Graduate Program
The Master’s Program in Spanish combines innovative teaching with rigorous courses offered by the Division of Spanish and Portuguese faculty on Latin American and Iberian literature and culture, as well as in the different fields of Hispanic linguistics. Our faculty members strive to prepare graduate students for their individual plans after graduation, whether those involve continuing their graduate education to pursue a Ph.D., teaching at the secondary or college levels, or applying their knowledge to a range of other fields. We accept six highly qualified students per year and welcome applications from students in the United States as well as international students.
Students in the M.A. program benefit from small class sizes and close working relationships with our tenured and tenure-track faculty in Spanish and Portuguese. Our faculty has particular strengths in the areas of modern and contemporary Latin American literature and culture (including Brazil), modern Spain, religion and literature, translation studies, food studies, applied linguistics, Spanish as a heritage language, and Spanish for healthcare professions. M.A. students receive instruction and mentorship in language pedagogy and begin gaining teaching experience from the first semester of enrollment.
Other distinctives of the M.A. in Spanish
• Waived tuition and graduate assistantship stipends for all full-time students during the two-year program.
• Well-articulated, practical preparation for research and teaching.
• Balanced emphases on Hispanic linguistics and Latin American/Iberian literature and culture.
• Opportunities to study Portuguese language and Brazilian literature and culture.
• Mentoring program with qualified lecturers from the first semester of enrollment.
• Independent teaching experience in the second year.
• Travel funding to attend or present at conferences.
Opportunities for Teaching Development
• Required teaching methodology course (SPA 5359 Language Acquisition and Applied Linguistics).
• Class observations during the first year.
• Mentoring program beginning in the first semester
• Teaching Assistantships in the first and second semesters.
• Teacher of Record in the third and fourth semesters.
• Teaching Certificate in Higher Education (TeaCHE).
Requirements for Application
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• A major or minor in Spanish or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Spanish.
• 18 hours of Spanish credit beyond the second year of study.
• GPA of 3.0.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• TOEFL scores for international students whose undergraduate degree was not earned in English or proof of advanced proficiency in English.
• A Statement of Purpose.
• Transcripts from all undergraduate institutions.
• All applications must be submitted through Graduate School Admission online at: https://grad.baylor.edu/apply/
If you have questions or need further information, please contact the Director of the Graduate Program, Dr. Rafael Climent-Espino.
For more information about the Division of Spanish and Portuguese, please click here.
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