MA in Spanish Program Overview
Our online Master of Arts in Spanish is designed to provide students with a broad background in Spanish language, literature, culture, linguistics, and teaching language methodology. Through a combination of core courses taught exclusively in Spanish and electives taken either in Spanish or in contiguous programs of study, students develop mastery in these fields, preparing themselves for increased cultural competence in the global workplace and greater competitiveness in doctoral programs in Hispanic studies, literature, or Spanish linguistics.
Our program's structure enables students to learn research methods, enhance language skills, and acquire a scholarly view of the Spanish-speaking world’s culture, literature, and linguistics. Designed with working people and parents in mind, our program is delivered in an asynchronous online format that allows you to complete coursework anywhere—even outside the United States—at any time of day. This is a non-thesis option program.
Bilingualism is a valuable skill in the daily interactions of modern life, but it can also be a tremendous professional asset. The Spanish-speaking population in the United States has surpassed 60 million. As Spanish language skills become increasingly applicable to nearly every profession, mastering Spanish can potentially double your job opportunities. These increased employment prospects are just one of the professional rewards our online MA in Spanish can help you reap. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that master’s degree graduates earn almost 20% more and have higher employment rates than those with an undergraduate degree alone.
Alumni Pathways
As a graduate of our online MA in Spanish program, you’ll possess an in-depth understanding of a language spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Often thriving as teachers and interpreters, professionals with a background in Spanish language, literature, and culture are highly sought-after in a diverse array of businesses, especially those that engage with Spanish speakers.
Below are just a few of the organizations our MA in Spanish alumni work for:
- The UT System
- Ector County ISD
- City of Midland
- Midland Police Department
- LJA Engineering
- El Saber Enterprises
- EMD Electronics
- Center for Discovery
Careers for MA in Spanish Graduates
While Spanish proficiency can be advantageous in any career, many students with an MA in Spanish pursue careers as:
3 Credits
Select 6 credits from the list of courses.
Select 6 credits from the list of courses.
Select 6 credits from the list of courses.
9 Elective Credits. NOTE: SPAN 6389 Selected Topics* can be taken as a core course or a support course as needed, depending on the content area (Spanish American literature, Peninsular literature, or Linguistics.) Courses on this list can be taken as electives if they do not count toward core courses. One of these 3 courses from the English graduate program can be taken as an elective course: ENGL 6352 Topics in Poetry, ENGL 6353 Topics in Drama, ENGL 6377 History of Poetics.
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in Spanish from an accredited institution.
- GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 credits hours leading toward a bachelor’s degree.
- Official transcripts.
Conditional Admission Requirements
If you do not meet the GPA requirements for this program, you may qualify for conditional admission with the following requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- GPA of at least 2.5 in the last 60 credits hours leading toward a bachelor’s degree.
- At least one of the following:
- Minimum GRE score of 150 (or higher in Verbal and Quantitative section).
- A minor in Spanish.
- An essay in Spanish (see details in Essay section below).
- Official transcripts.
Official Transcripts
Official copies of transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope and can be mailed to:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies Office
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Official transcripts in electronic format can be sent to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Essay
Candidates who do not have a BA or a minor in Spanish or 12 hours of upper-level Spanish undergraduate coursework from an accredited university must write a six-page essay in MLA format. This writing sample must be written in Spanish on a topic of literature or linguistics of the Spanish-speaking world, including Hispanics in the USA.
Note for candidates submitting an essay: A candidate may be recommended to enroll in additional undergraduate courses to complete preparation for graduate work.
Supporting Documents
All supporting documents related the graduate program should be sent to the Graduate Studies Office:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762-0001
Electronic versions of supporting documents may be emailed to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Application Fee
The application fee is $40.
Veterans and Active Duty Military: Your application fee is waived for this program. Get details now.
If you have any questions regarding the admission requirements, please email gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Associate Professor and Head of the Graduate Program
abrego_p@utpb.edu
Dr. Ábrego joined UT Permian Basin in August 2013. Dr. Ábrego earned her PhD in Hispanic literature from Vanderbilt University. Her academic areas of specialization include border literature and theory; migration and cultural exchange as expressed in literary, historical, filmic, and theoretical texts. She has collaborated in different academic publications in Mexico and the United States.
Associate Professor
moreno_j@utpb.edu
Dr. Moreno is an essayist, narrator, travel author, and contributor to cultural supplements, journals, and newspapers in Mexico City, Colombia, Spain, the United States, Denmark, and France. He is an associate professor and researcher at The University of Texas Permian Basin. He has written Querida Margot (short stories, 2018); Desires of Community: The Interstitial Character in the Novel and the Cinema of the Nineties in Mexico (essays, 2016); and a compilation of chronicles: Road to Ciudad Juárez: Chronicles and Border Stories (2014). Two more compilations will be published in 2021. In addition, he prepares Chronicles of Campus Visit.
We’re pleased to offer program admission on a rolling basis.
Rolling admission refers to our process of accepting and evaluating applications as we receive them and moving any applications that miss the deadline to the next semester. However, if you want to enroll in courses for a specific semester, you will need to make note of the application deadlines found below. If you don’t complete your application and submit the required materials by the deadline, your application will be rolled over to the next semester.
