Degree Title: Master of Arts

Program Name and Number: Spanish – MA5229

Department/Unit: Department of Modern Languages

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: [Fall ]

Program Mission: The mission of the Master of Arts in Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages is to provide students with a rigorous program wherein they learn to analyze literature, become informed observers of linguistic usage, and acquire advanced language and cultural skills.

Program Learning Objectives: Successful graduates of our Master of Arts program will:

1. demonstrate deep knowledge of the target language and culture
2. compare and contrast world cultures
3. identify and describe major literary movements
4. explain how an individual literary work reflects the literary movement in which it was created
5. analyze literary and other cultural products creatively through appropriate theoretical and historical lenses
6. analyze linguistic phenomena in terms of syntax, dialectology, phonology, and historical linguistics
7. design and carry out an original research project, write up results using conventions appropriate to the discipline
8. present research results to an audience of professors and peers
9. implement teaching strategies in line with current language acquisition theories

Program Overview:

 

The M.A. in Spanish is an upbeat, competitive program whose graduates have placed in prestigious Ph.D. programs and diverse careers. Our two-year program is generalist in nature, as it includes courses in Peninsular literature and culture, Latin American literature and culture, linguistics, and applied linguistics.  A thesis option is available.  Funding is available through Teaching Assistantships for qualified applicants. High school teachers can register to take graduate courses as non-degree students. Each year one second-year student spends two semesters abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain studying and interning in the Office of International Relations as part of a three-year MA program. Additional study/work abroad opportunities may be available for Teaching Assistants to accompany undergraduate programs abroad.

Opportunities for Graduates:

Approximately 25% of our graduates enter PhD programs to prepare themselves for careers in academia. Another 25% enter the teaching profession as Spanish language instructors at US universities, and yet another 25% do so as high school Spanish teachers.  15% of our MA students accept jobs in related fields (publishing, for example) or pursue work abroad.  Some in this last group have received nationally competitive awards such as the Fulbright in order to conduct research or teach abroad.

Link to Program: http://modlang.ohio.edu/graduate/graduate-spanish/

Graduation requirements:

Minimum Requirements for the Master’s Degree: The MA in Spanish requires at least 50 semester hours (twelve 4-hour classes + two 1-hour classes).  The usual time required to meet the course requirements for the MA is two academic years. 

Specific Requirements

• 3 Peninsular content courses (4 CH each)
• 3 Latin American content courses (4 CH each)
• 3 Hispanic linguistics content courses (4 CH each)
• 1 seminar (counts as one of above required classes)
• SPAN 5640 - Teaching Spanish: Theory and Practice (4 CH)
• 2 semesters of SPAN 6920 (1 CH per semester)
• 2 elective courses
• Comprehensive written and oral examinations based on the M.A. Reading List, which is available online in the Spanish Graduate Handbook.

• Peninsular Spanish content courses
  • SPAN 5348 Spanish Civilization and Culture
  • 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 5570 Contemporary Spanish Literature
• Latin America content courses
  • SPAN 5349 Spanish American Civilization and Culture
  • 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
• Hispanic linguistics courses
  • SPAN 5437 Applied Phonetics
  • SPAN 5438 Hispanic Dialectology and Sociolinguistics
  • SPAN 5439 Modern Spanish Usage
  • SPAN 5441 Stylistics
  • SPAN 5457 History of the Spanish Language
  • SPAN 5460 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics

Culminating Experience:

At the end of their final semester of course work, students take written and oral comprehensive exams based on the Spanish M.A. Reading List.  These exams assess student achievement of learning outcomes 1-6, listed above. 

Admission Requirements:

Admission requires a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or graduation from a foreign institution with a degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.

The following application materials must all be submitted online prior to January 15th for priority consideration:

1. Online application form along with a nonrefundable application fee submitted to the Graduate College via the following link: http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply/. Information on fees, reference forms and graduate programs can also be found at this link.
2. Official transcripts and diplomas from post-secondary schools, sent to the Graduate College.

                  a. Students can upload a copy of their transcript, marksheets, diploma and/or degree certificates with their on-line application, but they must also submit official copies by mail. An official transcript is one that arrives in an envelope that has been sealed by the issuing institution.

                  b. If these documents are not in English, students will need a certified translation into English.

1. All non-native English speakers must demonstrate English proficiency by submitting official test scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). TOEFL scores must be sent directly from ETS to Ohio University (code 1593). On the TOEFL, we require a minimum of 80 on the Internet based exam with all section scores at least a 17 and a speaking score of 24 to be considered for an assistantship.  On the IELTS, we require a composite score of 6.0 with a speaking score of 7.0 and at least a 6.0 on all bands.
2. Three letters of recommendation (preferably from professors who can comment on students’ academic progress).  A letter from an employer is also very valuable.
3. A written statement of purpose in both English and Spanish.

All candidates will be required to schedule an interview via phone or Skype.