The PhD concentration in Border Studies allows students to take advantage of intellectual synergies that exist within the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and throughout the University of Arizona campus. The concentrations consists of a broad-based formation in the analyses, interpretations, and the theorizations of the relationship between peoples,places, and things in an era of accelerated globalization and regionalization. Through a rigorous course of study, students are encouraged to think about issues of multiculturalism, multilingualism, diaspora, migration, and the environment from a culturally rich multidisciplinary perspective.

The PhD concentration on Border Studies consists of coursework in sociolinguistics, literary analysis, and cultural studies. Students will explore the multifaceted role of border controls in language use and ideological formations. Likewise, they will understand the discursive formations that both reinforce and contest border controls.

It is our hope that students engaging in this concentration will emerge as well with a critical consciousness that will promote greater agency in social change in specific border regions throughout the world.

Contact information

Isela Gonzales
Graduate Coordinator
Office: Modern Languages 545
iselag@email.arizona.edu
(520) 621-3125

Admission
The applicant must hold, or anticipate completing by the time of admission, an M.A. degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or the equivalent degree from a university outside the U.S., have a minimum grade point average of 3.4 on a 4-point scale in the M.A. in Spanish, and meet the general requirements of the Graduate College.

Procedure for consideration:
Internal M.A. candidates
For admission to the Ph.D. program all internal M.A. candidates who wish to continue for the Ph.D. at the University of Arizona will be considered by the Graduate Studies Committee to ensure equitable treatment for all students. In their deliberations, the Graduate Studies Committee will give strong consideration to the report of the student's M.A examination committee, which specifically addresses the student's potential as a Ph.D. candidate. The Graduate Studies Committee will also consider the student's academic record (GPA, course work) and any pertinent information from the student's file. The student must also provide the following:

1) Three letters of reference, at least one of which must be from a professor who did not serve on the student's M.A. examination committee

2) Curriculum Vitae

3) Statement of purpose written in Spanish by the student

This procedure will ensure that each student will be considered fully and fairly. Admittance into the program will not be solely dependent upon performance on an isolated examination. In addition, this process closely parallels that followed by all other incoming Ph.D. candidates. (approved by unanimous vote of the faculty 5/4/95)

Foreign Language Requirement
In addition to the above requirements, all students entering the Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature program in January 2003 and later are required to pass a proficiency exam in a language other than English or Spanish prior to taking their comprehensive exams.

(Approved: April 5, 2002)

It is a necessary academic requirement that all M.A. candidates in Hispanic Literature demonstrate "reading knowledge" of a natural language other than Spanish and English, preferably a Romance language (otherwise, a language that has a direct bearing on the candidate's research and/or studies). The level of proficiency expected is that of passing an advanced 300-level grammar and writing course with a grade of B or higher.

The candidate must meet this language requirement BEFORE--and as a condition towards--taking the written Comprehensive Exams.

The foreign language requirement may be met in one of the following ways:

1. For students who complete the requirement at the University of Arizona: Successful completion of course work to the advanced level in a language other than English or Spanish, with an average grade of B or higher. The course work must include a 300-level intermediate/advanced grammar course taught and examined in the target language (typically xxxx-325 or 305, depending on the department).*

2. For students with course work in a language other than English or Spanish from an accredited institution: The student will meet with the Graduate Advisor to determine whether or not the course work satisfies the foreign language requirement. The Graduate Advisor may require, at his/her discretion, that the student take additional course work and/or pass a proficiency exam in the language of choice. The format and content of the exam will be determined in conjunction with the Graduate Advisor and a qualified instructor of the chosen language.

3. Students who are native speakers of a language other than English and Spanish may have this requirement waived with the approval of the Graduate Advisor.

*Note: Students that enter the M.A. program in Hispanic Literature without any formal instruction in a language other than English or Spanish may complete the foreign language requirement in two semesters if they choose to study Portuguese. In this case, the student must complete the following courses with an average grade of B or higher:

PORT-305: Portuguese for Spanish Speakers

PORT-325: Intermediate Grammar and Conversation

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