Degree Requirements and Course Offerings for M.A. in Spanish

Degree Requirements

The Spanish M.A. requires the successful completion of four semesters of graduate-level coursework, in which students/TAs must enroll in a total of 48 hours (TAs will enroll in a total of 50 hours). The enrollment limit, without additional fees, is 18 hours per semester. SPAN 5640 "Teaching Spanish" (4 credit hours), and two semesters of 6920 "Problems in Teaching College Spanish" (1 credit hour per semester) are required of first-year students who are TAs. Students may take alternative classes outside of the department only if they already have credit for one of the scheduled classes within the department or with permission from the graduate chair. Additional classes are always possible; however, they must attain approval from the graduate chair. The tentative two-year schedule for students entering the program fall 2023 will include a minimum of the following classes (see sections 3-6 below for additional/alternative classes):

Fall 2023 Semester

Core Courses

• PEN: 5568 – Film and Literature of the Franco Era
• LING: SPAN 6902 Seminar in Applied Linguistics
• LA: SPAN 5513 survey of Spanish American Literature I
• METHODS: SPAN 5640 Teaching Spanish
• SPAN 6920 Probs Teaching (1 credit)

Electives

• ML 5900 Translation
• ML 5645 Teaching Modern FL

Spring 2024 Semester

Core Courses

• PEN: SPAN 5560 19th Century Spanish Literature
• LA: SPAN 5349 Spanish American Civilization and Culture
• LING: SPAN 5460 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
• SPAN 6920 Problems (1 cr)

Electives

• ML 5900 Translation
• ML 5635/5640 Teaching Languages in Elementary School

Fall 2024 Semester  

Core courses: Subject to change

• PEN: SPAN 5375 History of Art in Spain
• LA: SPAN 5518 Contemporary Spanish American Literature
• LING: SPAN 5437 Applied Phonetics

Electives

• ML 5900 Translation
• ML 5635/5640 Teaching Languages in Elementary School

Spring 2025 Semester – TBD

Core courses: Subject to change

• PEN: SPAN 5900: Topics
• LA: SPAN 5517 Themes in Spanish American Literature
• LING: TBD
• TBD

Electives

• SPAN 6940 Directed Readings* (or one of above)
• ML 5900 Translation
• ML 5635/5640 Teaching Languages in Elementary School

* Students are expected to work on completing the M.A. Reading List during the three semesters preceding their comprehensive exams. However, during the semester in which they take their exams, most students register for SPAN 6940 in order to review and synthesize material on the reading list. Students receive CR for a grade in SPAN 6940.

Courses Offered  

The following courses constitute the current rotation for the Spanish M.A.  A complete list of courses associated with the program is available in the graduate catalog on the Registrar's website. Not all courses are offered every year.

Peninsular Content

• SPAN 5375 History of Art in Spain
• SPAN 5530 Literature of Golden Age Spain
• SPAN 5551 Medieval Spanish Literature
• SPAN 5558 Don Quijote de la Mancha
• SPAN 5560 19th-Century Spanish Literature
• SPAN 5565 20th-Century Spanish Literature
• SPAN 5568 Film and Literature of the Franco Era
• SPAN 5570 Contemporary Spanish Literature

Spanish American Content    

• SPAN 5513 Survey of Spanish American Literature I
• SPAN 5514 Survey of Spanish American Literature II
• SPAN 5517 Themes in Spanish American Prose
• SPAN 5518 Contemporary Spanish American Literature

Spanish Linguistics Content    

• SPAN 5436 Spanish Pragmatics
• SPAN 5437 Applied Phonetics
• SPAN 5438 Hispanic Dialectology and Sociolinguistics
• SPAN 5439 Modern Spanish Usage
• SPAN 5460 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
• SPAN 5640 Teaching Spanish
• SPAN 5457 History of the Spanish Language

Culture

• SPAN 5348 Spanish Civilization and Culture
• SPAN 5349 Spanish American Civilization and Culture

Other  

SPAN 6900 Topics (Introduction to Graduate Studies)

SPAN 6902 Seminar (disciplinary focus varies)

SPAN 6920 Problems in Teaching College Spanish

SPAN 6930* Independent Study in Spanish*

SPAN 6940 Directed Readings

SPAN 6950 Thesis

ML 5635 [5640] Teaching Languages in Elementary School

ML 5645 Teaching Modern Foreign Languages

ML 5900 Translation

* A student may sign up for SPAN 6930 only if no other course is available. Requests for 6930 hours must be approved by both the graduate faculty member directing and grading the study and by the graduate advisor/graduate chair. SPAN 6930 does not count toward the degree requirements, unless such credit is pre-approved in writing with signatures of the graduate chair and faculty member directing the independent study. If the person directing the project is the same as the graduate chair, consultation should be made also with the department chair. Records must be kept in student’s file.

Modern Language Classes

Students pursuing a career in high school teaching may wish to enroll in ML 5645 (4 credits) OR ML 5635/5640 (4 credits) in addition to their regularly scheduled classes. ML 5900 is an option for students interested in acquiring translation skills.

Enhanced Language Option

Students who wish to acquire proficiency in a third language may enroll in 3 credit hours of course numbers 51XX of the corresponding language. After enrolling in 5110/5120, the student attends a regularly scheduled undergraduate language class at the level appropriate for the student’s proficiency (1000 through 4000). Students must identify and contact the instructor of that class prior to the first day of the semester to obtain permission to attend. These courses do not count toward the M.A degree requirements in Spanish. In most cases a grade of CR will be assigned for these courses.

TEFL Certificate

The Department of Linguistics offers coursework leading to a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language that students can complete, along with the M.A. in Spanish, by taking one additional course per semester. Visit the Linguistics Department's webpages for details.

Dual M.A. Degree

Students with an interest in International Development, Latin American Studies, Linguistics, or other related disciplines may wish to complete two M.A. degrees. Usually, and with careful advising, this requires one additional year of coursework. Funding in the form of a TAship from the Department of Modern Languages is not guaranteed during the third year.

Academic Standing

The Graduate Chair reviews the academic standing of all graduate students at the end of each semester. The College of Arts and Sciences requires a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 (B) to maintain a teaching associateship (TAship) or any other financial aid.  The department requires a 3.0 GPA in courses that count toward the Spanish M.A. degree. No grade below a C (73%) can be used to satisfy any degree requirement. Students who fall below 3.0 in required classes will spend the next semester on academic probation during which time they must raise their average in required classes to above 3.0 or lose their stipend and scholarship. If a student receives a C- (72%) or below in any of the required classes, the student must take an additional graduate class in the same area and receive a C or above. Graduate classes are not retakeable, so it is not possible to replace a grade by retaking the same class.

Funding Continuation

Funding in the form of TAships is not guaranteed. The TA Supervisor observes and evaluates all TAs every semester. If a TA's teaching is not satisfactory, the TA Supervisor will meet with the TA to clarify departmental expectations and to offer additional training and support. This meeting will result in a timeline for improvement with benchmarks and options for additional observations. Meeting the benchmarks is critical for continued TA funding. Funding with a GRS (Graduate Recruitment Scholarship) is contingent upon support from the College of Arts & Sciences. Contact Dr. Betsy Partyka for more information.

Academic Integrity

The Spanish graduate faculty assumes that all students qualified to enter an M.A. program in a field involving research and writing are familiar with the basic tenets of academic integrity and have learned how and why to avoid plagiarism. In order to ensure absolute clarity and to avoid errors, it is the responsibility of each student to take the following steps:

1. Visit the Community Standards and Student Responsibility pages on the Ohio University website, click on “Code of Conduct.” The Student Code of Conduct sets out the behavioral expectations for students enrolled at Ohio University. All students are subject to the provisions in the Code and are advised to review it. Carefully read through the document.
2. Carefully read “Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty” on the Modern Language Association website.
3. Consult the following writing and citation resource.

If you have any doubts as to what constitutes plagiarism after exploring these materials, you must consult your mentor and/or the graduate advisor for clarification. Failure to conform to research norms will result in academic penalty and the most egregious cases will merit immediate dismissal from the program.

Writing According to Professional Conventions

Graduate students of Spanish literature and linguistics form part of a community of scholars that requires its members to follow certain disciplinary conventions adopted to facilitate the pursuit and exchange of knowledge. These conventions include drafting all papers according to a strict set of formatting and citation rules. Each student must take responsibility for familiarizing him or herself with the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (9th edition) for papers in literature classes and the APA - Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) for papers in linguistics. Alden Library holds multiple copies of both style manuals, which are also readily available for purchase at a reasonable price. In addition, various on-line resources offer overviews and summaries. You can find useful examples at this writing resource.

Optional Extensive Research Experience

Writing a Thesis

Writing a thesis is optional and counts for a maximum of 8 credit hours (two courses). Students can register in two Spanish 6950 (Thesis) courses of 4-credit hours each.  Students who choose to write a thesis will do so in addition to taking the comprehensive written and oral examinations. It is imperative to consult the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Services web page as soon as possible, and frequently, for submission dates and specific thesis requirements.

If you plan to write a thesis, you must work very closely with your supervisor and follow these steps:

1. Beginning of spring semester of your first year – identify a tenured or tenure-track faculty member willing to serve as thesis advisor and begin discussing your topic. In consultation with your thesis advisor, choose two more members for your committee and officially record the agreement. The committee will evaluate the merits of your project proposal and determine whether to move forward.
2. Mid-Spring semester of your first year – present to your committee a well-structured scholarly proposal with clear and attainable goals, a rigorous bibliography and a timeline for completion of the project. Submit "Preliminary Thesis Committee Approval" form for department files (see copy included below).
3. Fall of your second year – Defend thesis proposal with full committee.
4. Throughout the second year – work closely with thesis advisor, submit all drafts of chapters to all readers in a timely fashion and heed advice or directives of supervisor.
5. Fall or spring of the second year – attend workshops on electronic submission of theses. Thesis and Dissertation workshop: see Graduate College website for dates.
6. Early spring semester of your second year – submit completed thesis (following guidelines on Graduate College website) to both your advisor and your other readers. They must receive this at least two weeks before your oral defense of the thesis (submit around seventh week). Publicly announce date, time, and place of thesis defense.
7. End of spring semester (consult the web for exact dates) – defend thesis publicly and complete any required revisions before electronic submission to the Dean’s Office, College of Arts & Sciences (Wilson Hall). The Graduate Chair and advisor must approve the final copies with original signatures on the approval pages (see Graduate College website for details).
8. A letter grade of A-F will be given for the thesis. This will replace the PR (progress) grade that will appear automatically on SPAN 6950 from previous semesters.

The thesis may be written in either Spanish or English, depending on the topic. The thesis ranges from 70-100 pages in length including notes and bibliography (and all other required pages as noted on the web). The student must follow all directions for the format, presentation of theses, and deadlines as posted on the web (Graduate College website).

Writing an Extensive Project/Manuscript

Writing an extensive project or manuscript, whether academic or creative in nature, that could be turned into a publishable article, or an original collection is optional and counts for a maximum of 4 credit hours. Students may register for one SPAN 6930 (Ind. Study) course for 4 credit hours. Students who choose to work on an extensive research project will do so in addition to taking the comprehensive written and oral examinations. If you plan to write a publishable manuscript, you must work very closely with your supervisor and follow the timeline proposed for students writing a thesis

1. Beginning of spring semester of your first year: identify a faculty member willing to serve as project advisor and begin discussing your topic. In consultation with your project advisor, choose two more members for your committee and officially record the agreement. The committee will evaluate the merits of your project proposal and determine whether to move forward.
2. Mid-spring semester of your first year: present to your full committee a well-structured scholarly proposal with clear and attainable goals, a rigorous bibliography and a timeline for completion of the project (copies to the project advisor, each member of your committee, and the Graduate Advisor if not a committee member). All submissions will be electronic.
3. End-spring semester of first year and Summer: Write your IRB (if applicable), get project approved, and start data collection; spend time researching, meet with author/artist/professor and conduct an interview, write an observation or a report, document the experience.
4. Early-fall of second year: Analyze data, interpret results, and compose a draft project.
5. Mid-fall of your second year: Submit project to both your advisor and your other readers. They must receive a copy of your project at least two weeks before your presentation (submit around sixth week). Present publicly at the EXPO.
6. End-fall of second year: Write and submit an abstract for presentation at a national or international meeting/conference.
7. Mid-spring of second year: Present your project in a national or international reputable academic forum.

Following a strict timeline is especially important for students working on an empirical or experimental project where data collection must be preceded by approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Ohio University. The scope of your project could be interdisciplinary and may be: empirical (including pedagogical, that is, language learning and teaching; with data collection, analysis and interpretation); theoretical (comparing and contrasting two theories); literary (a paper based on an author, a literary period, or a genre); artistic (a collection of short stories, a video production); etc.  Each project will be presented at a public, academic forum. As with the thesis, in the case of the extended research project, students will also compose a project proposal. A committee must approve the project proposal by the end of the student's second semester. All project proposals must be pre-approved by the graduate chair in consultation with the project advisor and the student. Students can apply for graduate student grants to support travel to national or international meetings/conferences. These grants have differing deadlines; therefore, it is recommended that students carefully monitor them through this Funding Resources website.