Path to Spanish PhD...advice?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hey all, I'm looking for some advice for someone who is seeking a PhD in Spanish (focus on L.A. Lit & Culture) for the purpose of teaching Spanish at the university level.</p>

<p>I have a BA in Spanish lit from a "tier 3" state school, graduated summa cum laude with a 3.9 institutional GPA (~3.75 GPA in the major) . However, my overall GPA is only ~3.5 due to a couple bad grades in community college courses before starting this major at the uni. GRE: 800v/790q. No published articles, but a good writer (with at least two exceptional thesis papers that I could submit, one in Spanish and one in English, on LA literature). Solid work experience, including as a translator. I think my letters of recommendation would be very good. Fluent in Spanish to the extent that native speakers usually think I'm native; also fluent in Italian (my minor) and have a basic grasp of Portuguese and French (enough to read a newspaper without a dictionary). I'm not exactly sure about my dissertation topic yet, but I do know my general focus.</p>

<p>Do people think I have a chance applying directly to PhD programs (Penn State, Michigan State, UT Austin..."reach" schools: Stanford or Duke) or that I'd have a better shot by going back to the same "tier 3" for a terminal MA before applying (though it would take longer than a usual MA due to budget cuts, and most of the people in the program are HS teachers)? Are these schools altogether out of my league as someone coming from a school not "up there" as far as this field goes? I am considering these schools more for their academic focuses and faculty than for their names, so if others can recommend similar programs that would be appreciated as well. Anything more that I could do to help my chances in applying?</p>

2

<p>Your overall GPA is fine, especially if your major GPA is a 3.75. You also have the language knowledge that a lot of PhD in Spanish candidates wish they have - your fluency in Spanish is a given, but fluency in Italian and reading knowledge in Portuguese and French will serve you will in the research.</p>

<p>Your school’s rank doesn’t matter. People come from lower-tier schools to top-tier grad programs all the time. Given your high GPA, language knowledge and assuming excellent recommendations, a decent GRE score and a strong personal statement, your school rank will fade into the background.</p>

<p>I’m not in the humanities, but I’m pretty sure that even humanities programs want to see some kind of scholarship in your field. You don’t have to be published, but have you ever done any Spanish/Latin American research with professors? I don’t know what kind of scholarship foreign language professors do but your potential schools will expect to see at least a little of it on your record, and that (more than your university rank) is what will hold you back in the process. Ask some of your close professors if they are doing any research and need an assistant. Ask them what kind of experience you need to get into grad school, and ask them if they know anyone who can help you get it. After all, you need to know what kind of research you will be doing for the next 6-9 years of your life - a Spanish PhD will not be about teaching Spanish, it will be about research. Aside from that, though, your application looks strong for top places.</p>

<p>And keep that in mind, too - a Spanish professor position at many schools is going to be about Spanish scholarship in your chosen field (so Latin American lit and culture). I mean, there are plenty of places where you will have little time to do research and spend more time focused on teaching, but most places are going to grant your tenure based upon your research record and not your teaching.</p>

3

<p>Test yourself to see how much you really want to be a Spanish professor:</p>

<p>Can you see yourself teaching elementary and intermediate Spanish again and again, with many students who don’t have intention of continuing their Spanish after two years of college Spanish?</p>

4

<p>While I think that the last post is true to some extent, this is not the only thing that will be taught (and you make it sound a bit bleak…). It depends (a lot) on the school where you will eventually accept a position. If it is a large university with a big language/literature department, chances are you will be spending several years teaching intermediate Spanish/conversation/maybe some culture/intro to lit. courses to many who are either only taking Spanish just as gen. ed. requirements, with maybe a handful of minors, and a smaller number of majors. MA students will likely be taught by more senior faculty with tenure and so you wouldn’t get a chance to teach that level until you’ve been there for quite some time (or, to put it bluntly, if someone dies or retires and this process may be sped up). </p>

<p>If you get into a smaller/liberal arts college, you might be able to teach culture and literature courses immediately, again depending on what faculty is already there, and what the department’s needs are. </p>

<p>I’ve recently completed a double MA in Spanish and French (at a moderately sized state school with a well known program) and have applied to PhDs in Spanish for Fall 2011 and have had experience as a graduate TA/instructor for almost 3 years now. I did this at a school that offered a terminal MA and so almost half of those teaching the elementary/intermediate courses were graduate TAs (the other half being instructors on extended contracts, but still lecturers, that is to say only with MA, no PhD). My recommendation would be to apply to a few PhD programs (I think your stats are excellent, particularly your GRE), and a few MA programs, and go from there. When I applied to a PhD straight out of undergrad. I got rejected mostly ( I think) because of the lack of direction I had in my research interests and SoP. 2.5 years doing the MA really helped me to figure out what I actually wanted to research, gave me a whole lot of valuable teaching experience (both in US and abroad), and truly convinced me that I want to continue on to the PhD. An MA might be a good idea as it is an easier commitment (usually 1-2 years, mine was more because I did a double major with Spanish and French) and might also solidify your research interests.</p>

<p>There’s my ‘two cents’, anyway.</p>

5

<p>My two cents:</p>

<p>As for your question, I thinks that it depends. My experience was, right out of undergraduate, I applied and got rejected by all 4 programmes (all doctoral, btw, i’m international). While being depressed, and waiting for the next season of applications I wrote my undergraduate thesis (latin american universities require them for an extra title, between b.a. and m.a, licenciado). Now, i’ve applied to 5 new universities and got my first admission in early october. but, this app season was, as sevillano recommended, different because i used a mixed approach (3 m.a. and 2 doctoral), instead of only looking for a ph.d.</p>

<p>sometimes, i’ve been talking with some faculty on spanish programmes in the us, the m.a. allows the grad student a more broad perspective, and can define the path your doctoral investigation will take. as far as i now, most ivy spanish departments like their students with an m.a.</p>

<p>your GRE scores are incredible but, believe me, in the spanish departments that is not important (some departments dont require it) because you will be reading and writting mainly in spanish and/or portuguese. the languages, on the other hand, are a plus. </p>

<p>michigan state: i’m applying there this year (already got an interview), they offer an m.a. in spanish and portuguee and ph.d. in hispanic studies but those are separate admissions.</p>

<p>exactly (in all the l.a. lang and lit) what is your area of interest? maybe that could help you define a more exact programme. altough, if you are going for an m.a., remember, you won’t have and advisor, so don’t think in particular names, more in the hole faculty of the department</p>