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Program Description
The Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree. It signifies that the recipient is able to conduct independent research and has both broad knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American languages and literatures and a comprehensive knowledge of one in particular. The department accepts only students of outstanding promise, as evidenced by their academic records, statement of purpose, and writing sample. Students applying to the doctoral program must have either a BA or an MA degree in literature or a related field and are admitted to the PhD program on the basis of an evaluation of their undergraduate or graduate record by the Director of Graduate Studies and a departmental faculty admissions committee. A writing sample of literary criticism is required for the PhD program. It may be a term paper, a master’s thesis, or a published article and should be written in Spanish or Portuguese. In addition, the department requires that candidates take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test. Students whose native language is not English may be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A high level of proficiency is required in either Spanish or Portuguese or both.
Dual Degree
The Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures Department offers a dual degree with the NYU School of Law: Spanish and Portuguese PhD/Law JD.
See Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Admissions
All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the general application requirements, which include:
See Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
The program requires the completion of 72 credits, of which 32 credits must be taken in residence at NYU.
Additional Program Requirements
Language Requirement
Students must have an advanced proficiency in Spanish and a reading proficiency in Portuguese. Reading knowledge of an additional research language is required for all doctoral students The choice of that language (exclusive of Spanish, Portuguese, or English) should be consistent with the student’s interest and contemplated field of specialization (e.g., Italian or German for a scholar of early modern Spain, French for a contemporary Hispanist, etc.) and should be decided upon in consultation with the director of graduate studies. Students must satisy this requirement by the end of the 3rd year.
Comprehensive Examination
Students must first pass a Comprehensive Evaluation consisting of a written and an oral examination on three individualized reading lists. These lists will cover the students’ Dissertation, Theory, and Teaching fields and are developed by the student in collaboration with the three advisors. To prepare for the Comprehensive Evaluation, the student must enroll in Guided Individual Readings, SPAN-GA 2891, with the Dissertation Advisor, a workshop designed to guide the student in the preparation of the dissertation project paper.
Dissertation
Students must also defend their Dissertation Proposal, a 30-50 page outline of the planned dissertation. The Dissertation Proposal sets out the intellectual justification of the project, the theoretical frameworks that will be used, and the project's relation to existing work in the field. It must specify the structure of the dissertation and include a synopsis of each chapter and a bibliograhy. The Dissertation Proposal is defended before a committee of three members who form the core membership of the student's dissertation committee.
When the dissertation is completed and approved by the candidate’s adviser and readers, an oral examination is held at which the candidate presents and defends the results of the research before a faculty committee.
Medieval and Renaissance Studies Concentration
The program offers a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, an interdisciplinary program in nature, and creates a framework and community for diverse approaches to the study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The concentration complements doctoral students’ work in their home departments with interdisciplinary study of the broad range of culture in the medieval and early modern periods, as well as of the theories and methods that attend them. The concentration is designed to train specialists who are firmly based in a traditional discipline but who can work across disciplinary boundaries, making use of varied theoretical approaches and methodological practices.
Concentration Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MEDI-GA 1100 | Proseminar in Medieval & Renaissance Studies | 4 |
| MEDI-GA 2100 | Studies in Late Latin and Early Vernaculars: (or another approved course) | 4 |
| MEDI-GA 2000 | Medieval & Renaissance Workshop (2-credit course taken twice, for a total of 4 credits) | 4 |
| 4 |
| 4 |
| Total Credits | 20 |
In addition, students pursuing the concentration will present a paper at least once either in the Workshop or in a conference offered by the Medieval and Renaissance Center.
Note: At least one course, not counting either the Proseminar or Workshop, must be taken outside a student’s home department.
Sample Plan of Study
Plan of Study Grid
| 1st Semester/Term |
|---|
| SPAN-GA 2965 |
Special Topics |
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 16 |
| 2nd Semester/Term |
|---|
| SPAN-GA 2950 |
Professional Writing Practices I |
2 |
| PORT-GA 1104 |
Portuguese for Spanish Speakers |
0 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 14 |
| 3rd Semester/Term |
|---|
| SPAN-GA 1120 |
Foreign Language Teaching Methodology |
2 |
| SPAN-GA 3991 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 14 |
| 4th Semester/Term |
|---|
| SPAN-GA 2953 |
Professional Writing Practices II |
2 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 14 |
| 5th Semester/Term |
|---|
| SPAN-GA 3545 |
Doctoral Seminar: Dissertation Propsal Wks |
2 |
| SPAN-GA 2891 |
Guided Individual Readings |
1-4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 8 |
| 6th Semester/Term |
|---|
| SPAN-GA 3545 |
Doctoral Seminar: Dissertation Propsal Wks |
2 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 6 |
| 7th Semester/Term |
|---|
| MAINT-GA 4747 |
Maintain Matriculation |
0 |
| | Credits | 0 |
| | Total Credits | 72 |
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GA 4747) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program. graduates will:
- Attain a high level of scholarship and research related to Hispanophone and Lusophone literatures and cultures, using critical methodologies relevant in the field.
- Prepare to be professionals in academic careers in Iberian, Latin American, Caribbean, Latinx and Transatlantic literatures and cultures.
- Attain leadership skills to foster intellectual community through collaboration and critique, and through exposure to potential careers outside the university, in arts institutions, and in public humanities.
- Master both canonical and non-canonical literary and cultural works within Hispanophone and Lusophone literary and cultural traditions.
- Produce scholarly work that can be accepted for peer-reviewed publication or conference.
Policies
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University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Graduate School of Arts and Science Policies
Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page.