General Information

The Master of Arts in Spanish prepares students for a global economy, a multicultural community, and a changing workplace through the study of language, culture, linguistics, translation, interpretation, and Spanish in the workplace. The program will be immediately useful both to current teachers of Spanish and to professionals who seek to participate more actively in the global workplace or in local multi-ethnic communities. Core courses expose students to culture, linguistics, and translation/interpretation. Electives offer in-depth study of cultural topics as well as practical and pedagogical experience. Study abroad opportunities are available and may be supported by one of several departmental travel grants.

The MA in Spanish requires 30 hours of academic work in Spanish at the graduate level. The program may be completed in four semesters.

Admission Requirements and Procedure

Applications to the MA program in Spanish are considered throughout the academic year, with start dates in fall and spring. In line with Graduate School regulations, all application materials must be received at least 30 days before the intended start date. A prerequisite for admission is advanced proficiency in Spanish (speaking, aural comprehension, reading, and writing). Applicants who do not hold a BA in Spanish or the equivalent by the program start date may be required to take preparatory coursework to make up for any deficiencies. Upon approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, up to six hours of graduate-level coursework taken at another institution may be applied toward the degree.

To be submitted to the Graduate School:

• Graduate School application and application fee.
• Transcripts from all accredited institutions where undergraduate and/or graduate credit was earned. Minimum GPA required for undergraduate work: 3.0 on a four-point scale.
• Two letters of recommendation. Letters must be recent (written no more than a year prior to application date) and should attest to the applicant’s proficiency in Spanish and potential to do graduate work.
• GRE scores. Minimum required: a combined score of 900 on the GRE verbal and quantitative sections.
• TOEFL scores (for applicants for whom English is a second language). Minimum required: 550 on the TOEFL Examination (paper test) or at least 210 on the TOEFL Exam (computer test).

NOTE: The Director of Graduate Studies in Spanish may grant provisional admission to students who do not meet individual requirements.

To be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies in Spanish:

• A personal statement of 1-2 pages in Spanish discussing how the MA in Spanish relates to the applicant’s professional or personal goals.
• A sample of academic writing of at least five pages, preferably a paper written as part of the requirements for a university-level course. (May be in English or Spanish.)

Mail statement and writing sample directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in Spanish, Department of Classical and Modern Languages, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

The Department of Classical and Modern Languages offers a limited number of graduate teaching assistantships in Spanish. Applications are considered in the spring for start in the following academic year. Spanish MA applicants who wish to be considered must submit all GTA application materials by March 1st. (Details and application form are available at the Classical and Modern Languages webpage.)

NOTE: At least 18 credit hours must be taken at the 600-level (courses restricted to graduate students). As a culminating experience, all MA candidates are required to complete a Directed Research Project and present it in a public forum.

Accelerated BA/MA in Spanish

This program allows undergraduate Spanish majors at the University of Louisville to get a head start on the MA in Spanish by taking up to nine hours of 500-level coursework (excluding SPAN 590) for graduate credit. Upon conferral of the BA in Spanish, students enter into masters status and complete the remaining requirements for the MA.

Eligibility requirements:

• Students must have a minimum overall GPA and Spanish-major GPA of 3.35. (Also required for retention in the program.)
• At the time of application, students must have completed Spanish 321, 322 and 355 with a grade of B or better. It is also recommended that students have completed one course at the 400 level before applying.
• Students may apply no later than the end of their junior year.

To be submitted to the Graduate School:

• an online Graduate School application.
• two letters of recommendation from individuals (preferably Spanish faculty) who can attest to the applicant's ability to handle graduate-level coursework in Spanish.
• GRE scores (no later than the end of the start semester).

To be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies in Spanish:

• A personal statement of 1-2 pages in Spanish discussing how the MA in Spanish relates to the applicant's professional or personal goals.