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Graduate Programs

Mission Statement

Master of Arts: Requirements
Fields of Concentration:
Hispanic Literatures & Cultures & The Portuguese-Speaking World
Hispanic Linguistics
Comprehensive Examinations
Master of Arts in Teaching: Requirements
Pre-Practicum and Field Experience
MTEL Examination
General Administrative Issues
Doctoral Program: Requirements
Fields of Specialization:
Hispanic Literature & Cultures
Hispanic Linguistics
Comprehensive Examinations:
Major Examination
Minor Examination
Dissertation
Additional Guidelines

Graduate Program Inquiries

Debra Miller, Office Manager
Herter 416
(413) 545-0544
djenkins@hfa.umass.edu

Graduate Programs in Hispanic Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics

Mission Statement

In the context of the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, the graduate programs in Spanish and Portuguese promote the study of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds, while upholding a deep commitment to fostering cultural and intellectual diversity. Within broad course offerings leading to M.A. and PhD degrees, students are encouraged to pursue their particular interests under the guidance of a diverse and dedicated faculty.

Master of Arts

Requirements

Credits:
Thirty credits beyond the B.A. are required, even in the case of students holding a “Licenciatura” or similar diploma. This also holds true for students who have taken graduate level courses through Continuing Education at this or another university, if those credits were used to complete a degree. In cases where credits were not used to complete another degree, the student may petition the Graduate Studies Committee for the transfer of up to 6 credits. However, credits taken in Spanish and Portuguese in our Program not used to complete another degree are transferred automatically. The courses to be transferred must have been taken no more than 3 years prior to the student’s acceptance into the M.A. Program.

Foreign Language:
Reading knowledge of a second foreign language related to the student’s professional needs. To be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor and/or the Graduate Program Director. This requirement, which should be completed as early as possible in the student’s career, may be fulfilled in one of the following ways:

By the Princeton examination when available (“Intermediate level” minimum score 450).
If the Princeton examination is not available, by examinations given by the departmental units which offer those languages.
By earning a minimum grade of B in a 240 level class at UMass
By special arrangement, when circumstances dictate: Students may transfer prior validation of reading knowledge. The Graduate Program Director will grant waivers to students with formal training in the languages, such as an undergraduate major or minor, appropriate courses, etc. Unusual cases will be referred to the Graduate Studies Committee.
By passing the intensive course in Portuguese for graduate students with a minimum grade of B (Only for students whose field of concentration is Spanish)

Fields of Concentration:

Hispanic Literatures & Cultures and The Portuguese-Speaking World

Course Requirements: 30 credits, 12 of which must be at 600-800 level (6 credits in the area of examination, 3 credits in the field of concentration and another 3 credits in any area or field).

Core credits: 18 core credits covering all the 5 areas of specialization:

Hispanic Literatures and Cultures
Areas of Specialization:
     a. Medieval/Golden Age Spanish Literature and Culture
     b. Modern Spanish Literature and Culture
     c. Spanish American Literature and Culture from the Encounter to 1820
     d. Spanish American Literature and Culture from 1820 to the Present
     e. U.S. Latino/a Literature and Culture

The Portuguese-Speaking World
Areas of Specialization:
     a. Medieval and Renaissance Portuguese Literature and Culture
     b. Modern Portuguese Literature and Culture
     c. Early Brazilian Literature and Culture
     d. Contemporary Brazilian Literature and Culture
     e. Lusophone African Literature and Culture

Contact areas: (6 core credits) One graduate course in each of the following areas:
     a. Hispanic Linguistics. Students of Portuguese may petition the Graduate
     Studies Committee for a replacement if the course is not pertinent to their
     area.
     b. Literary Theory.

Electives: (6 core credits) Two graduate level courses, which may be taken at the graduate level outside the Unit of Spanish and Portuguese. It is strongly advised that students whose field of concentration is Spanish and Spanish American Literatures and Cultures take one or both of these courses in Lusophone Literatures and Cultures, and vice versa.

Double Concentration Option: At the student's request, a personalized course of study in the Literatures and Cultures of both the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds.

Hispanic Linguistics

Core areas: (18 credits) Student must take six graduate courses in three of the following areas. A minimum of two courses in the area of specialization is required.

a. Syntax
b. History of the Language/Dialectology/Bilingualism
c. Applied Linguistic/Methodology/Second Language Acquisition
d. Any other area of Hispanic Linguistics (such as Semantics, History of Hispanic Linguistics, Phonetics/Phonology)

Contact areas: Two graduate courses in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures.

Electives: (6 credits) Two courses, which may be taken at the graduate level outside of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Advising: Each M.A. candidate will be advised by the Graduate Program Director during the first semester in the program. By the second semester, the M.A. student must choose an advisor in his/her area or one will be assigned by the Graduate Studies Committee based on the student’s area of specialization. The student may change his/her advisor when appropriate and in consultation with the Graduate Program Director.

Comprehensive Examinations

It is highly recommended that the Examination or Thesis be completed by the fourth semester by ALL students. For a complete reading list for the Master Examination with a Field Concentration in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures, click here.

M.A. EXAM Rules and Regulations for Examinees:

Pre-requisites for Examination: Completion of all requirements for the degree, except currently enrolled courses. All incompletes must be cleared and grades recorded prior to the administration of the examination.

Credits: A master’s candidate who opts to do the exam must register for six Master’s Practicum credits (Hispan 698) beyond the 30 credits required for the MA.

Exam date: The exam will be administered twice a year, during the 12th week of each Semester.

Format of the exam: Two four-hour sessions closed-book written examinations on four of the five areas of specialization (the four areas are chosen at random each semester).The student may choose to write his/her examination in either the target language (Spanish or Portuguese) or English.

Reading list: about 100 key texts that represent all the areas of the Field of Concentration

M.A. THESIS Rules and Regulations for Examinees:

Pre-requisites for the Thesis Defense: Completion of all requirements for the degree, except currently enrolled courses. All incompletes must be cleared and grades recorded prior to the defense.

Credits: A master’s candidate, who opts to do a thesis must register for six thesis credits (Hispan 699).

Committee: The student is expected to choose the members of his/her thesis committee in consultation with his/her advisor. The Graduate Program Director, in consultation with the Director of the Unit, will recommend the thesis committee to the Graduate Dean, who will make the appointment. The thesis committee will consist of at least three members of the Unit’s graduate faculty, at least one from the area of specialization—the thesis director—and at least one from outside of the area of specialization.

The proposal for the M.A. Thesis must be approved and signed by the committee at least 4 months in advance of the defense.

Defense: The candidate has the option of a closed or an open thesis defense. If “closed” is chosen, only members of the Unit’s faculty may attend and participate. If “open” is chosen, any graduate student or faculty member in the Unit may attend and participate. Only the committee members may participate in the evaluation of the thesis. The student is to indicate the open or closed decision as part of the notice of intent to defend the thesis.

The Thesis Director will inform the graduate secretary of the results of the thesis defense.

The text of the thesis should be approximately 75-100 pages. For the format, please follow the Graduate School Guidelines for Preparing Thesis Manuscripts:
http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/dissertationandthesis/pdf_files/guidelines.pdf

Grading System for both the MA thesis and the MA:

-High Pass and Pass: the examinee may proceed automatically to the Ph.D. Program.
-Terminal Pass: the examinee receives an MA in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures but is denied entry to the PhD Program. Student cannot take the exam again.
-Fail: the examinee does not receive a MA in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures and therefore is not allowed to continue to the Ph.D. program. Student is allowed to take the exam one more time at the following session in order to be eligible to receive a terminal pass.
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Master of Arts in Teaching

The MAT Program Spanish prepares candidates for teaching careers in middle schools and junior and senior high schools, grades 5-12. The degree requires two years of study for the MAT Degree and Initial Licensure in Massachusetts. Massachusetts certification is honored by more than thirty other states through the Interstate Certification Compact.

An effort is made to provide to all students admitted into the program Teaching Associates with stipends of over $11,000 and waivers of tuition, curriculum fee, and most health fees. Only a maximum of three new students are admitted into the program each year. Employment prospects are excellent.

Persons who seek admission into the program should possess a B.A. degree with a major in Spanish, and they must have earned a cumulative average of 3.0 or better in their major and of 2.75 or better in their overall undergraduate course of study. In addition, candidates are requested to submit at least two letters of recommendation from previous teachers and a well-considered statement indicating a genuine commitment to a career as a teacher of Spanish, grades 5-12. Personal interviews are highly recommended. Scores of the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (G.R.E.) are required by the University, and the test should be taken as early as possible. It must have been taken within five years of the date of application to the program.

Persons who have completed state certification requirements in their undergraduate programs in addition to having earned a B.A. degree in Spanish are also eligible for the MAT Program, provided they have met all requirements and are prepared to undertake the full program including the Pre-Practicum and Practicum.

Strongly recommended but not required is an undergraduate minor (at least eighteen semester hours) in a second teaching area.

For a complete brochure, catalogues, and application form, write to Professor Luiz Amaral, Spanish MAT Director, Spanish and Portuguese, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Requirements

Number of credits: Thirty five credits beyond the B.A. are required, even in the case of students holding a “Licenciatura” or similar diploma. This also applies to students who have taken graduate level courses through Continuing Education or at this or another university if those credits were used to complete a degree. In cases where credits were not used to complete another degree, the student may petition the Graduate Studies Committee for the transfer of up to 6 credits. The courses to be transferred must haven been taken no more than 3 years prior to the student’s acceptance into the MAT Program.

Program of Study

Course Requirements: 25 credits of course work and 10 credits of teaching practicum

Major Fields Requirements (12 credits)

3 credits in Spanish Second Language Acquisition
3 credits in Applied Linguistics (Technology and FL education or SLA theories)
3 credits in any other area of Hispanic Linguistics
3 credits in Hispanic Literatures, Culture and Civilization

Professional Education Requirements (23 credits)

Course		Credits
Education 524	The work of the middle and high school teacher.	3
Psychology 693I	Psychology in the classroom	3
EDUC 597I EDUC 677 EDUC 691 EDUC 513	Leadership in Tutoring or Multicultural Education or Social Issues in Education or Conflict & resolution in Multic. Educ.	3
SPAN 597J	Foreign languages teaching Methodology	3
EDUC 592S	Microteaching: Pre-Practicum Field Experience.	2*
	Student Teaching	6**
EDUC 510	Teacher in the classroom	2*
EDUC 615J	Education and the Law	1*

*Take concurrently

**Internship may be completed by those with teaching experience who are already under contract to teach.

MTEL Examinations
Graduate students are required to achieve a passing score on the Communication and Literacy skills (CLS) early in their program of study (normally in their first semester and/or prior the practicum). All students must achieve a passing score on the CLS AND the Subject Matter (SM) before they will be allowed to register for their student teaching practicum. In rare cases, a student may be allowed to student teach without having passed the subject matter test; however, that student will receive an Incomplete for EDUC 510 until she/he receives a passing score.

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Pre-Practicum and Practicum (field experience)

Pre-Practicum objectives
Students will:

observe ad work with a wide range of students.
participate in non-direct instructional work and the management of the classroom
participate in grading and gain exposure to the complexities of grading
experience planning, teaching, and assessing
develop a variety of instructional methods and the ability to adapt them to changing circumstances of adolescents in a school context
be responsive to Massachusetts and appropriate professional organization guidelines.

Practicum (field experience)
In order to receive a teaching license in Massachusetts, student teachers must complete a supervised field experience following Department of Education regulations, and demonstrate work toward mastery of the “Professional Standards for Teachers” and subject matter specific standards. This full practicum provides the opportunity to meet the requirement. STEP student teachers are expected to meet the standards at a level that is consistent with that of beginning teacher. This does not mean absolute mastery of the Standards, but means that students can provide ample evidence of growth and development in learning to be a teacher in each of the areas. Cooperating teachers and university representatives must agree that students are ready to teach in the classroom on their own. The Standards for Student Teachers can be found in the Appendix, and again on the Performance Assessment Instrument for Student Teachers (PAIST) form. STEP has designed a portfolio process through which the student teaching experience can be documented and evidence of work on each of the standards can be organized.

The state requires, at a minimum, 150 hours of student teaching. At least 135 of those hours must be spent in actual teaching. The remaining 15 hours can be spent in observation or assisting a cooperating teacher. STEP is designed for student teachers to experience MORE than the minimum number of hours. Of course, the more time spent in actual teaching, the more a person gets out of the experience. By semester’s end, the Cooperating Teacher, University Supervisor, Subject Matter Faculty, and the Director of STEP Student Teaching must agree that a student teacher is prepared and has successfully completed all requirements that lead to endorsement for licensing. Note to students who are enrolled in EDUC 500S and EDUC 500M; student teachers who complete the 150 hours before the semester’s end, may NOT stop student teaching early – completion of the course requires completion of the entire semester.

Digital Portfolio (to be completed by the fourth semester)

Documentation of the Experience and Student Teacher’s Development: Through their portfolio, all student teachers are required to provide documentation of their teaching practicum and their development as student teachers. In addition, student teachers will develop professional development plans at the beginning and end of student teaching.

General Administrative Issues

Credit for Incompletes can be obtained only by finishing the work of the course before the end of one calendar year from the time of enrollment in that course. The Department strongly discourages the practice of requesting and granting Incompletes. Graduate faculty should check students’ transcripts before granting Incompletes. Advisors should keep track of their advisees’ progress and intervene promptly when problems develop. Once a year, the Graduate Studies Committee will review the cases of students with two incompletes. Appropriate warnings will be made by the Graduate Program Director and the Department Director. If the situation is not corrected in a timely fashion, the student may be dismissed and/or lose funding. All Incompletes must be removed from a student’s transcript before she/he may petition for admission into the Ph.D. program.

Qualified MAT candidates may apply for admission into the MA-Ph.D. program. In such cases, an evaluation of the candidate’s academic record and potential is made by the Graduate Studies Committee. If admission as a MA-Ph.D. candidate is recommended, all doctoral requirements must then be completed. Whether or not they wish to obtain a Master’s degree, all MAT students who are approved to continue for the Ph.D. program must meet all of the corresponding MA course requirements, if they have not done so already.

Independent Study courses for the MA and MAT programs can be counted towards the respective degree. All requests for Independent Study courses must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee for approval. A descriptive proposal and the consent of the professor must be included in the petition presented to the GSC by the end of the pre-registration period. (A change of level in an existing course does not constitute an Independent Study.) When registering for an approved Independent Study the student and the professor must be sure to supply a brief title of the course.

In exceptional circumstances, variances to the program may be requested with the approval of the student’s advisor and the Graduate Program Director. who must refer the petition to the Graduate Studies Committee.

These guideline are intended to supplement the applicable regulations of the Graduate School with which the student should be familiar. Copies of the Graduate School Bulletin, The Graduate School handbook, the Typing Guidelines for Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations and other publications can be obtained at the Graduate School.

These guidelines will apply to all MAT students entering the graduate program in the fall of 2004 and thereafter. Students who entered the program before this date may follow these guidelines if they wish.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics

Requirements

Twenty-four course credits beyond the thirty credits required for the M.A., plus twelve dissertation credits. A minimum of fifteen course credits must be taken in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. All courses taken inside and outside the Department of Spanish and Portuguese require prior approval of the Graduate Program Director or the student’s advisor.

NOTE: All 12 dissertation credits must be taken before a student leaves the university, while their tuition waiver is in effect. If a student fails to take these credits while in residence, s/he must pay full tuition.

Reading knowledge of an additional foreign language related to the student's professional needs. These languages should be selected in consultation with the student's advisor and/or the Graduate Program Director. This requirement, which should be completed as early as possible in the student's career, may be fulfilled in one of the following ways:

-By examination either given by the department that offers the language or by a qualified faculty member.

-By earning a minimum grade of B in an advanced level undergraduate/
graduate course given in the language, within the preceding 3 years.

-Students whose field of concentration is Spanish may fulfill the foreign language requirement by passing the intensive course in Portuguese (Portuguese for Graduate Students in Spanish) for graduate students with a minimum grade of B.

-Students whose field of concentration is Portuguese may use Spanish to fulfill the foreign language requirement in ways comparable to those stated above.

Course of Study: Requirements (minimum of 24 Course credits & 12 dissertation credits)

Field of Specialization: Hispanic Literatures and Cultures

Major area: (9 credits) Three graduate courses in one of the following areas:
a. Medieval/Golden Age Spanish Literature and Culture
b. Modern Spanish Literature and Culture
c. Spanish American Literature and Culture from the Encounter to 1820
d. Spanish American Literature and Culture from 1820 to the Present
e. U.S. Latino/a Literature and Culture
f. Medieval and Renaissance Portuguese Literature and Culture
g. Modern Portuguese Literature & Culture/Portuguese Immigrant Literature and Culture
h. Early Brazilian Literature and Culture
i. Contemporary Brazilian Literature and Culture
j. Lusophone African Literature and Culture
k. A genre (prose fiction, poetry, theater, non-fiction prose), covering all areas of Spanish and Spanish American or Lusophone Literatures and Cultures
l. Hispanic Women’s Literature and Culture covering all areas of Spanish and Spanish American or Lusophone Literatures and Cultures

Minor area: (6 credits) Two graduate courses different from the major in one of the following areas:
a. One of the areas from 1 to j above.
b. A genre (prose fiction, poetry, theater, non-fiction prose), covering at least three areas of Spanish American or Lusophone Literatures and Cultures, excluding the major area.
c. Hispanic Women’s Literature and Culture, covering four Areas of Spanish and Spanish American or Lusophone Literatures and Cultures, one of which must be the area of the major.
d. Literary Theory.
e. Syntax
f. History of the Language/Dialectology/Bilingualism.
g. Applied Linguistic/Methodology/Second Language Acquisition.
h. Any other area of Hispanic Linguistics (such as Semantics, History of Hispanic Linguistics, Phonetics/Phonology).
i. A special topic, which could be of an interdisciplinary Nature, subject to the approval of the departments involved, the Spanish and Portuguese Graduate Program Director and the student’s advisor.

Electives: (9 credits) 3 graduate courses. These courses may be taken outside of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

At least two (6 credits) of the eight courses required for the Ph.D. must be 700 level seminars, including one in the major field.

Field of Specialization: Hispanic Linguistics

Major areas: (12 credits) Four graduate courses: two courses in two of the following fields of specialization:
a. Syntax.
b. History of the Language/Dialectology/Bilingualism.
c. Applied Linguistics/Methodology/Second Language
Acquisition.
d. Any other area of Hispanic Linguistics (such as Semantics, History of Hispanic Linguistics, Phonetics/Phonology)

One course in each area may be taken outside the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, provided the language subject of research is, for the most part, a Hispanic language.

Minor area: Two graduate courses in one of the following areas other than the two fields of specialization.
a. One of the areas from a to d above
b. Medieval Spanish /Golden Age Spanish Literature and Culture.
c. Modern Spanish Literature and Culture
d. Spanish American Literature and Culture from the Encounter to 1820.
e. Spanish American Literature and Culture from 1820 to the Present
f. U.S. Latino/a Literature and Culture
g. Medieval and Renaissance Portuguese Literature and Culture
h. Modern Portuguese Literature and Culture/Portuguese Immigrant Literature and Culture
i Early Brazilian Literature and Culture
j. Contemporary Brazilian Literature and Culture
k. Lusophone African Literature and Culture
l. A genre (prose fiction, poetry, theater, non-fiction prose), covering at least three areas of Spanish and Spanish American or Lusophone Literatures and Cultures.
m. Hispanic Women’s Literature, covering four areas of Spanish and Spanish American or Lusophone Literatures and Cultures.
n. Literary Theory.
o. A special topic, which could be of an interdisciplinary nature, subject to the approval of the departments involved, the Spanish and Portuguese Graduate Program Director and the student's advisor.

One course may be taken outside the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, provided the language subject of research is, for the most part, a Hispanic language. The instructor of the course must send a memo to the GPD attesting to this fact before credit is granted.

Electives: 6 credits Two graduate courses. These courses may be taken outside of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

At least two (6 credits) of the eight courses required for the Ph.D. must be 700 level seminars, including one in the major field.

Advising: Each entering Ph.D. student will be advised by the Graduate Program Director during the first semester in the program. By the second semester, the Ph.D. student must choose an advisor in his/her major area or one will be assigned by the GSC based by the Graduate Studies Committee on the student’s area of specialization. The student may change his/her advisor when appropriate and in consultation with the Graduate Program Director.

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Comprehensive Examinations

Pre-requisites for Examination: Completion of all requirements for the degree, except currently enrolled courses. All incompletes must be cleared prior to the administration of the examination. Course work and the reading list prepared for the area of specialization will serve as the basis for the examination. The student will discuss the reading list with all examination committee members, who will make sure that it is appropriate, bearing in mind that the student is expected to show some familiarity with secondary, as well as primary, sources in the examination.

Committee: The student’s advisor will serve as chair of the examining committee. The dissertation committee is not necessarily made up of the same members as the examining committee. The examination committee will consist of three permanent members: the advisor plus two other members of the graduate faculty, one of whom will be a specialist in the student's minor. This specialist, who should be chosen early, will advise the student about all matters pertaining to the minor (selection of courses, preparation of reading list, etc.). The committee members will be chosen by the student and will be appointed by the Graduate Program Director. Changes in committees already appointed may be effected with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Major Examination (written and oral components)

Written Exam: The student will have a choice of written examinations: 1) An eight-hour closed book examination to be taken on two consecutive days. Each session will be timed for four hours. (If a student chooses the short examination option, s/he may choose to write his/her examination in either English, Portuguese or Spanish with the approval of his/her examining committee.) OR 2) An open-book examination in which the student has five calendar days from the time s/he picks up the examination questions to the time s/he returns the completed examination. NOTE: If a student chooses the short examination option, s/he may choose to write his/her examination in either English, Portuguese or Spanish with the approval of his/her examining committee. The long examination must be taken in the target language of the major (i.e. Spanish or Portuguese). ALSO NOTE: Students choosing to write the examination on a computer are responsible for saving and backing up what they have written, so as to avoid problems meeting the deadlines for submitting the examination.

Oral Exam: A two-hour oral examination, including a presentation of a paper prepared in advance, with notes or other resources as the candidate chooses. The paper, which must deal with a topic in the student's major field of specialization, is to be entirely the work of the student; only the subject or title having been approved by the major advisor. The paper may not be a version of a paper presented earlier in a course. It is to be no longer than 20 minutes, so that there is enough time for the remainder of the oral examination. This consists of questions on the paper, questions on the written examination, and other questions in the major area.

Students may choose to have their Ph.D. oral examinations totally open, totally closed, or semi-open. The latter means that any graduate student in the department may come to the oral presentation and then leave prior to the question period. If "closed" is chosen, only members of the department's faculty may attend and participate. (If "open" is chosen, any graduate student or faculty member in the department may attend and participate.) Only the committee members may participate in the evaluation of the examination. The student is to indicate to the graduate secretary which option s/he prefers as part of the notice of intent to be examined. The oral presentation may be done in the language of the student's choice (i.e. English, Spanish or Portuguese) with the committee’s approval. The oral presentation normally will be within ten calendar days of the written examination by agreement with the student’s examining committee and the Graduate Program Director.

The written and oral examinations will not be evaluated as separate parts, but as a whole.

At least two members of the examining committee should be specialists in the major area. A fourth committee member may be added to the three permanent members of the committee when necessary to accomplish this goal.

Minor Examination

The student will have a choice of examinations: An eight-hour closed book written examination to be taken in two consecutive days. Each session will be timed for four hours. OR An open-book examination in which the student has five calendar days from the time s/he picks up the examination questions to the time s/he returns the completed examination. NOTE: If a student chooses the short examination option, s/he may choose to write his/her examination in either English, Portuguese or Spanish with the approval of his/her examining committee. If a student chooses the long option, the examination must be taken in the target language of the major (i.e. Spanish or Portuguese). This means that a student majoring in Portuguese, but minoring in Spanish may take the long Minor exam in Portuguese or Spanish. Conversely, a Spanish major with a minor in Portuguese may take the long Minor exam in either Spanish or Portuguese. ALSO NOTE: Students choosing to write the examination on a computer are responsible for saving and backing up what they have written, so as to avoid problems meeting the deadlines for submitting the examination.

Administration of Examinations: All requirements for the major and/or the minor must be finished before a student is allowed to take the examination for the major and/or the minor. All incompletes must be cleared prior to the administration of the examinations. Course work and the reading lists prepared for the major and minor areas will serve as the basis for the examinations. The student will discuss each reading list with all examination committee members, who will make sure that it is appropriate, bearing in mind that the student is expected to show great familiarity with secondary, as well as primary sources in the examination.

Scheduling of Examinations: The examinations will be given at the
convenience of the student, the examining committee and the Graduate Program Director. Requests for examinations must be made in writing to the Graduate Program Director at least one month prior to the date being set. Summer examinations are discouraged and, in any case, must be requested by April 1. NOTE: Examination questions may be sent to a student via e-mail, or fax, but must be sent by the Office of the Graduate Program Director.

Evaluation of Examinations: Evaluation of examinations is by a majority vote of the examining committee members. Candidates
will be notified in writing by the Graduate Program Director of their success or failure within two weeks of the examinations. The comprehensive examinations are graded Pass with Honors, Pass, Pass with Reservations, or Fail. The chair of each examining committee will also provide the student with a written evaluation of his/her exam upon written request by the student. In the case of failure the comprehensive examinations may be re-taken only once, normally within one year, during which time the student must maintain course enrollment or pay the Program Fee each semester, as required by the Graduate School.

Dissertation

Credits: In addition to the twenty-four course credits, twelve dissertation credits (Hispan 899) must be taken prior to defending the dissertation.

Committee: The student is expected to choose the members of his/her dissertation committee in consultation with his/her advisor. The Graduate Program Director, in consultation with the chairperson, will then recommend a dissertation committee to the Graduate Dean, who will make the appointment. The dissertation committee will consist of at least three members of the university's graduate faculty, two from the department--one of them the dissertation director--and one from outside the discipline of the student. The dissertation committee is not necessarily made up of the same members as the examining committee. Once appointed, changes in the dissertation committee may be effected only with the authorization of the Graduate Dean. NOTE: All members of a dissertation committee must be physically present for the dissertation defense.

Prospectus/Proposal/Outline:
A prospectus should be submitted to the student’s dissertation committee preferably within six months, but no later than one year after completing the comprehensive examinations.
A discussion of the prospectus will be held with all the members of the student’s dissertation committee, but any member of the departmental faculty can attend. This can be open or closed, as with major examinations or dissertation defenses.

Dissertation defense: If "closed" is chosen, only members of the department's faculty and the university's graduate faculty may attend and participate. If "open" is chosen, any graduate student or faculty member in the university may attend and participate. Only the committee members may participate in the evaluation of the dissertation. The student is to indicate the open or closed decision as part of the notice of intent to defend the dissertation. (FOR MORE DETAILS CONSULT UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS)

Additional Guidelines

Credit for "Incompletes" can be obtained only by finishing the work of the course before the end of one calendar year from the time of enrollment in that course. The department strongly discourages the practice of requesting and granting "Incompletes." Graduate faculty should check students' transcripts before granting incompletes. Advisors should keep track of their advisees' progress and intervene promptly when problems develop. Once a year, the Graduate Studies Committee will review the cases of all students with incompletes. Appropriate warnings will be made by the Graduate Program Director and the Department Chair. If the situation is not corrected in a timely fashion, the student may be dismissed and/or lose funding. Whether or not they have a Master's degree or wish to obtain one, all Ph.D. students must meet all of the departmental M.A. course requirements, if they have not done so already before taking any comprehensive exams.

As noted in the Graduate School Bulletin, a minimum of one academic year as a full-time graduate student in residence at the University is required. The residence year must consist of two consecutive semesters, either a fall-spring or a spring-fall sequence. In order to qualify for full-time status, a student must be enrolled for nine or more credits per semester, either in regular graduate courses or for Doctoral Dissertation credits (Hispan 899) or in some combination of residence a student must be physically present on the campus for some part of each week during the semester, although the student need not reside or be domiciled in the Amherst area.

Deadlines: a) The foreign language requirement should be fulfilled by the sixth semester. b) The comprehensive examinations should be completed by the eighth semester. c) The prospectus should be submitted to the student’s dissertation committee preferably within six months, but no later than one year after completing the comprehensive examinations.

Students' progress towards the degree will be assessed yearly by the Graduate Studies Committee.

No more than two Independent Study courses at the Ph.D. level can be counted towards the degree. The Graduate Studies Committee must approve any Independent Study course. A descriptive proposal and the consent of the professor must be included in the petition presented to the GSC by the end of the pre-registration period. Students who have incompletes will not be allowed to take Independent Studies.

In exceptional circumstances, variances to the program may be effected with the approval of the student's advisor and the Graduate Program Director, who must refer the petition to the Graduate Studies Committee.

These guidelines are intended to supplement the applicable regulations of the Graduate School with which the student should be familiar. Copies of the Graduate School Bulletin, the Graduate School Handbook, the Typing Guidelines for Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertation and other publications can be obtained at the Graduate School.

These guidelines will apply to all Ph.D. students entering the graduate Program in the Fall of 2002 and thereafter. Students who entered the program before this date may follow these guidelines if they wish.

FINAL NOTE: Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with The Graduate Student Handbook for University guidelines.

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Spanish and Portuguese, Deparment of Languages, Literatures and Cultures

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Graduate Program Inquiries

Graduate Programs in Hispanic Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics

Mission Statement

Master of Arts

Requirements

Fields of Concentration:

Hispanic Literatures & Cultures and The Portuguese-Speaking World

Hispanic Linguistics

Comprehensive Examinations

Master of Arts in Teaching

Requirements

Pre-Practicum and Practicum (field experience)

General Administrative Issues

Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics

Requirements

Course of Study: Requirements (minimum of 24 Course credits & 12 dissertation credits)

Field of Specialization: Hispanic Literatures and Cultures

Field of Specialization: Hispanic Linguistics

Comprehensive Examinations

Major Examination (written and oral components)

Minor Examination

Dissertation

Additional Guidelines