Introduction

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers a wide range of of programs in language study to meet the varying needs of today's students. The ability to communicate effectively is essential for success-oriented graduates, and acquiring the competence to communicate in alanguage other than English can often provide a competitive edge in today's global economy.

Communicating effectively in a second language is more than the acquisition of language skills. Students also gain insight into another culture which often provides ivaluable perspectives and greater sense of appreciation for alternate ways of life and thought. The department views language, culture and literature as integrally related facets of communication that help us better understand ourselves and others in the rapidly changing world we live in.

The Master of Arts in Spanish is a practical program for our graduates. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the U.S., and the need for bilingual professionals will continue to grow in today’s interactive world.

Flexibility: The program offers course to fit the needs of both full and part-time students. Classes meet in the afternoon and early evening to accommodate student work schedules.

Outstanding Faculty: Our nationally and internationally known faculty members are experienced educators, holding advanced degrees from prestigious universities in the United States and abroad.They are also active in research and publications, but their main focus is teaching.

Career Opportunities

Our master’s program is designed to develop the teacher-scholar and to prepare those who plan to pursue more advanced studies in the field or to use the language in their profession. In addition to providing advanced studies for teachers at the high school and community college level, it also helps prepare students who plan careers in fields such as international relations, international business or foreign service.

Advisement

The department graduate adviser provides academic and career advisement. Advisement takes place during the adviser’s office hours. All students must meet with the adviser within the first semester of graduate coursework to develop the study plan. No more than nine (9) units may be counted toward the Master’s degree before developing an approved study plan and applying for candidacy.

Graduate Adviser

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to begin work in the department’s graduate program must first apply for and declare their objective as Master of Arts in Spanish. Applications may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records at any California State University campus. An electronic version of the CSU application is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.csumentor.edu/AdmissionApp/

To qualify for admission to conditionally classified standing, applicants must meet the following university and departmental requirements:

a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
minimum GPA of at least 2.5 in the last 60 semester units attempted;
good standing at the last college attended;
a major in Spanish consisting of 33 units (or equivalent) of upper-division studies with a minimum GPA of 3.0;
Modern Language (MLNG) 301 or equivalent with a grade of "C" or better.

A candidate presenting a Bachelor of Arts which has fewer than 24 units of upper-division coursework in the language, or whose background is otherwise lacking, will be required to take additional courses to build a full undergraduate major before beginning the graduate program.

Satisfactory evaluation of language proficiency by committee is also required.

Adaptations of certain admission requirements may be made for promising foreign students. Please consult the university catalog for more details regarding graduate admission.

Classified Graduate Standing
Standing A student who meets the requirements for conditionally classified graduate standing is eligible for classified graduate standing upon the development of an approved study plan, which should be done in consultation with the graduate adviser prior to the completion of nine (9) graduate units.

Some graduate students, especially those without an undergraduate degree in Spanish, may need to take additional prerequisite courses. Prerequisite courses must be completed in order to attain classified standing and cannot be applied toward the graduate study plan.

Study Plan

The study plan consists of 30 units of graduate study (at least 18 in 500-level courses), distributed as follows:

Required Core Courses (6 units)
Spanish 500 Graduate Seminar: Advanced Structure and Style (3)
Spanish 530 Graduate Seminar: Historical Linguistics (3)

Graduate Seminars in Literature (12 units)
Peninsular Literature (6 units required):
Spanish 556 Grad Seminar: Spanish Poetry (3)
Spanish 571 Grad Seminar: Spanish Prose and Narrative Fiction (3)
Spanish 575 Grad Seminar: Spanish Drama (3)
Spanish-American Literature (6 units required):
Spanish 557 Grad Seminar: Spanish-American Poetry (3)
Spanish 567 Grad Seminar: Spanish-American Novel (3)
Spanish 576T Grad Seminar: Hispanic Topics (3)

Other Electives (12 units)
May be chosen from either 400- or 500-level courses (up to 6 of the 12 units may be taken in a related field with the approval of the adviser):
Spanish 415 Contemporary Spanish Culture (3)
Spanish 416 Contemporary Spanish American Culture (3)
Spanish 430 Spanish Literature to Neoclassicism (3)
Spanish 440 Spanish-American Literature to Modernismo (3)
Spanish 441 Spanish-American Literature Since Modernismo (3)
Spanish 461 Spanish Literature Since Neoclassicism (3)
Spanish 466 Spanish Phonology and Dialectology (3)
Spanish 467 Spanish Morphology and Syntax (3)
Spanish 468 Spanish-English Bilingualism and Language Contact (3)
Spanish 475T Senior Seminar: Topics in Spanish Peninsular Literature (3)
Spanish 485T Senior Seminar: Topics in Spanish American Literature (3)
Spanish 556 Graduate Seminar: Spanish Poetry (3)
Spanish 557 Graduate Seminar: Spanish American Poetry (3)
Spanish 567 Graduate Seminar: Spanish American Novel (3)
Spanish 571 Graduate Seminar: Spanish Prose and Narrative Fiction (3)
Spanish 575 Graduate Seminar: Spanish Drama (3)
Spanish 576T Graduate Seminar: Hispanic Topics (3)
Spanish 598 Thesis (3-6)
Spanish 599 Independent Graduate Research (1-3)

Comprehensive Exams
All students are required to complete a reading list. Upon completion of all requirements, a final evaluation by a comprehensive written and oral examination must be taken to demonstrate mastery of the fields. The examination consists of three separate tests: Linguistics, Peninsular Literature, and Spanish-American Literature. A student who passes two of the three sections and receives a C on the section not passed may take only the section not passed during the next semester, and may retake this section only once in order to successfully pass the exam. A student who fails to pass two or all three sections or who receives lower than a C on any section must retake all three sections during the next semester, and may retake the exam only once, in order to successfully pass the exam.