Open book showing a dialogue in Spanish

Master of Arts in
Spanish

Unlock Many Cultures with One Language in the Spanish MA Program

Dive into the Spanish language. Language skills, historical reference points and topical awareness must be a priority as you become involved in cultural issues involving Spanish-speaking populations around the world. A master's in Spanish from the University at Albany combines linguistic immersion with rigorous academic research, with a diverse and knowledgeable faculty pushing students to make breakthroughs in understanding.

Your path to non-governmental organizations and nonprofits, public sector work, international business or teaching runs through this in-depth program. Expressing yourself eloquently in Spanish calls for deep linguistic comprehension and cultural discovery, both of which are part of the MA in Spanish curriculum.

Program of Study

programofstudy

Surround yourself with Spanish language instruction in the MA program where every class is conducted in Spanish. Instructors come from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, granting you insight into many aspects of present-day affairs, history and the development of the Spanish language. You'll perform original research, with the ability to present your findings in scholarly conference settings. Your faculty mentors will be active and supportive collaborators in your in-depth investigations.


Applied Learning

Take your learning further by becoming a teaching assistant. You'll serve as a teacher of record in a beginner-level language course, receiving training in this practical setting and becoming a better instructor and Spanish-speaker.

One-Year Spanish MA

Our One-Year MA allows you to complete all coursework and exams during two semesters and one summer (graduate summer courses either in Madrid, Spain or San José, Costa Rica).

 


Additional Information

See the Graduate Bulletin for details.

For more information, contact Dr. Carmen Serrano at [email protected].

Concentration Areas
Spanish Linguistics

Spanish Linguistics

Three courses (9 credits)


One course (3 credits) each in two of the following areas:

  • Spanish American Literature
  • Hispanic Cultural Studies
  • Modern Spanish Literature


History of the Spanish Language


Methods of Linguistic Research


Electives

As advised (9 credits)


MA Exam

Hispanic Literature

Three courses (9 credits) in the following two areas:

  • Spanish American Literature
  • Modern Spanish Literature


One course (3 credits) in one of the following areas:

  • Hispanic Cultural Studies
  • Spanish Linguistics


Methodology of Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language


Literary Research and Scholarly Writing


Electives

As advised, 9 credits


MA Exam

Hispanic Cultural Studies

Hispanic Cultural Studies

3 courses (9 credits)


One course (3 credits) in one of the following areas:

  • Modern Spanish Literature
  • Hispanic Cultural Studies
  • Spanish Linguistics


Methodology of Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language


Literary Research and Scholarly Writing


Electives

As advised, 9 credits


MA Exam

Career Outcomes

With a Master of Arts in Spanish, you'll have the cultural knowledge and sound linguistic grasp to take on translation and instructional roles, as well as a variety of positions that require interpretation and intercultural exchange. Potential positions include:

  • Professor or researcher in higher education
  • Cultural and translation expert in non-governmental organizations
  • Government employee in multilingual areas
  • Curator at cultural institutions
A young professional working on a laptop
careers

"There is no better application for the skills I spent years learning in LLC than to empower people to lawfully find safe haven here in the U.S. Locally and nationally, people are reshaping our political reality through long hours of volunteerism, by heeding the suffering of one another, and by protecting the rights borne by our legal, cultural and educational institutions."

-Nathan Bogardus, Class of 2009

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Option

If you’re a current UAlbany undergraduate student with at least a 3.0 GPA, you may be eligible to begin your graduate degree coursework as early as your junior year. Save time and money by applying up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, towards both degrees. By doing so, you may be able to complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately.

Contact your undergraduate advisor to see if you’re eligible and learn about your combined graduate program options.

UAlbany graduate with confetti at Commencement.

Admissions Requirements

admissions
Deadlines

Departmental Assistantship Consideration

Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Summer: Not Available
 

No Departmental Assistantship Consideration

Fall: Rolling
Spring: December 1
Summer: Not Available

Required Application Materials
  • Transcripts from all schools attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of goals
  • Writing sample in Spanish

The statement of goals is generally one to two pages discussing what you have to offer the program and what you wish to get out of the program.  It should include a brief description of the applicant's field of interest, related background, desired area of study and research emphasis or career goals. 

Student Learning Objectives

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Master of Arts
  • Students will demonstrate full competency in the discourses of the Spanish language common to functioning in a professional or academic environment.
  • Students will understand the theoretical underpinnings of their chosen concentration (Hispanic literatures or Spanish linguistics).
  • Students will develop skills attendant to language teaching and the application of linguistic analysis to it.
  • Students will demonstrate having attained a focused, in-depth preparation in one of the two above research areas (Hispanic literatures or Spanish linguistics).
  • Students will develop a general familiarity in an area outside their concentration.
  • Students will demonstrate knowledge of critical and theoretical currents that enable either the interpretation of literature, cinema and other arts as cultural and aesthetic phenomena, or the analysis of linguistic data as a product of language use in a specific context.
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