Ph.D. in 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 Ph.D. 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.

All prospective Ph.D. candidates must hold an M.A. or an equivalent degree in Spanish, Hispanic Studies, or similar. Admission to the Ph.D. program in Spanish at Texas Tech is selective, and all applicants are required to follow the same procedures.

Candidates for the Ph.D. in Spanish must complete at least 60 hours of graduate coursework and pass the Ph.D. examination. Students must also meet a third language requirement (other than Spanish or English). Students who have obtained a Romance Languages M.A. in Spanish at Texas Tech may count all hours earned at the M.A. level with a B or better towards the Ph.D. coursework. Hours earned at the M.A. level from a previous institution are applicable and graduate students may transfer up to 12 hours of credit at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies.

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 guidelines, Ph.D. students can generally expect up to four years of GPTI support. A fifth year of support may be available, contingent upon satisfactory progress as determined by the graduate faculty and with the approval of the Department Chair.

TA/GPTI Salary working 20/hours a week:

• Ph.D. Teaching Assistant II: $18,000 (9 month)
• Ph.D. Graduate Part-Time Instructor: $20,000 (9 month)
• Ph.D. Graduate Part-Time Instructor ABD: $21,000 (9 month)

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

Program Requirements

Candidates for the Ph.D. in Spanish must complete at least 60 hours of graduate coursework and pass the Ph.D. examination.

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.

Ph.D. students must also demonstrate reading knowledge of one language other than English and Spanish. This requirement can be met by passing with a grade of C or above in two graduate language courses in the target language, or by passing a reading proficiency examination.

Ph.D. Exams

The doctoral exams provide the student with the opportunity to demonstrate and integrate comprehensive knowledge of chosen fields of specialization, as well as to demonstrate his/her preparedness to enter candidacy and begin the process of writing the dissertation. The written exams for the Ph.D. in Spanish consist of a portfolio that demonstrates the development of their work thus far in the program. Under the guidance of their advisor and dissertation committee, students must submit the completed portfolio by the middle of the 5th semester.

Contents of the Portfolio: Article, in publishable format; Literature review of complementary field or second academic article; Course proposal; Teaching statement. There will be an oral portfolio defense immediately after the submission, thus still during the 5th semester.

Advancement to PhD Candidacy
After passing the oral portfolio defense, students will be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy. If students fail to submit a complete and satisfactory portfolio and/or fail the oral portfolio defense, they can resubmit their portfolio once, in the following semester, and defend it. After a second failure, students have failed the qualifying exam and will be dismissed from the program.

Dissertation Proposal
During their 6th semester, after passing the qualifying exam, Ph.D. students must submit their dissertation proposal to their dissertation committee. Students must defend their dissertation proposal to their dissertation committee in the semester following the passing of the Ph.D. exam, ideally in the 6th semester. The goal of the oral defense is to determine if the student is prepared to write their dissertation.

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.