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Department
of Modern Languages
MA in Spanish
Mission
Statement and Goals
The M.A. program in Spanish is for those who wish to pursue advanced
study beyond the B.A. so they can:
- develope
their Spanish language skills, enhance their knowledge of the culture
and literature of the Spanish-speaking world;
- strengthen
their analytical and presentational skills;
- gain
a basic familiarity with Spanish linguistics;
- acquire
teaching experience and theoretical knowledge in the field of foreign
language pedagogy through the rigorous training offered by the teaching
practicum.
Collaboration
with the College of Education is also a central role of the M.A program.
In addition, it is the only program in the region that offers all of
its courses in the evening, thus accommodating students who are practicing
teachers or have other full-time jobs or commitments.
The
challenging, varied curriculum provides the student with a sound grounding
in literary and cultural analysis and research techniques, develops
the student's critical thinking ability and capacity to express higher-order
processes in writing, thoroughly prepares the student for any career
path that involves the cultural knowledge and awareness of Hispanic
cultures, and develops the student's linguistic proficiency to allow
him/her to fully function in a Spanish speaking environment. The culmination
of this developmental approach is found in the graduate critical research
essay and in the oral proficiency exit interview. The oral proficiency
exit interview is an exceptional feature of our M.A program that serves
as an internationally recognized assessment tool and provides students
with a rating that is of great professional advantage and utility.
The
members of the graduate faculty are all established scholars in their
areas of expertise and are actively involved in conducting research
in topics related to Hispanic cultures, literatures and linguistics.
Each MA. candidate has the opportunity to work under the direct supervision
of a Spanish graduate faculty member as they develop a research topic
that will reflect the scholarly insights and inspiration provided by
Spanish faculty through their research and teaching.
Admission
Criteria
The general requirement for admission is a B A. in Spanish or the equivalent
with a cumulative GPA of 2.75.
All applicants to graduate school that are granted full admission will
be considered for an assistantship. The requirements for the assistantships
are:
- full
admission to graduate school;
- three
letters of reference- which address academic capacity, collegiality,
and leadership potential- and a 3.0 overall average;
- International
applicants are required the TOEFL (minimum score of 550), the TSE
or Test of Spoken English (minimum score of 50)-or- the University
of Akron Developed English Proficiency Test (U-ADEPT);
- For
non-native Spanish speaker an Oral proficiency interview with a minimum
rating of Advanced Low.
Preparing
Ohioans…
The advanced study of Spanish language and Hispanic culture and linguistics
at The University of Akron prepares Ohioans to deal effectively with
the economic challenges and cultural opportunities that the burgeoning
Hispanic population in the Northeast Ohio affords.
After
Graduation:
An MA in Spanish from The University of Akron offers the candidate an
opportunity to follow one of several paths:
· Advanced study toward the PhD in Spanish
· Teaching at the secondary school level
· Work in government or private sector where cross-cultural communication
and understanding are vital.
For Further information, contact Dr.
Parizad Dejbord
by e-mail by clicking on this link or by telephone at 330 972-7824.
Updated 6/05
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