Spanish, M.A.

Program Scope

The Master of Arts in Spanish at San Francisco State University offers students a challenging and enriching experience in the study of Spanish and Latin American literature and culture in one of the most fascinating cities of the world. You will study literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present and receive training in academic writing, and in literary research methodologies and cultural theory.

Over the course of their graduate studies in our Spanish Master, students acquire in-depth knowledge of Spanish-speaking countries and their cultures and challenges, along with the critical skills for academic analysis. We are committed to critical thinking and creative writing as well. Our objective is to inspire our students to develop their knowledge in specialized fields of the Spanish speaking cultures in order to educate responsible, creative and competent citizens of a global and connected world.

It generally takes two years to complete all the requirements for the M.A. program in Spanish, but it may take more time, according to other personal conditions. A maximum of seven years is allowed.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Master of Arts in Spanish:

1. Use of Appropriate Resources, Materials and Format for Writing a Research Paper. Students must demonstrate the ability to produce effective academic writing based on scholarly research.
2. Knowledge of Culture, Language and Literature at the Advanced Level
   1. Demonstrate graduate-level competence in the concentration language.
   2. Analyze texts for theme, structure, style and other aspects of prose and poetry.
   3. Explain how literary movements influence each other and are shaped by history.
   4. Demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches when analyzing complex problems and intellectual questions.
   5. Demonstrate knowledge of the present day structure of the concentration language, including the phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and discourse features.
   6. Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development and sociolinguistic variations of the concentration language.
   7. Demonstrate the ability to develop basic skills as teacher-researcher while applying theoretical knowledge to practice, and to implement standard-based Second Language Acquisition (SLA) instruction.