Doctorate Program
General RequirementsThe Ph.D. in Spanish requires a minimum of 135 graduate credit hours, at least 90 of which must be completed beyond the Master's degree. Of the 90 graduate credit hours required beyond the M.A., a minimum of 45 must be completed at The Ohio State University. For a specialization in Spanish and/or Latin American Literatures and Cultures (described below), 50 graduate hours of doctoral coursework, plus 40 graduate hours of Spanish 999 (Thesis research) will fulfill program requirements. For a specialization in Hispanic Linguistics (described below), 60 graduate hours of doctoral coursework in Hispanic Linguistics, plus 30 hours of Spanish 999 (Thesis research) will fulfill program requirements. In order that they may have a period of concentrated study beyond the M.A., all students are required by the Graduate School to be enrolled during three out of four consecutive quarters, carrying at least ten graduate credit hours each quarter. After successful completion of the Candidacy Examination (described below) 20 graduate credit hours over a period of at least two quarters are required.
Specializations Offered
Two possible specializations are offered, one in Spanish and/or Latin American
Literatures and Cultures, the other in Hispanic Linguistics. Each of these areas
of specialization requires of the student two fields of concentration. A specialization
in Spanish and/or Latin American Literatures and Cultures also requires a minor.
Each specialization has specific curricular requirements that are described below.
In addition to the fulfillment of course requirements, all students are required
to pass the Candidacy Examination, to write a dissertation, and to pass a Final
Oral Examination that includes a defense of the dissertation.
Entrance Requirements
A minimal requirement for entrance to the Ph.D. program is a Master's degree
or equivalent graduate work in the discipline and area(s) of desired doctoral
specialization. The Graduate School requires a GPA of at least 3.3 (on a scale
of 4.0) in previous graduate-level work for admission to all doctoral programs
at the University. Normally, however, the expectation of the Department of Spanish
and Portuguese is that successful applicants to its doctoral program will have
a GPA of 3.5 or higher in previous graduate-level work.
Evaluation of Foreign Degrees
The Graduate Studies Committee will evaluate foreign degrees according to the
following criteria: a) a five-year Licenciatura in the field of desired doctoral
specialization will normally be considered the equivalent of the M.A. degree;
b) in the case of a four-year Licenciatura or similar degree in the field of
desired specialization, the Committee will take into account the writing sample(s)
submitted, the presence or absence of a tesina in the applicant's previous degree
program, as well as other significant academic experience in order to determine
admission to the departmental Ph.D. program; c) students with a five-year Licenciatura
or equivalent degree which is not in the field of desired specialization but
in some field related to it (e.g., Anthropology, History, English, French) will
be required to enter the Master's program, unless their previous studies included
a significant number of courses in the field of desired doctoral specialization.
Specialization in Spanish and/or Latin American Literatures and Cultures
Students are required to have a primary concentration, a secondary concentration, and a minor. There are four possible fields of primary concentration, which are as follows:
- Spanish literatures and cultures: Middle Ages to the Baroque
- Spanish literatures and cultures: Enlightenment to Postmodernity
- Latin American literatures and cultures: Indigenous, Colonial, and Nation
- Latin American literatures and cultures: Modernity and Postmodernity (Approximately 1880 to the Present )
- Literary and Cultural Theory
- Luso-Brazilian Literatures and Cultures
Students are subject to the following course requirements:
- Spanish 703 (Research Methods and Design), and one course in Literary and Cultural Theory (unless previously taken;
- Four five-credit courses in the field of primary concentration, chosen from the options above; two of these must be at the 800 level;
- Three five-credit courses in the field of secondary concentration, chosen from the options above; no overlap with the required course in Literary and Cultural Theory is permitted, if Theory is chosen;
- Three five-credit courses in the minor.
A dictionary reading knowledge of two languages other than English and Spanish is required. The requirement may be fulfilled either through appropriate course work, or by special examination.
Specialization in Hispanic Linguistics
Students are required to have a primary concentration and a secondary concentration, in addition to diversification courses and courses in general and theoretical linguistics. There are two possible fields of primary concentration, which are as follows
- Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology (Synchronic and Diachronic)
- Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics (Synchronic and Diachronic)
- Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology (Synchronic and Diachronic)
- Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics (Synchronic and Diachronic)
- Sociolinguistics, Dialectology
- Romance Linguistics
- Portuguese Linguistics
Students are subject to the following course requirements:
- Three five-credit courses in the field of primary concentration, chosen from the options above; two of these courses must be at the 800 level;
- Three five-credit courses in the field of secondary concentration, chosen from the options above;
- Three additional five-credit courses in linguistics for diversification, including one on the linguistic analysis of one of the required additional languages (see below);
- Three five-credit courses in general and theoretical linguistics to complement the areas of concentration; these courses must be taken outside the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, e.g., in Department of Linguistics, the Department of Philosophy, etc.
- Basic Knowledge of morphophonemic and syntactic patterns of Latin;
- Advanced Reading knowledge of a language, other than Spanish or English, sufficient to take a graduate course on its linguistic analysis;
- Dictionary reading knowledge of an additional language, other than Spanish and English.
Entry Requirements for the Specialization in Hispanic Linguistics
Students entering the Ph.D. program with specialization in Hispanic Linguistics
who have a degree from another university are expected to have a competency equivalent
to that acquired by those who have been awarded a Master's degree with specialization
in Hispanic Linguistics from The Ohio State University. A core group of subjects
that should have been covered for successful doctoral studies includes the narrow
equivalents of:
Spanish 732: Syntax/Semantics/Pragmatics
Spanish 734: Phonetics/Phonology/Morphology
Spanish 736: Historical
Spanish 738: Sociolinguistics
Additionally, students should have taken at least one second-level or advanced course in two out of the four areas mentioned above, i.e., the equivalents of Spanish 833 (Phonology II) and/or Spanish 833 (Syntax II), and/or Spanish 836 (Historical II) and/or Spanish 833/838 (Sociolinguistics II). Such a set of courses cover two out of the four applicable M.A. reading lists on which our departmental Master's Examination in Hispanic Linguistics is based.
Before embarking on doctoral studies, candidates with an external M.A. degree must attain this competency level by taking appropriate courses where needed. Not more than one course in Spanish linguistics at the 700 level may be counted towards fulfillment of the minimal course requirements at the doctoral level. Any preparatory course work at the 800 level needs to be completed within the first year after entry into the program. Course work at the 600 level in the Department of Linguistics, and at the 700 level in any department other than Spanish and Portuguese is applicable to the doctoral program.
After acceptance into the Ph.D. program, external M.A. graduates, together with the departmental faculty in linguistics, will establish the appropriate amount and sequence of course work to be undertaken, if any, in pursuit of this minimum competency level as specified above.
Time Frame for the Ph.D. Program
Graduate Teaching Associates in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese are
allowed a maximum of twelve quarters of departmental support while they are enrolled
in the doctoral program. The usual period of study up to the Candidacy Examination
is six to eight quarters. During this time, the minimum course load for those
receiving departmental support is two graduate level courses per quarter. Note:
those students on GTA appointment who have not taken Spanish 801 (Teaching Spanish
at the College Level), or the equivalent, prior to entering the program, must
take that course in addition to two other courses during their first quarter.
The writing of the doctoral dissertation, and its subsequent defense, normally take place during the final year and a half of residence.
The Candidacy Examination
In addition to fulfilling the course requirements described above, all students
in the doctoral program are required to pass a Candidacy Examination before proceeding
to the writing of the dissertation. The Candidacy Examination, which covers both
the primary and the secondary fields of concentration, consists of two take-home
written exams and a two-hour oral exam. The exam is intended to be not only a
test of candidates' over-all comprehension of their fields of concentration,
but also of their capacity to undertake independent research, to analyze critically,
to synthesize cogently, to articulate ideas clearly, and to generate original
thinking. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a convincing command of
their reading lists, which, as a whole, should reflect the scope of their fields
of concentration. In all instances examining committees will expect candidates
to demonstrate the ability to conceptualize and contextualize beyond the contents
of the course work they have taken.
The Doctoral Dissertation
The dissertation, required of all degree candidates, is the capstone of the student's
doctoral work. In order that the candidate may establish a good foundation for
the dissertation, and receive appropriate guidance as work is begun, the scope,
methodology, and structure of the dissertation are proposed to his or her dissertation
committee in the form of a prospectus, written and defended in the quarter following
the Candidacy Examination. Once the prospectus has been approved, the candidate
proceeds to the writing of the dissertation, the language of which may be either
English or Spanish. At all stages, the candidate works in close conjunction with
his or her advisor, who functions as chair of the dissertation committee.
It is expected that a good dissertation will constitute a substantial scholarly contribution to the candidate's area of specialization. As such, it will not only demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the field on which the study is focused, but the ability to work independently, as well as the capacity to analyze and synthesize in an original fashion. The argument throughout will be clearly and convincingly presented, and it will be supported with appropriate critical discourse.
Final Oral Examination
Once the dissertation has been completed, the candidate undergoes a Final Oral
Examination. This exam, which is conducted by the dissertation committee, includes
but is not limited to discussion of the dissertation and the specific field of
investigation on which it is based. The examination lasts approximately two hours,
and is open to the public.
Further Information
Further information on the Ph.D. program will be found in the departmental Graduate
Handbook.
