Earn your MA in Spanish
The Master of Arts program in Spanish requires 30 semester hours of graduate credit. A maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate credit in approved courses may be transferred from other institutions toward the 30 semester hours required for the MA degree. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75.
Students choose one of two emphases: literature, which provides training in literary analysis and broad knowledge of representative works in principal areas of Hispanic literature; or linguistics, which provides training in linguistic analysis and argumentation and broad knowledge of the principal subfields of Hispanic linguistics.
Requirements and program planning
Spanish literature emphasis
At least eight of the ten literature emphasis courses must be taken in Department of Spanish and Portuguese courses numbered 5000 or above. The remaining two may be taken in Department of Spanish and Portuguese courses numbered 4000 or above or in courses offered by related departments, subject to approval by the director of graduate studies.
| Title | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching and Learning Languages course | 3 |
| One course in Spanish linguistics numbered SPAN:4000 or above | 3 |
| Two courses in Spanish (peninsular) literature numbered SPAN:4000 or above | 6 |
| Two courses in Spanish American literature numbered SPAN:4000 or above | 6 |
| One course in literary theory | 3 |
| Three electives | 9 |
| Total hours | 30 |
Spanish linguistics emphasis
At least six of the ten linguistics emphasis courses must be taken in Department of Spanish and Portuguese courses numbered 5000 or above. The remaining four may be taken in Department of Spanish and Portuguese courses numbered 4000 or above or in Department of Linguistics courses (prefix LING).
| Title | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching and Learning Languages course | 3 |
| One course in Spanish or Spanish American literature numbered SPAN:4000 or above | 3 |
| Two courses in syntax | 6 |
| Two courses in phonetics/phonology | 6 |
| One course in history of the Spanish language or sociolinguistics/language variation | 3 |
| One course in applied linguistics or language acquisition | 3 |
| Two electives | 6 |
| Total hours | 30 |
Language tool requirement
Students must complete the equivalent of one year of college-level study of any approved second foreign language; Portuguese is highly recommended. They may satisfy this requirement either by examination or through courses taken at the University of Iowa or another accredited university; such coursework does not count toward the 30 semester hours required for the degree.
Examinations
The comprehensive examination includes written and oral components. The written portion consists of a two-hour examination in each of three areas; an oral examination follows, usually lasting 90 minutes. The examining committee is composed of four departmental faculty members.
Students in the literature emphasis may choose to be examined in three literature areas or in two literature areas and one linguistics area. At least one literature area must be in Spanish literature and at least one must be in Spanish American literature. If three literature areas are chosen, at least one must represent literature written before 1700 (peninsular or Spanish American).
Students in the linguistics emphasis may choose to be examined in three linguistics areas or in two linguistics areas and one literature area. At least one of the linguistics areas must be in syntax or phonology. For students in both emphases, the third examination area may be a film area.
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