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Ph.D. In Hispanic Cultural Studies

Doctor in Philosophy Degree in Hispanic Cultural Studies Program
The Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Hispanic Cultural Studies prepares students in the literatures, languages, and cultures of the Hispanic world. Students who are enrolled in this program will select a primary and a secondary area of emphasis, and may elect an emphasis in interdisciplinary studies, comparative literature, or Romance languages and literatures.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for Admission in the Ph.D. degree in HCS Program

To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Hispanic Cultural Studies, all applicants must:

  • Possess a Master of Arts degree in Spanish or Hispanic Studies, or a total of 30 credit hours of satisfactorily approved coursework.
  • A grade-point average of at least 3.25 in Spanish language, literature and culture course M.A. work.
  • Submit an application that includes:
    • Transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work at the M.A. level.
    • 500 Word Statement of purpose
    • Letters of recommendation from three professionals who are familiar with their work and qualified to assess applicant's ability to pursue advanced graduate study.
    • Writing sample in Spanish

Requirements for completion of Program

  • Complete at least 24 credits at the 800 level and above. (see footnote)
  • Complete the following seminar courses:                                                                                     
    • SPN 807 Critical Theory
    • ROM 800 Research Methods and Bibliography of the Romance Languages
  • Demonstrate a reading proficiency in two languages other than Spanish that have a body of literature or criticism relevant to the student's area of specialization.
  • Teach at least one college-level course in Spanish.
  • Pass comprehensive examinations.
  • Submit a 15-20-page prospectus of the final dissertation project and a preliminary bibliography to the guidance committee within one semester of passing the written examinations and the first part of the oral examinations.
  • Submit a dissertation based on original research.
  • Successfully defend the dissertation to the dissertation committee.
  • Guidance Committee and Comprehensive Examinations
  • Each Ph.D. student should constitute a Guidance Committee in order to set up the examination areas for the Comprehensive Exams. Within one semester after admission to the Ph.D. program, the student should consult the Chair of the Department in order to choose a Chair of the Guidance Committee who then, in consultation with the student, selects the other three members of the committee.
  • The Guidance Committee is constituted by four regular faculty members, from which at least three must be members of the SPP faculty. Students who request that a faculty member from a department other than the Department of Spanish and Portuguese serve on the committee administering their comprehensive exams must have completed one course with that individual before the exams are attempted.
  • The final composition of the Guidance Committee must be ratified by the Department.
  • The role of the members of the guidance committee is to plan the student's program in detail and recommend course work and reading lists according to the student's research interests and dissertation project. A dissertation topic will be determined by the student in consultation with the Guidance Committee and recorded in the Guidance Committee Report to be placed in the student's file in the Department and College offices.
  • In preparation for the Comprehensive Examinations, a candidate will be encouraged to focus on three areas of concentration, one of which should ultimately develop into the main area of specialization from which the dissertation topic is drawn. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations should be taken by the end of the fourth year (including work toward the M.A.).
  • The Comprehensive Examinations consist of: A three-hour written examination in each of the three areas mentioned.
  • A two-hour oral examination
  • The written examinations will usually focus on: (1) theory relevant to the student's chosen areas, (2) student's primary area of specialization, and (3) the student's secondary area of specialization.
  • The oral examination will be based on a two-hour discussion of the written exam.
  • All exams, written and oral, must be passed.
  • Successful completion of the comprehensive examinations grants A.B.D. status. A student who fails only one exam will be required to repeat that exam. If two or more exams are failed, the entire set of comprehensive examinations must be repeated and passed. A second failure of any exam terminates the candidate's study in the department.

Foreign Language Requirement for the Ph.D.

Doctoral candidates must demonstrate a reading proficiency of two languages other than English and the language of the major. These languages must be relevant to the student's dissertation project. The student's Ph.D. Guidance Committee, in consultation with the student, will choose them. With committee approval, a minimum of two graduate courses in another literature or discipline(s) (e.g. art, history, linguistics, philosophy, etc.) may be substituted for one of these two languages.

A minimum of two graduate courses in another literature or discipline(s) (e.g. art, history, linguistics, philosophy, etc) may be substituted for one of these two languages, provided they are related to the area of specialization.

VERY IMPORTANT: All deferred grades must be removed and the language requirements must be met before the Comprehensive Examinations are taken. In no case will a candidate be permitted to take the Comprehensive Examinations without having completed all other Departmental and College requirements.

Dissertation Committee and Thesis Preparation

The Dissertation Committee must consist of at least four regular members of MSU Faculty (one of whom shall be the Chairperson of the Department serving ex officio). The Chairperson of the Dissertation Committee, or Dissertation Director, will closely supervise the writing of the dissertation to its completion.

Ph.D students must present and defend a dissertation proposal and a preliminary bibliography. This dissertation proposal or prospectus must be submitted to the student's Dissertation Committee within one semester after passing the Comprehensive Examinations. This prospectus should include a description of critical problems to be explored, the proposed methodology and foreseeable conclusions, together with an outline of chapters. The student's Dissertation Committee must approve it.

Upon completion of the dissertation in a form acceptable to the committee, a final oral examination in its defense is conducted by the Dissertation Committee and attended by a member of the University faculty upon invitation by the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters. The committee with not more than one dissenting vote must approve the dissertation and the candidate’s performance on the oral examination. The committee may also accept a dissertation provisionally, subject to revisions, which must be approved by the dissertation director before the degree is conferred.

The Ph.D. dissertation should be completed within the University time limits (see the MSU Publication Graduate Studies for specific information). Students are urged to complete the dissertation within two years of passing the Comprehensive Examinations.