Graduate
Degree Requirements for the MA with Specialization in Hispanic Linguistics
Our new and expanding Hispanic linguistics program is meant for students
who want to combine solid training in theoretical and descriptive linguistics
with the advanced study of various aspects of Spanish, whether they
be structural, historical, sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, or applied.
Many students in the program additionally pursue certificates in Latin American studies or European Union Center of Excellence/European Studies Center, which provide a wide range of support for graduate students, including fellowships, conference travel grants, and grants for field research. Other students may wish to pursue a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the Department of Linguistics.
Outstanding library resources are available in the Hillman
Library, which has an especially strong collection in the Latin American
area. Students should visit the Eduardo
Lozano Latin American collection.
Students earning their degree in the University of Pittsburgh Hispanic linguistics program will have an MA or PhD in linguistics, with a specialization in Hispanic linguistics. For those entering the academic job market, the degree will give them the option of joining either Spanish departments or general linguistics departments.
This page outlines the specific requirements for this degree. A downloadable checklist is also available:
Checklist for the MA in linguistics with specialization in Hispanic linguistics (PDF)
Entering students must take LING 1000 Introduction to Linguistics (formerly LING 1950) if they have not already taken an equivalent introductory course, but 1000 will not count toward the 30 credits required for the MA degree. Three core courses in linguistics are required:
Requirements: two classes in addition to the general requirements as follow:
LING 2392: History of Spanish (required); and,
a choice between one of the following:
LING 2394: Spanish Dialectology; or
LING 2393: Spanish Sociolinguistics.Other Requirements:
Entrance Requirement: Advanced Low Proficiency in Spanish as measured by an OPI or equivalent.
In core courses, students are encouraged to work on topics in Hispanic Linguistics and to use Spanish sources.
All theses and long papers must have a significant Hispanic Element, and a significant number of sources in Spanish.
Note: All teaching assistants for undergraduate Spanish courses take Methodology for Teaching Spanish (taught by the coordinator for the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures) as one of these remaining electives.
Suggested Sequence for MA in Hispanic Linguistics:
Semester 1 |
Semester 2 |
Semester 3 |
Semester 4 |
| Phonetics | Phonology | History of Spanish | Sociolinguistics/ Historical Linguistics/ Language Contact |
| Morphology | Syntax | elective | Thesis (6 credits) |
| Research Methods | Spanish Sociolinguistics/ Dialectology | elective |