PhD Hispanic Literature Luso-Brazilian and Hispanic American Literary Studies Track	Version
Admission | Consideration | Requirements | Coursework

Graduate Handbook

The PhD concentration in Luso-Brazilian and Hispanic American Literary Studies consists of 9 units in Brazilian literature and 9 units in Spanish American literature, in addition to 6 units in each of two distinct secondary areas, and 18 units of electives.

Students majoring in Luso-Brazilian and Hispanic American Literary Studies will write a dissertation which includes at least one author, genre or literary period from Brazil, and at least one from Spanish America.

A fully staffed faculty in Portuguese and Spanish, in addition to an already established graduate curriculum, provide the students with a broad and solid comparative perspective of the literary and cultural production in Latin
America.

This new track responds to the current job market's need for Latin Americanists able to teach Portuguese and Brazilian literature in addition to Spanish and Spanish-American literature.

Ana Maria Carvalho Ph.D.
Office: ML 544
anac@email.arizona.edu
520-621-3639

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) Two 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)

TOP

Requirements

Upon entering the Ph.D. student establishes her/his degree study program in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. The student must complete the following:

1. A diagnostic qualifying oral interview during the first semester of study.

2. 49 units of coursework (up to 15 units of coursework may be transferred from the M.A.) A minimum of six units must be 600-level seminars. The student will complete 18 units in the primary area of specialization, 6 units in each of two distinct secondary areas, and 18 units of electives.

3. Present knowledge of Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

4. Pass a comprehensive examination partly written and partly oral, in the primary field of study and in two secondary fields of study.

5. Complete 18 doctoral dissertation units write and defend a dissertation.

In addition, all Graduate Associates in Teaching (GATs) in Spanish and Portuguese are required to complete a language teaching methodology course before or during their first semester of classroom teaching. This course counts as one of the student's electives for the Ph.D.

TOP

Ph.D. Coursework

The courses in Brazilian literary studies would be chosen among the following:

PORT 500: Contemporary Luso-Brazilian and Lusophone African Literature

PORT 501: Luso-Brazilian literature up to 1900

PORT 530: Luso-Brazilian Culture and Civilization

PORT 549: Brazilian Literature in Film

PORT 563: Topics in Luso-Brazilian Literature (Possible topics include 20 th century Brazilian poetry, drama, novel and short fiction; linguistic analysis of literary texts, women's Luso-Brazilian literature)

PORT 599: Independent Studies in Portuguese.

The courses in Spanish-American literary studies would be chosen among the following classes:

SPAN 501: Introduction to Hispanic Studies

SPAN 530: Development of Spanish American Literature from the Pre-Columbian Period to Independence

SPAN 540: Development of Spanish American Nineteenth and 20 th Century Literature

SPAN 541: Topics in Spanish American Nineteenth and 20 th Century Literature

SPAN 550: Development of Mexican and Mexican American Literature

SPAN 551: Topics in Mexican and Mexican American Literature

SPAN 561: Topics in Hispanic Literature

SPAN 571: Topics in Literary Theory and Criticism

SPAN 696: Seminar

The students would also have the option to take a 3-unit course about Latin America at a different department. The options would be the following:

LAS 547: Latin American Political Development

LAS 562: Special Topics in Contemporary Latin America

LAS 567: Contemporary Latin America

LAS 695b: Modern Latin America: Brazil

LAS 696 J: Latin America: Modern Period

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is involved in numerous publication endeavors in field studies including The Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies and Studies in Latin American Popular Culture . The Department has also hosted the Symposium on Portuguese for Spanish Speakers, and maintains a large and solid Portuguese Language Program. In addition, the Brazil Study Group, an interdisciplinary group of several scholars doing research in Brazil from numerous perspectives, sponsors guest-speakers, workshops, and several other academic activities related to Brazil.

TOP