Spanish
- Application Deadlines
- Application Requirements
- Contact Information
- Courses
- Degree Program (M.A.)
- Faculty
- Overview
- Professional Development
- Summer Study Abroad
Overview
Graduate courses in Spanish in Loyola's Department of Modern Languages and Literatures are designed for students who seek increased language proficiency, an in-depth interpretation of literature and culture, and related research skills. Courses cover a wide range of topics, and students have the opportunity to explore the language and literature through a variety of critical approaches. Our courses, which are conducted on both day and evening schedules, are especially attractive to elementary and secondary school teachers who seek professional advancement. Many of our graduates continue their studies in Ph.D. degree programs across the country.
Degree Program (M.A.)
The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers an M.A. degree program in Spanish.
The M.A. degree in Spanish is a highly personalized degree program. Students participate in traditional lecture/discussion courses and smaller graduate seminars that promote in-depth study and conversation. Students address their individual interests through directed reading and research studies and choose relevant electives from other departments. The department also allows students to earn a certificate in Women's Studies.
Length of Program
Full-time students usually complete the program in two years. Part-time students generally complete the program in three years, depending on the number of courses they choose to take each quarter.
The M.A. consists of 10 approved courses (30 semester hours). Students can complete the degree through a thesis and oral defense, or a two-part comprehensive examination based on the graduate reading list. The comprehensive examination consists of a four-hour written exam and a one-hour oral exam.
Non-degree students may take courses in Spanish to further their understanding of the field. Non-degree students may register for graduate courses and may transfer up to nine credit hours of graduate work (with a grade of B or better) to the M.A. program if they apply and are accepted into the program.
Summer Study Abroad Program in Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Students in the M.A. in Spanish program have the opportunity to participate in a four-week summer study abroad program, taking classes and experiencing the culture in Alcalá, Spain. Students take advanced classes in Spanish at the University of Alcalá de Henares and may earn up to six semester hours of credit. Recent offerings include:
- Business Spanish: This class explores business vocabulary, practices, letters, and culture
- Advanced Spanish Grammar: In this course, students study Spanish grammatical concepts and structures
- Twentieth-Century Peninsular Drama: This is an in-depth study of major Spanish playwrights from the beginning of the century to the present
- Culture and Civilization: This course is a study of the interrelated systems of ideas, myths and institutions that characterize Spain
- Golden Age Culture and Literature: This course offers a study of Spanish poetry, prose and art during the Renaissance and Baroque periods
- Twentieth-Century Spanish Poetry: This course offers a study of selected poetry by major peninsular poets from the Generation of 1898 to the post-Franco period
- Twentieth-Century Spanish Novel: This course investigates the development of the Spanish novel from the Generation of 1898 to the post-Franco period
For additional information, visit www.luc.edu/studyabroad/summer.shtml
Professional Development
Students attend department-sponsored lectures and symposia featuring outstanding writers and scholars. Previous visiting lecturers include:
- Jorge Luis Borges
- Lidia Falcón
- Rosario Ferré
- Carlos Fuentes
- Carmen Martin Gaite
- Luis Sánchez
- Manuel Vincent
Graduate students are also invited to departmental functions, including faculty seminars on contemporary literary theory, Spanish authors and more.
Students are actively involved in the planning of department-sponsored international conferences, such as the IV Conferencia Internacional de la Asociación de Literatura Femenina Hispánica. Additionally, Chicago itself offers many educational and research opportunities, as well as extraordinary cultural and recreational resources.
Courses
SPAN 400: Bibliography and Methods of Literary Study
This course focuses on: the principles and techniques of advanced study in Spanish; the use of reference works, source books and scholarly journals; analysis of research problems; the organization of a thesis; and problems in reference, criticism and investigation.
SPAN 403: The Structure of Modern Spanish
This course studies the structure of Spanish as compared to the structure of American English and is primarily for teachers in secondary schools and junior colleges.
SPAN 405: Critical Methods
This course provides training in the application of contemporary critical methods. It encourages greater proficiency in literary analysis and in oral and written expression.
SPAN 415: Medieval Spanish Literature
Readings in the literature of Spain through the 15th century are the focus of this course. Poema del Cid, Libro de buen amor and La Celestina receive special attention.
SPAN 419: Romanticism
This course is a survey of Romanticism as a literary movement, including its influence upon 19th-Century culture.
SPAN 420: Realism and Naturalism
This course focuses on realism and naturalism through readings of selected novels of the nineteenth century.
SPAN 421: The Theatre of the 20th Century
The course features theatrical works as elements both of literary history and of current stage presentation in Spanish-speaking countries.
SPAN 427: The Comedia of the Golden Age
The course provides a study of selected Golden Age dramatists, including Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina and Calderón de la Barca.
SPAN 431: Poetry of the 20th Century
The course traces developments in Spanish poetry through a study of the works of selected contemporary poets.
SPAN 436: Poetry of the Golden Age
The course covers poetic theory and practice from Garcilaso to Gongora, their origins, and their influence on the literatures of other nations.
SPAN 441: Prose of the 20th Century
This course traces the current development of Spanish prose in the essay, short story and contemporary Spanish novel.
SPAN 446: Golden Age Prose
Representative selections from the pastoral and picaresque novels, the short novel and didactic works are studied in this course.
SPAN 447: Don Quixote
The focus of this course is the masterpiece of Spanish literature and its influence. The course is open to students in other departments who demonstrate a knowledge of Spanish.
SPAN 470: Latin American Poetry
This course traces the development of Hispanic-American poetry. Such representative poets as Pablo Neruda are featured.
SPAN 480: Latin American Novel
The rich vein of the Hispanic-American novel is explored in this course. Representative novelists included are Garcia Màrquez and Vargas Llosa.
SPAN 487: The Novel of the Mexican Revolution
This course focuses on representative novels depicting the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and includes authors such as Azuela, Rulfo and Fuentes.
SPAN 489: Latin American Short Story
The development of the Hispanic short story is studied in this course. Authors included are Quiroga and Garcia Màrquez.
SPAN 490: Culture and Civilization
This course is a study of the interrelated systems of ideas, myths, and institutions that characterize Spain. In alternate years, Latin America will be the focus of this course.
SPAN 492: Spanish History in Literature
This course presents notable figures and important epochs of Spanish history through readings in different genres and periods of Hispanic literature.
SPAN 500: Directed Readings
The course is composed of special readings undertaken only by highly qualified students and supervised by a member of the department. The subject studied must be approved by the graduate program director.
SPAN 501: Seminar
Topics for the seminar are changed on a regular basis and reflect the current research interests of professors and students.
SPAN 595: Thesis Supervision
SPAN 605: Master's Study
Faculty
Faculty members are committed to a strong counseling program and give graduate students the individual attention they need to complete their graduate work successfully. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor. Students and advisors work closely together in order to ensure that students understand the requirements of their program. Faculty members also advise students in areas of professional development.
Susana Cavallo, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor
Areas of interest: 20th-century peninsular poetry, 20th-century Hispanic prose, Latin American poetry, Hispanic women's writing, feminist theory and criticism, translation
Jamie Gelabert, Ph.D. (Penn State University), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Sociolinguistics, methods of foreign language teaching, second-language acquisition, phonetics and phonology
Olympia González, Ph.D. (Cornell University), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Golden Age poetry, Cuban poetry, 20th-century peninsular novel
Denis Heyck, Ph.D. (University of London), Professor
Areas of interest: Latin-American culture, Latin-American women writers, language pedagogy
Carole A. Holdsworth, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor
Areas of interest: 20th-century peninsular culture, Spanish prose, Cervantes, comparative literature
Application Requirements
For admission to the M.A. degree program in Spanish, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree with 30 semester hours of undergraduate course work in Spanish or its equivalent in number and credit value.
- A $50 application fee
- A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- Three letters of recommendation (usually from faculty familiar with the applicant's academic work)
- A statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals
- Interview (may be waived under special circumstances)
- A writing sample in Spanish demonstrating literary analysis of a text
- Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required
- International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org
Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
Application Deadlines
Fall admission: February 1 (for assistantship applicants) or August 1
Spring admission: December 1
Deadlines and application requirements are subject to change. Visit www.luc.edu/modernlang for the most up-to-date information.
Contact Information
The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:
Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu
For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, contact:
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Loyola University Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.2850
www.luc.edu/modernlang
Graduate Program Director
Phone: 773.508.2872