights violations. All genres, including films.
• 769 -- Hispanic Women Writers. (3) The works of significant women authors in Spain and Spanish America.
• 771 -- Spanish-American Modernism. (3) Study of the poetry and prose of the most significant authors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• 780 -- Seminars in Hispanic Literature. (3 each) Topics to be announced each semester.
• 783 -- Seminars on Selected Topics. (1-3) Topics will be identified by suffix and title in the schedule of classes. Course can be repeated for credit for a maximum of 6 hours.
• 796 -- Independent Study. (1-3) Up to a maximum of 3 total hours, if repeated.
• 799 -- Thesis Preparation. (1-9)

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