COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts (MA) in Spanish at Wichita State University requires the completion of 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, with at least 24 credit hours in Spanish coursework and a maximum of 30 credit hours in Spanish included on the student’s plan of study, allowing limited inclusion of related field courses approved by the department. The curriculum is structured to ensure both breadth and depth in Hispanic studies through a combination of survey courses, seminars, and specialized study. Students must complete three survey courses from SPAN 610 Survey of Spanish Medieval and Premodern Literature, SPAN 711 Survey of Spanish Modern Literature, SPAN 720 Survey of Latin American Literature, or SPAN 721 Survey of Contemporary Latin American Literature, which provide a foundational understanding of major literary periods and traditions in the Spanish-speaking world. In addition, students are required to take at least two seminar-level or equivalent research-based courses selected from offerings such as SPAN 520 Hispanic Film, SPAN 547 Spanish in the United States, SPAN 623 or SPAN 624 seminars in Spanish or Latin American literature and culture, SPAN 626 Spanish Civilization, SPAN 627 Latin American Civilization, SPAN 633 Latin@ Studies, SPAN 641 Hispanic Applied Linguistics, SPAN 726 Spanish Grammar and Stylistics, SPAN 750 workshops, or SPAN 805 Directed Readings, with up to 6 credit hours allowed in this latter course. Students may include up to 6 credit hours from related fields such as other languages, literature, history, art, or geography, subject to departmental approval, and are strongly encouraged to complete at least 4 credit hours of study in a Spanish-speaking country to strengthen linguistic and cultural immersion. The program also includes a rigorous examination component in which students must pass written comprehensive exams covering Spanish and Latin American literature and a third individualized area of study, followed by an oral examination, with each exam permitted a maximum of two attempts. Applied learning is embedded through key survey courses that emphasize the application of literary, cultural, and theoretical frameworks, preparing students for careers in teaching, research, translation, and other professional fields requiring advanced Spanish proficiency and cultural literacy.