Master of Arts in Spanish

General Information:

The Department of Modern Languages offers a variety of opportunities for advanced study. The graduate programs in Hispanic Literature are intended to prepare students to become first-rate scholars and teachers. The Master of Arts in Spanish focuses on Peninsular literature and Spanish American literature, including the literature written by Hispanics in the United States.

Upon entering the program, students will be assigned an academic adviser. All M.A. students must pass written and oral comprehensive examinations at the end of their course work.

Description of the Program:

The Master's degree program consists of 33 semester hours of graduate-level work. A maximum of six credits of graduate course work may be transferred into the program from other institutions, subject to the approval of the departmental graduate committee.

Core Courses (18 credits)

  • SPW 5806 Methods of literary research (3 Credits)
  • FOL 5800 Foreign Language Teaching Methodology (3 Credits)
  • One course in either Medieval Spanish literature or literature of the Golden Age (3 Credits)
  • One course in peninsular Spanish literature of the 19th or the 20th centuries (3 Credits)
  • Two courses in Spanish American literature (colonial or 20th-century) (6 Credits)

Required Coursework (9 Credits)

  • Spanish or Spanish American literature (3 Credits)
  • Spanish or Spanish American literature, Linguistics, or Spanish/Spanish American Culture (6 Credits)

Exit Option (6 Credits)

Students must either complete a thesis or complete 2 elective courses and write a research paper. (6 Credits)

Independent Studies

Students who want to conduct research in a very specialized field with a particular faculty member will be allowed to register for a 3-credit independent study course. No more than one such independent study will be allowed for the whole period of graduate studies. Under no circumstances will a student be authorized to take a regularly-taught course as an independent study. Independent studies are envisioned as an opportunity for students to carry out specialized research, not as a substitute for regular courses.

Students are encouraged to take courses in methods of language teaching.

Spanish M.A. with an Emphasis in Spanish Applied Language, Culture, and Literature

Description of the Program:

The Spanish M.A. with an Emphasis in Spanish Applied Language, Culture, and Literature program consists of 33 semester hours of graduate level work.

Core Courses (6 Credits)

  • SPW 5806 Methods of Literary Research (3 Credits)
  • FOL 5943 Foreign Language Teaching Methodology (3 Credits)

Required Coursework (21 Credits):

  • Graduate Spanish Courses in Linguistics or Spanish Language Pedagogy. Courses must be taught in Spanish. (9 Credits)
  • Graduate Spanish courses in Literature, Spanish Culture, and/or Spanish Film courses. Course must be taught in Spanish. (9 Credits)
  • Graduate English course in Linguistics or Literature. (3 Credits)

Electives (6 Credits):

Up to 6 credits of electives. Elective courses can be taken in Modern Languages and/or any School or Department at FIU. Electives from outside MOL must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

For more information, please contact our Graduate Program Director, Dr. Melissa Baralt at mbaralt@fiu.edu.