Admission to the Program

Admission to the MA Program in Spanish is a two-part part process.  First, the prospective student must apply for admission to the university through the Graduate Division.  Meanwhile, the applicant must also send two letters of recommendation, statements of purpose and a writing sample directly to the Spanish Program.

Send application portfolio to:
Spanish Program Graduate Coordinator
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94132

Entrance Requirements Established by the Spanish Program
In addition to the requirements established by the University and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, a student must also meet the following admission requirements established by the Spanish M.A. Program: 1. All applicants are expected to have the equivalent of a B.A. in Spanish, that is, 30 units of upper-division work in Spanish, with a GPA of 3.0 or better. If the student has not met this requirement, he or she may, at the discretion of the Program, be admitted as a “conditionally classified” graduate student. Students thus admitted must satisfactorily complete a number of specified courses before they become fully classified. These courses are not included in the 30 units required for the Masters.
2. Applicants must provide for two recent letters of recommendation to be sent the program. 
3. Applicants must demonstrate to the Spanish faculty a record of prior scholastic achievement indicative of potential success as a graduate student.  This means that applicants must submit a brief writing sample (essay) in Spanish or English in which he or she analyzes a literary, cultural, or historical topic.
4. Applicants must also submit two copies of a brief statement of purpose, one in English, the other in Spanish.
5. Applicants are responsible for meeting to appropriate deadlines.  Materials sent directly to the Spanish Program must be postmarked by April 1 to be considered for Fall admission, or by October 1, to be considered for Spring admission.

Requirements

University Requirements
1. All graduate students at San Francisco State University must demonstrate proficiency in written English. (See #3 below under Department and Program Requirements).
2. Graduate students must maintain at least a "B" average (i.e., 3.0) in all courses taken.
3. No more than six units from other institutions may be transferred to graduate programs at San Francisco State University. Any units transferred must be approved by both the Graduate Division and the Spanish graduate advisor.  Please see the University Bulletin, page 142 (if you follow the link, scroll down to “Transfer Credit From Other Institutions.” http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/current/gadmit.htm
4. Degrees must be undertaken and completed within seven years (see University Bulletin page 144).

(For further requirements, please read the section, “Master's Degree Program Requirements” in the University Bulletin. Students are responsible for meeting all deadlines and requirements specified in the University Bulletin.)

Departmental and Program Requirements
1. Students pursuing a Masters in Spanish must first complete 30 units of graduate studies. At least 21 of these units must be at the graduate level, that is, courses numbered 700 through 899. Up to 9 units of upper-division courses numbered 500 through 699 may be applied toward the Masters provided none has been applied previously towards a B.A. degree. Following the successful completion of these thirty units, all students must pass comprehensive written and oral examinations (see below). A thesis is not required for the M.A. in Spanish.
2. At least 24 units must be taken in residence at the SFSU campus.
3. The candidate may elect to take 24 units of course work in Spanish and six units in a related field. The related field courses must have the prior approval of the graduate coordinator.
4. When taking upper division classes, the student is responsible for informing the instructor that he or she is a graduate student. Graduate students in such classes can expect to meet higher standards than those imposed on undergraduates.
5. The student should meet with the graduate coordinator (Professor Cortés-Rocca) every semester.
6. Students are required to pass the Graduate Essay Test (GET) before advancing to the screening interview (see 8, below). We strongly recommend taking the exam during the first semester. For more information about the GET, go to the GET Information page.
7. The student must submit a Graduate Approved Program (GAP) when he or she has no fewer than six units left to complete for the degree. It is the responsibility of the student to file the GAP on time.
8. Before taking the written and oral exams, every Spanish graduate student must have a Screening Interview with a committee of Spanish faculty. Screening interviews (fogueos) take place twice a year, during the Fall and Spring semesters.
9. Please see Exam Policy page for detailed information about fogueos and exams.