COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts in Spanish at the University of New Hampshire requires the completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits and is designed to provide advanced study in Hispanic linguistics, literature, cultural studies, second language acquisition, and pedagogy. To earn the degree, students must successfully complete ten graduate-level courses, with at least eight selected from the department’s approved Spanish offerings, while up to two courses may be taken in related allied fields with departmental approval. Students choose from specialized courses such as SPAN 890 Topics in Second Language Acquisition, Pedagogy, and Methodology, LLC 891 Methods of Foreign Language Teaching, SPAN 897 Topics in Hispanic Literature and Cultural Studies, SPAN 898 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics and Cultural Studies, and SPAN 995 Independent Study, allowing flexibility to tailor the program according to individual academic and professional interests. The degree concludes with either a non-thesis or thesis option. In the non-thesis track, students complete 30 credits through ten courses and present a seminar paper or project at a local, regional, or national academic conference, including the UNH Graduate Research Conference. This option emphasizes scholarly communication and professional presentation skills. In the thesis track, students complete eight courses plus six credits of SPAN 899 Master’s Thesis, which counts as two of the ten required courses. Under faculty supervision, students conduct original research and prepare a formal thesis following Graduate School guidelines, making this pathway particularly suitable for students intending to pursue doctoral studies or advanced academic research. The program offers a wide variety of intellectually rich seminar topics reflecting the diversity of Hispanic studies, including Central American and Latin American literature, Spanish sociolinguistics, second language acquisition technology, Baroque and Siglo de Oro literature, Spanish syntax and dialectology, comparative literature, digital media in language learning, contemporary Spanish cinema, Afro-Caribbean literature, and the cultural traditions of Spain and Latin America. Overall, the curriculum combines advanced language study, research, cultural analysis, and academic presentation experience to prepare graduates for careers in education, translation, international work, research, and further graduate study in Spanish and related disciplines.