Masters in Spanish: For Students Enrolling Before Fall of 2016
Overview
The Master of Arts in Spanish is designed to provide a rich variety of graduate coursework in a major world language that is becoming increasingly important in North Carolina and the United States. The program builds on a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum and consists of two concentrations: Language, Literature and Culture (LLC) and Translating and Translation Studies (TTS). Staffed by faculty with national and international reputations, the M.A. in Spanish serves individuals who seek:
a greater understanding of Spanish language, literatures and cultures.
career and professional advancement opportunities in translation, applied language (Spanish for the professions and specific purposes, such as business and international trade), and education.
a Ph.D. in fields such as Hispanic literature, linguistics, translating and translation studies, intercultural communication, or international studies.
The Program
Core Courses
Admission Requirements
Financial Support & Funding Sources
Faculty
For More Information
About Spanish
Master of Arts in Spanish : Brochure
The Program
The Master of Arts in Spanish requires either 36 hours of graduate coursework or 30 hours of graduate coursework plus a master's thesis (6 credit hours).
With the approval of the department, 3 hours of electives in related areas may be taken as part of the 30-36 hours.
Up to six hours of appropriate graduate credit may be accepted for transfer from another accredited institution. For any course to count toward the M.A. in Spanish, it must have been taken within six years from the date of enrollment in the program. Graduate students must have a 3.0 GPA in the courses on their degree plan of study in order to graduate. No more than six hours evaluated as C may be counted toward the minimum hours required for the master's degree.
Core Courses
For both concentration options—Language, Literature and Culture (LLC) and Translating and Translation Studies (TTS)—the M.A. in Spanish requires a common set of four graduate core courses (12 hours), one in each of the following areas:
Spanish literature
Spanish American literature
Spanish or Spanish American civilization and culture
Spanish linguistics
Concentration in Language, Literature and Culture (LLC)
The LLC concentration consists of graduate coursework in Spanish and Spanish American literature, Spanish and Spanish American civilization and culture (including film studies), Spanish linguistics, methodology, Spanish for the professions and specific purposes (e.g., business and international trade), special topics in Spanish, and up to 3 hours of professional internship in Spanish. A scholarly thesis may also be written, which constitutes 6 hours of coursework. The LLC concentration allows for an in-depth development of Spanish language skills and is especially recommended for teachers of Spanish. It also provides excellent preparation for individuals who may wish to pursue the Ph.D. in Spanish, for whom courses in literature and linguistics are especially recommended. Graduates have been admitted to Ph.D. programs at numerous prestigious universities in the United States.
Concentration in Translating and Translation Studies (TTS)
The TTS concentration consists of graduate coursework in history, theory and method of translation and in the analysis and translation of different types of texts and discourse: e.g., business, technical, medical, legal, scholarly, and literary. It may also include special topics courses in Spanish-English translation, a professional internship in translating, and a translation thesis (equivalent to 6 hours). Coursework in Spanish for the professions and specific purposes (e.g., business and international trade) is especially appropriate for the TTS concentration. This specialized concentration serves individuals interested in a career in professional translation or in enhancing their career or work opportunities as language and culture specialists in today's global economy and in a nation where Spanish is becoming increasingly important. It also provides preparation for those who may wish to pursue a Ph.D. in fields such as Spanish, linguistics, translating and translation studies, intercultural communication, or international studies.
Admission Requirements A baccalaureate degree in Spanish or in a related field with an overall GPA of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale).
An applicant’s best possible scores in the Analytical Writing and Verbal Reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
For international applicants whose native language is not English, a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL does not apply for applicants who have a four-year degree from a U.S. college or university. In order to be valid, the TOEFL must have been taken within two years of application to the M.A. program. For further information, contact the Office of International Admissions.
An essay that addresses the applicant's motivation for enrolling in the M.A. in Spanish, to include particular areas of research interests and career or professional goals.
o Students seeking enrollment in the LLC concentration should write this essay in Spanish and demonstrate a high level of proficiency in Spanish by attaching an additional substantial writing sample (a college term paper or similar document).
o Students seeking enrollment in the TTS concentration may write the essay in either English or Spanish but must demonstrate high levels of literacy and proficiency in both languages by providing substantial writing samples in each.
An oral interview either in person or by phone with the Graduate Coordinator.
Three letters of reference.
o For those interested in the LLC concentration, at least two of the letters must be from professors.
o For those interested in the TTS concentration, at least one of the letters must come from a professor, and letters not written by a faculty member must be from professionals working in the field of Spanish, translating and interpreting, or a closely related area (Latin American Studies, International Studies, International Business, etc.).
o Letters not written by professors should come from professionals with an equivalent professional standing to that of a professor.
Financial Support & Funding Sources
The department offers a limited number of graduate assistantships and a limited number of non-resident tuition waivers. Tuition at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, both for in-state and out-of-state students, is among the lowest in the country and provides an excellent return on the dollar. Visit the Graduate School for additional funding sources.
Faculty José Manuel Batista, Ph.D., University of Georgia. Latin American Poetry, Caribbean Literatures and Cultures, Dominican Studies.
Carlos Coria-Sánchez, Ph.D., University of Georgia. Latin American Literature, Mexican Women Writers and Feminism, Spanish for Business and International Trade.
Michael Scott Doyle, Ph.D., University of Virginia. Translating and Translation Studies, Business Language Studies and Spanish for Business and International Trade, Spanish for the Professions and Specific Purposes, 20th Century Spanish Literature.
Concepción Godev, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University. General Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Pedagogy, and Translation Studies.
Ann B. González, Ph.D., University of South Carolina. Central American Literature, Children's Literature in Spanish, 20th Century Spanish American Narrative.
Jeffrey Killman, Ph.D., Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain. Translating and Translation Studies.
Maryrica Ortiz Lottman, Ph.D., Princeton University. 16th and 17th Century Spanish Literature, especially Theater; Trans-Atlantic Studies; Gender Studies.
Mónica Rodríguez-Castro, Ph.D., Kent State University. Translation Studies, Pedagogy and Corpus Linguistics.
Anton Pujol, Ph.D., University of Kansas, M.B.A., University of Chicago. Translation Studies, Spanish for Business, 19th Century Peninsular Literature.
For more information, please contact: Dr. Michael Scott Doyle Graduate Director Department of Languages and Culture Studies University of North Carolina at Charlotte 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 Phone: 7046878754 Fax: 7046873496 Email: [email protected]
For application forms and materials, Apply Online.
The Graduate Catalog and application forms and materials can be accessed at www.graduateschool.uncc.edu.
About Spanish
“Spanish: Bestow great attention on this & endeavor to acquire an accurate knowledge of it. Our future connections with Spain and Spanish America will render that language a valuable acquisition.” Thomas Jefferson, 1787.
With more than 490 million total speakers, Spanish is the world’s third most spoken language.
Spanish is the world's second most spoken native language, used as such by more than 412 million people in 23 countries.
In the Americas, it is the dominant language, spoken by 51 out of every 100 people.
The United States, home to over 53 million native Spanish speakers, currently ranks second among the Spanish-speaking countries of the world, after Mexico, surpassing major Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
U.S. Hispanics are now the nation's largest minority group, and the Hispanic population is expected to surpass 50 percent of the total U.S. population in 2060.
As of 2015, U.S. Hispanics own an estimated 4.07 million businesses with annual revenue exceeding $660 billion.
In 2015, Hispanic purchasing power in the U.S. reached $1.5 trillion, a growth of over 200% since the year 2000.