M.A. in Romance Languages, Spanish - Literary and Cultural Studies

The Literary and Cultural Studies track focuses on the production, distribution, and reception of written and visual cultural texts with an emphasis on critical theory and pedagogy. The M.A. program encompasses a range of theoretical frameworks and perspectives that reflect the research expertise of our professionally active faculty. As a community of engaged scholars, we are committed to providing our graduate students with opportunities for intellectual growth, critical and analytical skill-building, a solid theoretical foundation, and the professional preparation needed for careers in and outside of academia.

How to Apply

The Fall 2026 application portal opens October 1, 2025.

The priority application deadline is January 15. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their complete applications as early as possible to be considered for university-wide fellowships. Applications for the Fall will be accepted until April 1. 

Application Materials

Transcripts: All applicants must provide transcripts for each degree-awarding post-secondary college or university attended. If the transcripts are NOT provided in English or the institution does NOT issue transcripts in English, an official word for word English translation of all transcripts and/or all mark sheets is required.

Official Proof of English Proficiency: All international applicants must provide proof of English proficiency before their applications can be considered for admission. A list of acceptable proficiency measures is available here.

Non-refundable Application Fee: $75 initial application fee. Fee waivers may be available upon request. To request a fee waiver code, candidates should reach out to the Graduate Admissions Officer according to their area of interest.

CV-Resume: An academic CV focused on the applicant’s achievements and credentials.

Personal Statement: A short (1 page) statement that reflects on the applicant’s trajectory and their academic plans for graduate school. We strongly recommend that either the personal statement or the writing sample be written in Spanish.

Writing Sample: A piece of academic writing that showcases the applicant’s ability to conduct scholarly research in the prospective field and to engage with Spanish in an academic context. We strongly recommend that either the personal statement or the writing sample be written in Spanish.

Two Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation should preferably come from professors who are familiar with the applicant’s academic work.

Financial Support

The Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures (CMLL) provides financial support to graduate students through assistantships and instructorships during the academic year (Fall-Spring). Eligible graduate students with a strong teaching record who have completed online pedagogy training may also receive summer teaching assignments. The CMLL Chair oversees financial support offers, typically in the form of Teaching Assistantships (TA) or Graduate Part-Time Instructorships (GPTI). Some applicants are considered for additional fellowship funding through the Graduate School. Once applications are complete, the Graduate Admissions Officers nominate students for additional funding opportunities. For this reason, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their complete applications as early as possible, before the deadline of January 15th.

Per university policy, MA students are eligible for two years of TA/GPTI support.

TA/GPTI Salary working 20/hours a week:

• M.A. Teaching Assistant: $17,500  (9 month)
• M.A. Graduate Part-Time Instructor: $19,000 (9 month)

For more information, please visit the Graduate School’s Estimated Costs of Attendance webpage.

Program Requirements

Applicants for the M.A. in Romance Languages, Spanish may complete 30 hours of graduate courses and a thesis, or 36 hours of coursework.

A list of recent graduate courses can be found in Course Offerings. Required courses: SPAN 5352: Methods of Literary Criticism; LING 5322: Theoretical and Research Foundations of Second Language Teaching; SPAN 53XX: One additional linguistics course.

M.A. candidates must possess reading knowledge of a third language other than English or Spanish. This requirement can be met by passing with a grade of C or better the second course of the sophomore sequence of the required language, or by passing a standardized examination.

M.A. candidates have the option of writing an M.A. thesis in Spanish, English, or Portuguese language in lieu of 6 hours of graduate coursework. Students opting to graduate through the non-thesis route must complete a qualifying exam to be conducted during the last semester of a student’s M.A. degree plan.

Who to Contact

For further details about our graduate programs in Literary and Cultural Studies, prospective students may contact the Graduate Admissions Officers:

Dr. Pavel Andrade - Latin American Studies, pavel.andrade@ttu.edu

Dr. Susan Larson - Iberian Studies, susan.larson@ttu.edu

Dr. Carmen Pereira, Director of Spanish Graduate Studies (carmen.pereira@ttu.edu), coordinates the graduate program, advising students on degree requirements and deadlines.

Graduate Manual

Detailed information about our graduate programs can be found in the CMLL Spanish Graduate Manual.