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Academic Requirements for the Master of Arts in Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies ***These requirements are for students who entered the M.A. Program in Fall 2009 or later. If you entered in Fall 2008 or before, please click here to see your Academic Requirements.*** The Division of Spanish and Portuguese Studies and the University of Washington Graduate School Requirements for the M.A. degree are as follows: A total of 60 applicable credits (500-level and above). Please note that SPAN 600 credits used for MA exam preparation do not fulfill any degree requirement and do not count toward the 60-credit total needed to graduate. In exceptional circumstances, students may petition the GPC to carry out coursework at the 400-level. To remain in good standing the student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on the University's 4.0 grade scale. The minimum acceptable grade for any given course is 2.7. SPAN 577 (Critical Theory and Methods of Analysis) is required of all students. SPAN 510 (Methodology of Spanish Language Teaching) is required of all Teaching Assistants and is to be taken during or before a student's first quarter of teaching. Distribution requirement: A minimum of five credits (normally one course) must be earned in five of the six following areas: Medieval Spain; "Golden Age" Spain; Spain of the 18th and 19th Centuries; 20th-century Spain; Colonial and 19th-century Latin America; and 20th-century Latin America. M.A. candidates must pass an auxiliary language reading ability examination in a language other than English and Spanish. Normally this language will be selected from among the Romance Languages and German. Students must be examined before the end of their fourth quarter of graduate study. The student will consult first with the Division's Academic Counselor and then complete arrangements with the Educational Assessment Center. M.A. candidates must pass an M.A. examination: During the first quarter of graduate study, students must select one area in which to be examined from the six areas of study specified above. They will then have a year to prepare that field. Students may not write their M.A. Thesis in the field they have chosen for their examination. The M.A. examination is written at the beginning of the fourth quarter of study (ordinarily Fall quarter). The exam will consist of one question, and the student will have five hours to answer his/her question, with only a dictionary available for consultation. The examination in the chosen area is based on the M.A. Reading list, available on this website. M.A candidates must complete an M.A. Thesis: Students must take ten credits of M.A. Thesis (SPAN 700) in the Fall and Winter quarters of their second year of study. The M.A. Thesis (minimum 45 pages of text, plus bibliography) is directed by a graduate faculty member and submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee for its approval by the end of the fifth quarter of study. Applicable credits are the following: Those earned in 500-level courses in the Division; those earned in courses cross-listed with another department; approved courses offered by the Division's adjunct faculty; up to ten credits of approved non-cross-listed courses; up to 6 credits of approved transfer credit. Non-cross-listed courses must be approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator at the time of registration, must be numbered 400 and above, and must be deemed relevant to the student's studies in this Division. M.A. candidates make application for the Master's degree at the Graduate School Office within the first two weeks of the quarter in which they expect the degree to be conferred. They must, at the time of application, notify the Academic Counselor of the Division of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. Graduate students must be registered as full-time or part-time students at the University of Washington for the quarter in which the degree requirements are completed. Time Limit: All work for the M.A. degree, including credits transferred from other institutions, must be completed within six years. However, M.A. candidates subsidized by teaching assistantships, research assistantships, graduate staff assistantships, or comparable financial support, are expected to complete their program within six quarters. Transfer Credit: A graduate student may submit a petition to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Division requesting permission to transfer up to six quarter credits taken while a graduate student at another recognized institution. The Division further requires that this school have a graduate program in the discipline for which transfer credits are requested. Removal of Incomplete Grades: Incomplete grades will be given only exceptionally. Incomplete work must be completed and a regular grade must be assigned by the end of the following quarter (including Summer quarter). In instances of exceptional hardship, students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee, but only before the deadline just stated, for an extension of time. Failure to complete Incomplete work on this schedule may jeopardize a student's good standing and eligibility for financial support and teaching and research assistantships. Advising: Graduate students should consult with the Academic Counselor quarterly before registration to assure that no technical problems are incurred. Each student, consulting with appropriate faculty and administrators of the Division, bears the responsibility for making the best use of the available or obtainable resources for achieving educational objectives.   See also… Overview Admission Requirements Former Academic Requirements TA Program Fellowships M.A. Reading List GO-MAP