Our Masters of Arts degree in Hispanic Studies allows students to begin their careers as Hispanists in many areas: teaching, translation and interpretation, diplomacy, foreign service, social work, journalism, editing, international business and more. This degree program allows students to explore their own academic interests, while at the same time providing them with a solid foundation in the literature and culture of the Hispanic world.

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies can be completed through a coursework or a master's paper or thesis option. The coursework option requires 30 credit hours of courses and a two-part comprehensive examination based on coursework and the Graduate Reading List. The second option requires the completion of 27 credit hours of courses, composition of a master's essay (or research-length article), and oral defense. The third option requires 27 credit hours of courses and completion of a master's thesis and oral defense. The master's essay and thesis option can only be taken with approval of the Graduate Program Director and the Graduate Committee.

Additionally, candidates for the MA degree fulfill the Research Tool Requirement of the Graduate School by showing competency in a language other than English or Spanish. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking a translation exam in the Graduate School, or by taking a language course at Loyola or elsewhere and earning a grade of B or higher.

Required Coursework

Coursework for credit toward the MA in Hispanic Studies consists of graduate seminars in Spanish. With the permission of the Graduate Program Director, graduate students may take up to two graduate seminars in other academic departments of Loyola University, and up to two independent study courses.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Ten (10) SPAN Courses		30
Students completing a Master's Essay or Master's Thesis choose only nine (9) courses.
Students choose from the following based on offerings available:
SPAN 402	Methods of Teaching Spanish
SPAN 403	Structure of Modern Spanish
SPAN 405	Critical Methods
SPAN 410	General Linguistics & Romance Languages
SPAN 415	Medieval Spanish Literature
SPAN 416	Golden Age of Spanish Literature
SPAN 419	Romanticism in Spanish Literature
SPAN 420	Realism & Naturalism
SPAN 421	Theatre of Twentieth Century
SPAN 426	Theater of The Golden Age
SPAN 431	Poetry of The 20th Century
SPAN 436	Poetry of The Golden Age
SPAN 437	Golden Age-Spanish Mysticism
SPAN 441	Prose of The 20th Century
SPAN 446	Prose of The Golden Age
SPAN 447	Don Quijote
SPAN 470	Hispanic-American Poetry
SPAN 480	Hispanic-American Novel
SPAN 487	La Novela De La Revolucion Mexico
SPAN 489	Cuento Hispano-Americano
SPAN 490	Hispanic Culture & Civilization
Total Hours		30

Responsible Conduct of Research

All PhD students and students in thesis-based Master's degree programs must successfully complete UNIV 370 Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship or other approved coursework in responsible conduct of research as part of the degree requirements. It is strongly recommended that students complete this two-day training before beginning the dissertation/thesis stage of the program.

Independent Studies / Directed Readings

Occasionally the department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers independent studies at the graduate level SPAN 500 Directed Readings. When applicable, students may take up to one or two of these courses for credit towards the MA in Hispanic Studies. Normally, independent studies in other LUC departments or academic programs do not apply.

Internships

On occasion, the graduate program also offers academic credit towards the MA in Hispanic Studies in the form of an internship (SPAN 499 Graduate Internship). Please see the program director for more details.

Master's Paper or Thesis

Students who choose to write a master's paper or thesis are enrolled in SPAN 595 Thesis Supervision or SPAN 605 Master's Study to maintain standing in the Graduate School while conducting research and writing.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

• demonstrate familiarity with works of Latin American and Peninsular literature
• demonstrate familiarity with the general characteristics of several traditions and trends within the literary contexts of Latin America and Spain
• use the Spanish vocabulary necessary for discussing literature critically
• understand broad historical events, cultural currents, and current academic trends as they are represented in Latin American and Peninsular literature
• read, write, and speak Spanish fluently
• demonstrate the ability to do independent, scholarly research by integrating, comparing, and evaluating ideas and materials from various sources, both literary and critical
• develop and sustain a coherent argument in both oral and written Spanish
• know how to foster a collegial, collaborative learning environment that encourages self-expression
• comprehend the social and historical function and significance of literature, culture, and art in Spain and Latin America, and more broadly
• understand and incorporate the national standards for the teaching of foreign languages into the teaching of Spanish at various levels
• understand from a task-based perspective the theoretical and practical issues of communicative language teaching for all skill areas
• demonstrate competence in a language other than English or Spanish, for the purpose of research