Hispanic Studies (MA)
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.
The Hispanic Studies (MA) also offers an Accelerated Master's Pathway for Undergraduate students to complete their Graduate studies in a fifth year. Further details of the AMP, including the suggested sequence of courses, can be found under the Curriculum tab.
Related Programs
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 similarly requires the completion of 30 credit hours of courses, as well as the composition of a master's essay (or research-length article), and oral defense. The third option again requires 30 credit hours of courses and completion of a master's thesis and oral defense. The essay and thesis option can only be taken with previous 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.
Besides the traditional Master's program, the Hispanic Studies (MA) is also offered as an Accelerated Master's Pathway where exceptional students can complete the program in a fifth year. A suggested sequence for the AMP can be found below.
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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ten (10) SPAN Courses | 30 | |
| All students take ten courses, including those taking exam or those completing the MA essay or the MA thesis | ||
| Students choose from the following based on offerings available: | ||
| Methods of Teaching Spanish | ||
| Structure of Modern Spanish | ||
| Critical Methods | ||
| General Linguistics & Romance Languages | ||
| Medieval Spanish Literature | ||
| Golden Age of Spanish Literature | ||
| Romanticism in Spanish Literature | ||
| Realism & Naturalism | ||
| Theatre of Twentieth Century | ||
| Theater of The Golden Age | ||
| Poetry of The 20th Century | ||
| Poetry of The Golden Age | ||
| Golden Age-Spanish Mysticism | ||
| Prose of The 20th Century | ||
| Prose of The Golden Age | ||
| Don Quijote | ||
| Hispanic-American Poetry | ||
| Hispanic-American Novel | ||
| La Novela De La Revolucion Mexico | ||
| Cuento Hispano-Americano | ||
| Hispanic Culture & Civilization | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
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.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
Traditional Master's Program
In order to provide optimal flexibility in the Master's program, there is no required course sequence. However, students should meet with their Graduate Program Director to choose courses that highlight their research interests. Students who choose to write a Thesis or Master's Paper must take SPAN 595 Thesis Supervision and/or SPAN 605 Master's Study.
Accelerated Master's Pathway
Students can take up to 12 credit hours in the senior year with admission to the AMP. These credits are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs. Since there is no required course sequence to provide optimal flexibility, students should meet with their Graduate Program Director to choose courses that highlight their research interests. Students who choose to write a Thesis or Master's Paper must take SPAN 595 Thesis Supervision and/or SPAN 605 Master's Study.
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.
Guidelines for Accelerated Master's Pathways
In Accelerated Master’s Pathways, students share limited, authorized credits between their Undergraduate and Graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Shared credits are Graduate level credit hours (400-level or higher) taken during the Undergraduate career and then applied both to the Undergraduate degree and towards Graduate program requirements.
Admission and Matriculation
Accelerated Master's Pathways are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s Undergraduates. Admission to these programs is competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the Graduate program. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the Master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree.
Students enrolled in an Accelerated Master's Pathway who choose not to continue to the Master’s degree program upon completion of the Bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.
Ideally, a student will apply for admission to an AMP program as they approach 90 credit hours in their Undergraduate career.
Students will not officially matriculate into the Master’s degree program and be labeled as a Graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the Undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the Graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their Graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
Advising and Registration
Students in their final Undergraduate year will work with Advising in the home School of their Bachelor's program(s), as well as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program. Any 400-level or higher courses that the student plans to enroll in should be reviewed by both advisors to ensure that these courses will complete requirements for both degrees.
Registration in Graduate level courses during the Undergraduate year may require assistance from the Graduate Program Director and/or the student’s current academic advisor to enroll.
Shared Credits
Only courses taken at the 400-level or higher will count toward the Graduate program. At the Undergraduate level, students are restricted to enrolling in and sharing up to the number of Graduate level credits explicitly indicated in the catalog for their selected AMP program.
In general, Graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Master's Pathway. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Master's Pathway is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Program Director, students may take one of their Graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.
Degree Requirements and Conferral
Undergraduate degree requirements are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Master’s Pathway. Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a Graduate program.
The program’s Graduate Program Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and Master’s degree conferral review process. Graduate credit hours taken during the Undergraduate career will not be included in the Graduate GPA calculation.
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate Program Director will review the relevant syllabus or syllabi to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400-level course or higher.
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer Graduate curriculum to Undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of Undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once matriculated in the Graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the Graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from Undergraduate to Graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Master’s Pathway, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s Graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their Graduate studies after earning the Undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional Master’s degree program. Any application of Graduate credit earned while in the Undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the Graduate degree granting school.
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