Applicable only to students admitted during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Spanish and Portuguese

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Hispanic Languages and Literatures. The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Portuguese is offered en route after completion of eleven graduate courses and a capstone or thesis plan, and demonstrated proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese, by the end of the sixth quarter of the Ph.D. program

Portuguese

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

During the first and second years of doctoral study, students in the Ph.D. program are advised by the Director of Graduate Studies. During this first stage of the graduate program, the student’s choice of concentration is provisional. The Director of Graduate Studies assists students in developing a study program and conducts a regular review of the student’s progress.

Areas of Study

There are two major areas/tracks of study within the department: 1) Afro-Luso Brazilian Literature, Creative Writing and Visual Culture; and 2) Spanish and Portuguese Linguistics.

Foreign Language Requirement

All candidates are required to demonstrate competence in a language other than English or Portuguese during the first and second years of the program. The requirement may be fulfilled by (1) passing a university reading examination in the language; or (2) passing a university course of at least level 3, or (3) successfully completing two upper division literature courses in the foreign language. Students must fulfill the requirement no later than the sixth quarter of the program.

Course Requirements

Eleven graduate courses (44 units) are required for the M.A. degree, plus the Proseminar 1 (2 units) and Spanish 495. In the first year of the program, students take Proseminar I and regularly scheduled graduate courses (200-series). In the second year, students take Spanish 495 and may take a combination of regularly scheduled graduate courses and directed research (596) courses. Courses 597 and 598 (preparation for graduate examinations) do not count toward the degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The comprehensive examination in literature consists of submission of two revised papers written for seminars taken during the first five quarters and an oral examination on course work and seminar papers completed while in graduate study. With the assistance of the SAO and the Director of Graduate Studies, by the end of the 4th quarter of the program, students must demonstrate that they are on track to complete their course work and the language requirement for this first stage of the program. Additionally, by the end of the 4th quarter, students must nominate a review committee of three faculty members from the department: the Director of Graduate Studies, the faculty member who will serve as the student’s adviser, and a third faculty member. These requirements must be completed by the 5th quarter of the program for a student to maintain satisfactory degree progress.

In consultation with the review committee, students must revise and submit two of their strongest seminar papers, 20-25 pages each, in different areas of study of the Ph.D. Program. For the literature students, one paper must be written in English and one must be in Portuguese. Students must submit the papers to the review committee during the 6th quarter of the program and at least two weeks in advance of the oral exam.

The oral exam is two hours in length and consists of a review of the papers submitted and questions addressed to the student. Questions are aimed at reviewing and synthesizing what the student has learned in the graduate seminars, focusing on methodology and research questions, as expressed in their papers.

The outcome and recommendation of the comprehensive exams is made by the review committee as follows: (1) Pass with permission to continue to the Ph.D., (2) Pass with reservations and specific recommendations for improvement, or (3) Fail without permission to continue to the Ph.D. phase of the program.

The comprehensive examinations are administered only in spring quarter (6th quarter). Students holding an M.A. degree may petition for up to six graduate courses completed at another institution to count toward their Ph.D. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

In lieu of taking the comprehensive examination, students may seek permission to present a thesis for the M.A. degree. Students must first complete five graduate courses. In order to endorse the petition, the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Committee of Graduate Affairs need to find evidence of exceptional ability and promise in term papers and course work.

Students are awarded the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree upon successful completion of the examination or Thesis Plan.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students (three courses per quarter) should complete the course work and the comprehensive examination within six quarters of admission. Students who are not appointed as teaching assistants are expected to complete eight courses for each three-quarter period; students appointed as teaching assistants are expected to complete at least six courses for each three-quarter period.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	6

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.