Students may enter the doctoral program with or without having previously earned an MA degree in Hispanic Literature, Cultures, and Linguistics, or a related field. There are additional program requirements for students not holding an MA. In order to complete these requirements, non-M.A. holding students are provided with an additional year of funding.
Requirements
I. Five-year PhD (for students who enter the doctoral program without an MA degree)
Coursework: Students need to complete 45 course credits (15 courses of three credits). At least 33 credits (11 courses) must be taken in the Spanish and Portuguese program. Students need advisor approval for any courses taken inside or outside the Spanish and Portuguese program. Each track has specific coursework requirements, for more details on each of the tracks, see here.
Dissertation credits: After students complete their coursework, or as they are about to complete it, they must enroll in 12 dissertation credits. These credits must be taken before a student leaves the university, while the tuition waiver is in effect. A student who fails to enroll in dissertation credits while in residence will be responsible for paying full tuition in order to complete them.
Residency: Students must spend a minimum of one academic year as full-time graduate students in residence. The residence year must consist of two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate work in a fall-spring or spring-fall sequence. During this year, students must spend some part of each week physically on campus, not necessarily live in the Amherst area. In order to qualify for full-time status, students must enroll in nine or more credits per semester, either in regular graduate courses, dissertation credits, or a combination of both.
Foreign languages: Students will demonstrate or develop reading knowledge of two foreign languages related to their academic needs. These languages should be selected in consultation with the advisor and/or the Graduate Program Director (GPD). This requirement should be completed as early as possible in the student's career. The student must inform the GPD as soon as the requirement is fulfilled. It may be fulfilled in one of the following ways:
By earning a minimum grade of B in a 240-level or above course at UMass within the preceding five years.
By examinations given either by the departmental units that offer those languages or by qualified faculty members.
The GPD will grant waivers to students with formal language training, such as an undergraduate major or minor, or appropriate coursework taken outside UMass in the preceding five years. Unusual cases will be referred to the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC).
For students concentrating in Spanish, by obtaining a grade of C or better in the intensive courses in Portuguese or Catalan for graduate students offered in the program.
Candidacy exam: Students must pass a two-part candidacy exam:
Part 1: after completing 30 course credits, students will take an exam or will present a thesis. See regulations here.
Part 2: after completing all 45 course credits and the first part of the candidacy exam, students will take the second part of the exam. See regulations here.
Dissertation proposal: Once the candidacy exams are successfully completed, students will present a dissertation proposal.
Dissertation: After presenting the proposal and completing 12 dissertation credits, students will write and defend their dissertation. See regulations here.
II. Four-year PhD (for students who enter the doctoral program with an MA degree)
Coursework: Students need to complete 24 course credits (8 courses of three credits). At least 18 credits (six courses) must be taken in the Spanish and Portuguese program. Students need advisor approval for any courses taken inside or outside the Spanish and Portuguese program. Each track has specific coursework requirements, for more details on each of the tracks, see here.
Dissertation credits: After students complete their coursework, or as they are about to complete it, they must enroll in 12 dissertation credits. These credits must be taken before a student leaves the university, while the tuition waiver is in effect. A student who fails to enroll in dissertation credits while in residence will be responsible for paying full tuition in order to complete them.
Residency: Students must spend a minimum of one academic year as full-time graduate students in residence. The residence year must consist of two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate work in a fall-spring or spring-fall sequence. During this year, the student must spend some part of each week physically on campus, not necessarily live in the Amherst area. In order to qualify for full-time status, students must enroll in nine or more credits per semester, either in regular graduate courses, dissertation credits, or a combination of both.
Foreign languages: Students will demonstrate or develop reading knowledge of two foreign languages related to their academic needs. These languages should be selected in consultation with the advisor and/or the Graduate Program Director (GPD). This requirement should be completed as early as possible in the student's career. The student must inform the GPD as soon as the requirement is fulfilled. It may be fulfilled in one of the following ways:
By earning a minimum grade of B in a 240-level or above course at UMass within the preceding five years.
By examinations given either by the departmental units that offer those languages or by qualified faculty members.
The GPD will grant waivers to students with formal language training, such as an undergraduate major or minor or appropriate coursework taken outside UMass in the preceding five years. Unusual cases will be referred to the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC).
For students concentrating in Spanish, by obtaining a grade of C or better in the intensive courses in Portuguese or Catalan for graduate students offered in the program.
Candidacy exam: after completing 24 course credits, students will take a doctoral comprehensive exam. See regulations here.
Dissertation proposal: Once the candidacy exams are successfully completed, students will present a dissertation proposal.
Dissertation: After presenting the proposal, and completing 12 dissertation credits, students will write and defend their dissertation. See regulations here.
Progress towards degree completion
The student’s progress towards the degree is assessed yearly by the Graduate Studies Committee.
I. For students entering the program without an MA
- The first foreign language requirement should be fulfilled by the fourth semester.
- The second foreign language requirement should be fulfilled by the eighth semester.
- The first 30 course credits should be completed by the fourth semester.
- The first part of the candidacy exam should be completed by the fourth semester.
- All 45 course credits should be completed by the sixth semester.
- The second part of the candidacy exam should be completed by the seventh semester.
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|
1st year |
2nd year |
3rd year |
4th year |
5th year |
|
Fall |
3 courses |
3 courses |
3 courses |
diss. prospectus |
|
|
Spring |
3 courses |
-1 course -1st part of candidacy exam -1st language requirement |
-2 courses -2nd part of candidacy exam
|
-2nd language -requirement |
diss. defense |
II. For students entering the program with an MA
- The foreign language requirements should be fulfilled by the sixth semester.
- All 24 course credits should be completed by the third semester.
- The candidacy exam should be completed by the fourth semester.
|
|
1st year |
2nd year |
3rd year |
4th year |
|
Fall |
3 courses |
2 courses |
diss. prospectus |
|
|
Spring |
3 courses |
candidacy exam |
lang. requirement |
diss. defense |
Concentrations and advising
- Advising: In their first semester, the Graduate Program Director (GPD) assigns students an advisor within their general area of concentration (Hispanic linguistics, Latin American and Latina/o literatures and cultures, Iberian literature and cultures, or Lusophone literatures and linguistics). By the second semester, students must choose an advisor in their area of specialization. In consultation with the GPD, students may change their advisor when appropriate.
- Double Concentration Option: Students may request a double concentration, individually designed, in the literature and Cultures of both the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds. The request must be submitted for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee in consultation with the student's advisor.
Coursework Requirements
|
Five-year PhD (45 cr) |
|
|
30 cr |
|
|
1. Language Pedagogy in SpanPort (3 cr) |
|
|
Literatures and Cultures |
Linguistics |
|
2. Literary Theory in SpanPort (3 cr) |
2. SpanPort Courses in Ling. (21 cr) |
|
3. SpanPort Courses in Lits. and Cults. (18 cr) |
3. Electives (6 cr) |
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4. Electives (6 cr) |
|
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15 cr |
|
|
1. SpanPort Courses (9 cr) |
|
|
2. Electives (6 cr) |
Four-year PhD (24 cr)
|
1. Language Pedagogy in SpanPort (3 cr) |
|
|
Literatures and Cultures |
Linguistics |
|
2. Literary Theory in SpanPort (3 cr) |
2. SpanPort Courses in Ling. (15 cr) |
|
3. SpanPort Courses in Lits. and Cults. (12 cr) |
3. Electives (6 cr) |
|
4. Electives (6 cr) |
|
Notes
- Major and minor fields need to be defined in consultation with the advisor.
- Electives may be taken inside or outside of SpanPort.
- Electives may include a maximum of one Independent Study (IS) within SpanPort per course of studies. This IS needs to be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.