Graduate Studies in Spanish

The Department of World Languages & Cultures at Bowling Green State University offers an innovative Master of Arts degree in Spanish that includes academic mentoring by our graduate faculty at BGSU and the option of studying abroad to acquire cultural and linguistic skills through immersion.  By the end of the MA program, students will be able to discuss critically and analytically, both orally and in writing, a variety of topics related to the Spanish language as well as Spanish-speaking cultures and literatures. Students will demonstrate advanced competence in the Spanish language and familiarity with the theoretical issues and research tools in the broad fields of Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean literature, cultural studies and linguistics. By acquiring these skills our students become proficient bilingual communicators with a deep understanding of the Spanish speaking world, from Argentina to the U.S. Spanish M.A. alumni are well prepared to succeed in a wide variety of careers that require sophisticated communication skills, cross-cultural understanding, and critical thinking.

Our graduates have gone on to a wide array of rewarding careers, including:

  • Teaching Careers at the high school, community college & university levels
  • International Careers like study abroad administration & teaching English abroad
  • Business Careers in banking, economics & international business
  • Service Opportunities such as AmeriCorps & the Peace Corps
  • Ph.D. Programs in Literature, Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Cultural Studies, and more. Recent graduates have gone on to:

Ohio State University                   University of Wisconsin                 Indiana University

University of Arizona                    University of Michigan                   Georgetown University

University of Cincinnati                 Texas Tech University                   University of Maryland

University of Alabama                   University of Pittsburgh                University of Virginia

Vanderbilt University                     University of Florida                              

PROGRAMS OFFERED

1. Part-Time Spanish Graduate Certificate for Professionals and Educators (online)


2. Master of Arts in Spanish Factsheet

BREADTH AND DEPTH

Examples of recently offered courses on the BGSU campus showcase the range of opportunities to learn about Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, Latinos/as/es in the U.S., Hispanic linguistics and Spanish language pedagogy, in courses such as:

  • SPAN 6010: Teaching College Spanish
  • SPAN 6260: Issues in Contemporary Mexican Literature and Culture
  • SPAN 6270: Spanish American Cinema
  • SPAN 6290: Latin American and Caribbean Music, Art, and Literature
  • SPAN 6350: History & Identity in Spanish American Literature & Film
  • SPAN 6360: Spanish American Women Writers
  • SPAN 6200: Contemporary Spanish Civilization
  • SPAN 6550: Hispanic Linguistics
  • SPAN 6800: Postcolonial Latin America
  • SPAN 6800: Heritage Language Pedagogy
  • SPAN 6800: Second Language Acquisition
CORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SPANISH M.A.

Coursework
36 credit hours of coursework at the graduate level, 19 of which must be taken on the BGSU campus or from BGSU graduate faculty abroad. Note: courses from professors at the Escuela Universitaria Cardenal Cisneros does not count toward those 19 credits.

Two-Part Comprehensive Exam
Part I: Over the course of the first year, all Spanish M.A. students take a Qualifying Examination related to key fields and issues within “Spanish Studies”: Spanish linguistics, literary criticism, and cultural studies. Specific instructions regarding the format of the exam are generally distributed prior to the first semester of study.

Part II: During the second year, beyond regular coursework, all students choose between writing a Master’s Thesis option or a “Final Project” option. Either option will be realized with the guidance of one faculty member director, and will culminate with an oral presentation of the thesis or final project to a committee of three professors (including the director) by the end of the second year.

“Su identidad dolorosa: La colonialidad y violencia del Perú” (Seth Jopkins)

“Code Switching im Kiez: (Re)Presentations of Multicultural Identities in the Music of Culcha Candela” (Shaydon Ramey, Dual MA with German)

“Contribuciones cinematográficas al diálogo necesario para la reconstrucción  de Guatemala: GasolinaLas marimbas del infierno Polvo de Julio Hernández Cordón” (Laura Reyes)

“¿Se puede superar el trauma? La fluidez genérica en Luna caliente y El décimo infierno de Mempo Giardinelli” (Ryder Cunningham)

“Análisis de la representación de la mujer en la serie Las chicas del cable (Netflix 2017-2019)” (Tyler “Bear” Anthony)

 “Una cronología alimentaria: La coevolución e interdependencia de la comida, la cultura y la historia en el mundo hispánico” (Nico Frank)

“El bilingüismo en la industria editorial de los Estados Unidos” (Brittany Haynes)

“’Recuérdame’: Un análisis de la memoria, las fronteras, y la búsqueda de la identidad en Coco” (Sarah Seal)

“La traducción poética y su manifestación en la poesía caribeña” (Jacqueline Osborn)

 “Cara a cara con la salsa caleña: Mis reflexiones y experiencias sobre la escena en Cali” (Anthony Pérez)

 “Nación, identidad y nacionalismo: comparaciones de la sociedad catalana y la experiencia de vivir en ella en Juan Marsé y Mercé Rodoreda….” (Lewellen)

“Soup at the Distinguished Table in Mexico City, 1830-1920” (Nanosh Lucas, Dual MA with History)

“La evaluación de la competencia oral en las clases de lenguas extranjeras: Las perspectivas de los instructores y de los estudiantes“ (Christine Milgie)

“La trilogía del ‘Plan de abajo’ de Jorge Ibargüengoitia: Un cuestionamiento de la realidad y la ficción a partir del espacio quimérico, las técnicas narrativas y la heteroglosia” (Matt Sibley)

“La sintaxis como un mecanismo de control semántico en Trilce” (Mike Schwarten)

“Representaciones de la Guerra Civil Española en la novela y el cine” (Karin Hogue)

“Banana [Mis]representations: A Gendered History of the United Fruit Company and las mujeres bananeras” (Michelle Bologna, Dual MA with History)

“El uso y el mantenimiento de la lengua: Garifuna en Sangrelaya, Honduras” (Paul DeNijs)

“Mapeando la cultura Kruda: Hip-Hop, Punk Rock y performances queer latino contemporáneo” (Sarah Dowman)

“La influencia del sueño americano en la inmigración latina” (Leah Lantzy)

“En nombre del voseo: Su incorporación en los estudios universitarios de español” (Jeriel Melgares)

“Las imágenes borrosas: representaciones de la identidad gay española contemporánea” (Matt Barrile)

“EL TLCAN: y su representación en el femicidio de Ciudad Juárez” (Carla De Pozzio)

“Los inmigrantes ‘problemáticos’: La discriminación lingüística y religiosa dirigida a ciertos grupos de inmigrantes en Los Estados Unidos y Francia (Margaret Vaillancourt)

“Las preposiciones a, de, en, para y por: Sugerencias para la enseñanza” (Kate Swartley)

“¿Qué va a pasar en el Buckeye State? Pasos hacia inglés como idioma oficial” (Judson Morrow)

“The Dynamics of Salsiology in Contemporary Germany: Reconstructing German Cultural Identity Through Salsa Music and Dance (Eddy M. Enríquez Arana, Dual MA with German)

“La materialidad del texto en los cuentos de Jorge Luis Borges” (Nashieli Marcano)

“José Martí: La estética en el discurso de la identidad” (Matthew Fehskens)

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Teaching
M.A. students contracted as Teaching Assistants gain valuable experience by working as tutors or teachers of their own introductory Spanish sections. Some TAs will begin with no previous teaching experience, while some will join us with established teaching credentials. We work with novice and experienced teachers to ensure that by the end of the program each TA is prepared and confident with up to date language teaching methodology. All TAs work under the supervision of a TA Supervisor and have the support of coursework on language pedagogy (SPAN 6010: Teaching College Spanish).

Presenting and Publishing
Academic Conferences:
 BGSU supports students interested in presenting their academic work at conferences or publishing in journals. Students can apply for Graduate Student Professional Development Funds to offset expenses incurred for attending conferences (registration fee, mileage, etc.). Students are also encouraged to present at local BGSU conferences, such as the annual Latino Issues Conference, which is paired with the Latin American and Latinx Studies Student Research Conference.

Academic Journals: Students are encouraged to publish their essays in Spanish through BGSU’s own on-line student research journal: La Blogoteca de Babel

Updated: 09/29/2023 04:13PM