Admissions

Graduate Programs in Spanish

The Department of Romance & Classical Studies at Michigan State University offers three graduate programs in Spanish: the PhD in Hispanic Cultural Studies, the MA in Hispanic Literatures and the MA in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language.

Graduate students in RCS Spanish programs participate actively in research and teaching with leading faculty in their fields. The Department is especially proud of its excellent record assisting recent graduates to obtain outstanding job placements.

Please contact grad@rcs.msu.edu if you have any questions.

Applying for Admission

To be considered for admission into a Spanish graduate study program, please make sure that all of the required items are submitted to:

Dept. of Romance and Classical Studies
Attn: Graduate Admissions
619 Red Cedar Rd.
B-331 Wells Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824

The application deadline for full consideration and for a teaching assistantship or other forms of financial support is December 15. The Department will accept applications after then; however, we cannot guarantee financial support.

Master of Arts (Hispanic Literatures or Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language):

Hispanic Literatures: use program code 5733 on your MSU Online Application Form.

Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language: use program code 5771 on your MSU Online Application Form.

MSU Online Application Form
Degree of Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Spanish, Hispanic Studies, Spanish Philology, or the equivalent, depending on specialization
GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 or higher (or the equivalent)
Three letters of recommendation
Transcripts, degrees and/or diplomas
Request that all colleges or universities attended (or examination boards) send original or attested copies of all transcripts, diplomas, mark sheets, and certificates in an official, sealed envelope, directly to the Department.
Transcripts not in English must be translated. Translations must be done by the issuing institution, a certified translator in the country of issue, or by a US translator certified by the American Translator’s Association. Include the original record with the translation.
More information is available at: https://grad.msu.edu/internationalapplicants.
A personal statement and an academic statement
Evidence of Spanish-language proficiency
Prospective graduate students who are not native speakers of Spanish must demonstrate adequate proficiency in the language they will teach, before being awarded an assistantship. The language director or another faculty member will interview candidates by phone.
Evidence of English-language proficiency
International students and/or prospective graduate students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate competency in English. For information about requirements, see the policy on the Graduate School’s information for international applicants.

Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Cultural Studies:

Use program code 5734 on your MSU Online Application Form.

MSU Online Application Form
Degree of Master of Arts with a Major in Spanish, Hispanic Studies, Spanish Philology, or equivalent, depending on specialization
GPA of 3.25 out of 4.0 or higher (or the equivalent) in MA coursework
Academic writing sample in Spanish
Three letters of recommendation
Transcripts, degrees and/or diplomas
Request that all colleges or universities attended (or examination boards) send original or attested copies of all transcripts, diplomas, mark sheets, and certificates in an official, sealed envelope, directly to the Department.
Transcripts not in English must be translated. Translations must be done by the issuing institution, a certified translator in the country of issue, or by a US translator certified by the American Translator’s Association. Include the original record with the translation.
More information is available at: https://grad.msu.edu/internationalapplicants.
A personal statement and an academic statement
Evidence of Spanish-language proficiency
Prospective graduate students who are not native speakers of Spanish must demonstrate adequate proficiency in the language they will teach, before being awarded an assistantship. The language director or another faculty member will interview candidates by phone.
Evidence of English-language proficiency
International students and/or prospective graduate students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate competency in English. For information about requirements, see the policy on the Graduate School’s information for international applicants.