Spanish Literature and Culture, PhD
Build an individualized curriculum that reflects your research interests, studying Peninsular, Mexican, Caribbean, Brazilian, Southern Cone, Chicano and Latino, and Trans-Pacific literary and cultural traditions.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Spanish Literature and Culture degree description
The Doctor of Philosophy program in Spanish literature and culture is intended to be as flexible as possible. You establish broad areas of competence by creating your own program of study with the supportive guidance of your advisor.
Graduate courses in literature and cultural studies focus on the production, distribution and reception of texts and their linguistics, either written or visual (e.g., photographs, films, visual narratives), as well as their linguistic, rhetorical and literary structure and functions, with an emphasis on literary theories and aesthetics. You have opportunities to focus on film and visual studies, sound studies, race studies, gender studies, sexuality studies, disability studies, Sino-Hispanic studies, colonial studies, a variety of comparative studies, environmental humanities and critical posthumanities.
Why study Spanish Literature and Culture at ASU?
You design a flexible doctoral curriculum that fits your scholarly goals. ASU's program covers a broader geographic and thematic range than typical Spanish literature programs, spanning Spain, Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, Chicano and Latino communities, and transnational cultural contexts. Faculty bring expertise in literature, film, media studies, borderlands, environmental humanities, gender studies and comparative culture, giving you diverse intellectual resources as you develop your research.
ASU's location in Arizona creates distinctive opportunities for borderlands, migration and transnational cultural research. You work within a large research university with extensive resources while benefiting from a supportive school environment. The program connects you to humanities research centers and interdisciplinary collaborations across ASU, allowing you to engage with scholars and initiatives beyond your home department. Faculty with international recognition mentor you through advanced work in literary studies, borderlands studies and comparative cultural analysis, among others, preparing you for academic, research, cultural and international careers.
Additional details
You can participate in and lead graduate student organizations, including the Sigma Delta Pi-Theta Epsilon chapter of the Spanish National Honor Society. The School of International Letters and Cultures hosts cultural events and language-focused programming throughout the year.
ASU's humanities lectures, conferences and speaker series bring visiting scholars to campus regularly. You have access to extensive research libraries and professional development resources that support your growth as a scholar and teacher.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
84 credit hours, a foreign language exam, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation
Required Core (3 credit hours) Literature and Culture Electives (51 credit hours) Electives (6 credit hours) Research (12 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Each candidate is expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of one language other than English and Spanish. This language requirement must be satisfied before the candidate is eligible to take the comprehensive examination. The written and oral comprehensive examination, designed to ascertain the candidate's knowledge and orientation in the field of study and competence to proceed with the dissertation, is required at or near the end of coursework. When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree.
SPA 545 Concepts of Literary Criticism (3)
SPA 792 Research (12)
SPA 799 Dissertation (12)
Coursework for the literature and culture electives must be SPA literature or culture content courses and approved by the student's supervisory committee. Students may not put SPA 596 Second Language Methodologies toward this requirement.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Analyze literary texts from various genres, movements and periods in Spanish
- Conduct a literature review in preparation for dissertation prospectus.
- Produce an original research project in the form of a dissertation.
Analyze literary texts from various genres, movements and periods in SpanishAdmission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in Spanish or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants from other academic backgrounds with relevant coursework in Spanish language and cultural studies also may be evaluated by the admissions committee. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information Submission of GRE scores is recommended but not required; this is especially advisable for applicants for the Spanish Graduate Fellowship Award. ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition. Candidates for the program are required to demonstrate a near-native oral proficiency in Spanish and to show that they have developed a high order of expository prose in English and Spanish by presenting a term paper or a chapter of their master's degree thesis as their writing sample.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 01/15 | Final* |
*A final deadline means that all applications and application materials must be received by Admission Services by the deadline date. Applications that are incomplete may not be considered after the final deadline. Applications that are submitted past the final deadline may not be considered.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this Spanish literature and culture degree prepares you for
Professionals with this degree can confidently move into the academic profession; careers in education, including in museums and libraries; and professions outside academia, such as in the publishing industry, media, nonprofits and international relations. Skills developed through this program are valued for teaching positions, translation work or career opportunities in larger sectors, such as government, diplomacy and international business environments.
Career examples include these positions:
- area, ethnic or cultural studies teacher or professor
- curator
- editor
- digital humanities college coordinator
- foreign language and literature teacher or professor
- instructional design coordinator
- interpreter or translator
- lawyer
- reporter or correspondent
- social and community service manager
- study abroad manager
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of International Letters and Cultures
|
DH 318
silc@asu.edu
480-965-6281
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
