Program Overview

Spanish Literature and Culture, PhD

Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy program in Spanish literature and culture is intended to be as flexible as possible. Students establish broad areas of competence by creating their own program of study with the supportive guidance of the student's advisor. Graduate courses in literature and cultural studies focus on the production, distribution, and reception of texts and their linguistics, either written or visual (e.g., photographs, films, visual narratives), and their linguistic, rhetorical, and literary structure and functions, with an emphasis on literary theories and aesthetics. The program focuses on gender studies, race studies, film studies, visual studies, sound studies, critical posthumanism, environmental humanities, disability theories, digital humanities, Sino-Hispanic studies, colonial studies, and comparative studies.

At a Glance

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

Degree Requirements

• 84 credit hours
• A foreign language exam
• A written comprehensive exam
• An oral comprehensive exam
• A prospectus
• A dissertation
• Required Core (3 credit hours)
  • SPA 545 Concepts of Literary Criticism (3)
• Literature and Culture Electives (51 credit hours)
  • Electives (6 credit hours)
  • Research (12 credit hours)
    • SPA 792 Research (12)
• Culminating Experience (12 credit hours)
  • SPA 799 Dissertation (12)
• Additional Curriculum Information
  • Coursework for the literature and culture electives must be SPA literature or culture content courses and approved by the student's supervisory committee.
  • Students may not put SPA 596 Second Language Methodologies toward this requirement.
• Each candidate is expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of one language other than English and Spanish. This language requirement must be satisfied before the candidate is eligible to take the comprehensive examination.
• The written and oral comprehensive examination, designed to ascertain the candidate's knowledge and orientation in the field of study and competence to proceed with the dissertation, is required at or near the end of coursework.
• When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements:
  • All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
• Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in Spanish or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution.
• Applicants from other academic backgrounds with relevant coursework in Spanish language and cultural studies also may be evaluated by the admissions committee.
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
• All applicants must submit:
  • Graduate admission application and application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Writing sample
  • Personal statement
  • Resume
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Proof of English proficiency
• An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
• Submission of GRE scores is recommended but not required; this is especially advisable for applicants for the Spanish Graduate Fellowship Award.
• Candidates for the program are required to demonstrate a near-native oral proficiency in Spanish and to show that they have developed a high order of expository prose in English and Spanish by presenting a term paper or a chapter of their master's degree thesis as their writing sample.

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Application Deadlines

• Fall
  • Session | Modality | Deadline | Type
    • Session A/C | In Person | 01/15 | Final

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:

• Analyze literary texts from various genres, movements, and periods in Spanish
• Conduct a literature review in preparation for dissertation prospectus
• Produce an original research project in the form of a dissertation

Career Opportunities

Professionals with this degree can confidently move into the academic profession; careers in education, including in museums and libraries; and professions outside academia, such as in the publishing industry, media, nonprofits, and international relations. Skills developed through this program are valued for teaching positions, translation work, or career opportunities in larger sectors, such as government, diplomacy, and international business environments.

• Career examples include these positions:
  • Area, ethnic, or cultural studies teacher or professor
  • Curator
  • Editor
  • Digital humanities college coordinator
  • Foreign language and literature teacher or professor
  • Instructional design coordinator
  • Interpreter or translator
  • Lawyer
  • Reporter or correspondent
  • Social and community service manager
  • Study abroad manager

Additional Information

Develop an advanced knowledge of Peninsular, Mexican, Caribbean, Brazilian, Southern Cone, Chicanx/Latinx, and Trans-Pacific literature and culture. Coursework and mentoring by renowned faculty will help you develop a sound knowledge of genre, periodization, and scholarly research in the field. The program focuses on various areas, including film studies, language, Latin America, Mexican literature, Spanish language, Spanish literature, Spanish studies, visual media, and foreign literature.