Details: Spanish, Master's

Master's Spanish

The Master of Arts (MA) in Spanish from Wichita State combines advanced studies in literature, cultural studies, linguistics and translation. Students in this program enjoy access to study-abroad opportunities and graduate teaching assistantships.

Degree
MA

Learn how Spanish is the right fit for you.

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A graduate crosses the stage with his Spanish degree at commencement

Making your graduate education affordable

In addition to scholarships and financial aid, more than 30 percent of full-time graduate students hold assistantships or departmental fellowships amounting to more than $4 million each year.

Admission to the program

Admission to the Master of Arts program requires a 3.00 GPA in Spanish. Non-native speakers must have completed 24 credit hours of undergraduate Spanish beyond the basic language courses. Eight of these 24 credit hours should be at the junior-senior level (WSU classes 300 and above). Native speakers must have completed 12 credit hours of Spanish at the junior-senior level or demonstrate equivalent background knowledge. Students with background in other fields (non-Spanish majors) should demonstrate knowledge of the language and of a set of basic analytical tools within the humanities.

Inside the Program

Graduate Teaching Assistants in the Spanish MA program

Assistantships: Students pursuing a master's in Spanish could get the chance to practice as translators

During their time at Wichita State University, Karelyn Feliz, Jenny Masias, and Kaitlin Patterson—now a doctoral student, a college instructor, and a middle school teacher, respectively—were among the students chosen for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship position in the Spanish Language Program.

WSU's Spanish program is designed to make students more marketable, and can create opportunities to hone their interpretation and translation skills or teach at a higher level.

Curriculum

The MA degree in Spanish requires the completion of 32 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, including at least two seminars with research papers. All candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination based on two reading lists—Latin American literature and peninsular (Spain) literature—and on a third area of examination of the student’s choosing. After these three exams are approved, the student has to pass the oral exam before being granted the degree.

Careers

The MA in Spanish opens doors to careers at home and abroad. The degree is suitable for graduates with interests in many professional areas, including: teaching at the community college or K-12 levels; translating and interpreting; careers in diplomacy, foreign service, social work, counseling, journalism, publishing, international business; or pursuing a Ph.D. for a career in teaching and research at the university level. Our more recent graduates have found positions in such professional areas by graduation or even before completing the program.