Chairperson: Victoriano Roncero-López
Frank Melville, Jr. Memorial Library N3022, (631) 632-6935; 632-6959

Graduate Studies Director: Lou Charnon-Deutsch
Frank Melville, Jr. Memorial Library N3019, (631) 632-6031

M.A.
Master of Arts in Teaching of Spanish (NEW)


Description of M.A.
Before registering for each semester, students should consult with a member of the Graduate Committee of the Department to schedule an approved combination of courses. All new M.A. or Ph.D. students are required to meet with the Director of Graduate Studies during the first week of classes in order to fill out information sheets. Normally, for the M.A., three or four semesters of full-time study are required. For the Ph.D. the number of semesters necessary before advancement to candidacy varies (see below). A minimum of two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study in residence is required for the Ph.D. It is recommended that the number of "Independent Studies" do not exceed two (2). However, the number of "Independent Studies" permitted is to be determined on an individual basis.

Undergraduate courses may also be considered as part of a full-time course load, but do not count towards a graduate degree. Since undergraduate courses are not covered by a tuition waiver, students must pay for such courses. Graduate reading proficiency courses (FRN, ITL, POR 500) fulfill the language requirement and count towards a full-time course load but not towards a graduate degree. According to University requirements, a minimum of a "B" average must be maintained in all graduate coursework. After taking the practicum (SPN 691) students may choose to enroll in SPN 692, 693, 694 in the first year of study as part of a required 12 credit load until they reach the point where their full-time credit load is 9 credits.

Equivalent courses taken at other universities may be certified as fulfilling specific required courses in this department, but only six graduate course credits of any kind can be transferred.

MA in Hispanic Languages and Literature:
The curriculum leading to the Master of Arts degree may be terminal or may be combined with the Doctor of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy programs. Terminal M.A. program students are not funded by the University. M.A. students continuing to the Ph.D or the D.A. will enter these programs after successful completion of the Qualifying Examination (see below). Students who do not pass the exam will be permitted to finish the M.A. degree but will not be permitted to advance to the Ph.D or D.A. programs. In addition to proficiency in Spanish and English, reading knowledge in a third language is required. There is a general requirement of 36 graduate credit hours. As part of the 30 credits of course work, MA students must complete the following courses:

a) A minimum of one course in linguistics;
b) SPN 691 Practicum in the Teaching of Spanish Language;
c) SPN 509 Literary Theory (or another theory course);
d) A minimum of two courses in Peninsular literature at the 500 level;
e) A minimum of two courses in Latin American literature at the 500 level.

After completion of 30 graduate-credit hours, a student must either take a basic comprehensive examination, or complete a thesis/project. Both of these options are equivalent to 6 graduate credit hours. Students working on a part-time basis should complete all requirements within five years after their first regular graduate registration.

The M.A. comprehensive examination is based on a reading list consisting of 75 titles: 50 in the field of major emphasis (Spanish Peninsular, or Spanish-American), and 25 in the minor field. The student, with the advice of the Director of Graduate Studies, will choose three members of the graduate faculty to form the examining committee, one of them to act as chair. The examination consists of five hours of written work, three on the field of major emphasis, and two on the minor field.

The M.A. thesis is written under the supervision of a member of the graduate faculty with the advice of a second reader. The M.A. thesis does not require an oral defense. The recommended length for an M.A. thesis is between 70-100 pages, including notes and bibliography. Regulations regarding the writing of the M.A. thesis are the same as those applicable to the Ph.D. dissertation. These regulations are called "Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations" and are contained in the Graduate Bulletin which can be obtained from the Graduate School.

M.A. in Hispanic Languages and Linguistics: Students must complete 36 credits of coursework in Hispanic Language and Linguistics, arranging an appropriate course of study in consultation with Professor Flora Klein-Andreu, or advisors in Spanish Linguistics. Students must demonstrate proficiency in English, Spanish, and another language. They must also pass a comprehensive examination based on a special reading list, or write an M.A. thesis.

M.A. in Romance Languages: An interdepartmental M.A. in Romance languages is offered, based on 36 graduate credit hours of specified coursework in two different languages (Spanish/French, Spanish/Italian). Students must pass a comprehensive examination based on a special reading list. The M.A. examination consists of a written and an oral examination. A thesis is not required, but students may choose to take only 30 credits of coursework and then write a thesis with Departmental approval. In such cases the M.A. examination consists of the general written exam and an oral exam based on a defense of the thesis.

The choice of courses will be determined by the student's previous experience, interests, and needs in flexible interaction with program requirements. In Spanish we require one course in Spanish linguistics, either SPN 509 (Literary Theory) or SPN 515 (Graduate Spanish Composition and Stylistics), and either SPN 510 (Hispanic Culture) or SPN 582 (Hispanic Tradition in the USA). The exact course requirements in French or Italian are available upon request from the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of French and Italian. Students are encouraged to broaden their knowledge by taking courses in linguistics, history, art, and other languages and literatures. A high level of language proficiency is stressed, and all classes are taught in the languages concerned. Incoming students are advised by the Director of Graduate Studies of either the Department of French and Italian or the Department of Hispanic Languages. Students then choose another faculty member as advisor in their second
or third semester.

Description of the new Master of Arts in Teaching of Spanish
The program consists of 44 required credits of course work, 15 of which are in the content area of Spanish and 29 in the area of education. Students enrolling in the MAT in Spanish will have completed an undergraduate degree in Spanish or its equivalent (36 credit hours in Spanish beyond the Intermediate level).

If you are interested in the M.A.T. in Spanish, please contact the following departments: School of Professional Development: For general requirements and application (631) 632-7055 Prof. Sarah Jourdain: For information on education courses (631) 632-7440 Prof. Lou Deutsch: For information on Spanish courses (631) 632-6031.

Completion of the MAT program will entail at minimum:

Teacher candidates participate in 100 hours of field experience prior to their student teaching placement. These 100 hours are represented by FLA 549 (1 credit hour) & FLA (1 credit hour) 550 which are co-requisites to Methods of Foreign Language Teaching (FLA 505) and Curriculum Development (FLA 506), respectively. The 50 clock hours per 1 credit hour include guided observations on topics such as classroom management, grammar instruction, culture presentations, error correction, etc.

Content area courses (15 credits)
Students will select their content area courses in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature. Additional courses may become part of the students content area but those listed below are the most suitable for the program. Among the courses from which the student may chose 5 courses are: