ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

The On-line Master’s Program in Spanish is designed for students interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Spanish that may not be able to do so in an on-campus environment due to jobs and/or distance (in other parts of the US or Internationally).  NMSU is accredited by the North Central Association.

STUDENTS NEED TO SELECT A SPECIFIC AREA OF INTEREST – LINGUISTICS OR LITERATURE

Under Linguistics, a student may take courses in: Linguistics, Research Methods, Language Teaching Methods, Phonetics and Phonology, Technical Translation and more…  Reading List

Under Literature, a student may take courses in: Latin American Literature, Poetry, US Hispanic Literature, Women Writers, Mexican Literature, Literary Translation, Teaching Methodology and more…  Reading List

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The degree requires 36 semester hours of credit and is a non-thesis option only. Demonstrated proficiency in a second foreign language (other than English) is required equivalent to two years of study.  Students will also be expected to complete a final written and oral exam.

NATURE OF THE COURSES

All courses are taught in a wholly on-line environment, no face-to-face meetings are required.  All courses are taught entirely in Spanish.  Some courses may require knowledge of English for reading texts and reference materials.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission requirements include the BA in Spanish. An undergraduate upper division Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or above that include at least 12 semester hours of upper division undergraduate courses in Spanish with a GPA of at least 3.0 are required. For foreign students, the TOEFL is required prior to completion of the degree (the requirement is a minimum score of 71 on the IBT version). The TOEFL Test of Written English (TWE) is recommended for these students prior to completion of the degree or prior to enrollment.

Students not meeting the above requirements may apply and be recommended for conditional admission by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Spanish. After meeting specific conditions set by this Committee, students may apply for regular graduate standing.

ADMISSION PROCEDURES

In order to apply to the On-line MA Program in Spanish, prospective students must complete two separate application procedures:

 

STEP 1 –   a) Complete and send the applications for admission form which may be obtained by writing:

The Graduate School, Box 3G
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, N.M. 88003-0001

OR by downloading the forms or by applying on-line at the Graduate School.       

b)  Have sent to the Graduate School: Original official transcripts and diplomas of all prior college-level course work from all schools attended. DO NOT SEND transcripts to the Department of Languages and Linguistics.

If you have a transcript and diploma from a university outside the United States you need to submit a certified translation of the transcripts into English along with this information.  DO NOT SEND transcripts to the Department of Languages and Linguistics. You must also have a Comprehensive Course by Course evaluation by a credentialing service, and may wish to contact them about translating your transcripts at the same time.

Effective April 1, 2010
“As part of the NMSU undergraduate and graduate admissions process, students submitting foreign post-secondary level transcripts are required to have their credentials evaluated by a recognized member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services http://www.naces.org/members.htm. NMSU requires a Comprehensive Course by Course evaluation be completed by the credentialing service for each foreign institution the student has attended. Evaluations and transcripts received directly from the credentialing service will be accepted as official documents. Foreign post secondary transcripts that have not been evaluated will be not be accepted by the Office of University Admissions.”

STEP 2 – The second part of the application procedure for admission must be submitted directly to the Director of Graduate Studies (Spanish) of the Department of Languages & Linguistics. This application must include the following items:

a) A current resume (C.V.) in Spanish

b) Three letters of recommendation from qualified professionals (written within the last six months), preferably from past professors

c) A writing sample in Spanish of a minimum six pages in length (critical or creative writing texts). If you do not have a six page paper, you may submit multiple shorter works totaling six pages.  

d) A language evaluation form to be completed and signed by a language evaluator:

                        Please click here to download a copy of the pdf form for your language evaluation.

If you have an official ACTFL OPI rating certificate you may submit that in lieu of the Language Evaluation Form.

f) An introductory letter in Spanish:

1) giving a brief biography of one or two paragraphs along with your goals and objectives for obtaining a Master’s degree

2) stating whether you are applying to the on-campus or on-line program

                        3) declaring your prospective area of interest (Linguistics or Literature)

Applying to the program does not guarantee admissions. Admissions is competitive. It is your responsibility to make sure that all your materials have been sent to the appropriate offices.

APPLICATION DEADLINES:   For the On-line program, we will review all completed applications once during the fall and spring semesters. Students wishing to be considered for entrance for the fall semester (August) or summer session (May or July) need to have all their materials (including transcripts) to NMSU by April 1.  Students wishing to be considered for entrance for the spring semester (January) need to have all their materials (including transcripts) by October 1. Students will be advised upon their formal acceptance into the program.

Students accepted into the On-line MA in Spanish program are not eligible for Teaching Assistantships in the Department of Languages and Linguistics. You may be eligible to apply for Financial Aid through the Financial Aid Office.

We urge you to read our blogspot for FAQs: www.mainspanishonlinenmsu.blogspot.com

For additional information contact:

or

E-Mail: jelongwe@nmsu.edu