322 Humanities Hall; (949) 824-6901
Jacobo Sefamí, Department Chair
Faculty
Luis F. Avilés, Ph.D. Brown University, Associate Professor of Spanish (Golden Age literature and literary theory)
Juan Bruce-Novoa, Ph.D. University of Colorado, Professor of Spanish (Latin American and Chicano literatures)
Anne J. Cruz, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor Emerita of Spanish (Golden Age Spanish and comparative literature)
Ana Paula Ferreira, Ph.D. New York University, Associate Professor of Portuguese (Portuguese and Brazilian literatures, women's studies, and critical theory)
Lucía Guerra-Cunningham, Ph.D. University of Kansas, Professor of Spanish (Latin American literature, literary theory, and women's studies)
Ivette N. Hernández-Torres, Ph.D. Brown University, Assistant Professor of Spanish (colonial literature and Caribbean literature)
Juergen Kempff, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara, Lecturer and Language Curriculum Director (theoretical and applied linguistics, Spanish as a foreign language, technology and instruction)
Seymour Menton, Ph.D. New York University, Research Professor of Spanish and Portuguese (Latin American novel and short story)
Alejandro Morales, Ph.D. Rutgers University, Professor of Spanish and Chicano/Latino Studies (Latin American and Chicano literature, film studies, creative writing)
Gonzalo Navajas, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Professor of Spanish (eighteenth- through twentieth-century Spanish literature; film and visual arts; aesthetics and contemporary cultures)
Héctor Orjuela, Ph.D. University of Kansas, Professor Emeritus of Spanish (Latin American literature, poetry and essay)
Julian Palley, Ph.D. University of New Mexico, Professor Emeritus of Spanish (modern Spanish literature)
Jill Robbins, Ph.D. University of Kansas, Associate Professor of Spanish (contemporary Spanish literature)
Armin Schwegler, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor of Spanish (history of Spanish, dialectology, historical linguistics, typology, Creoles)
Jacobo Sefamí, Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish (Latin American literature, contemporary poetry)
Dayle Seidenspinner-Núñez, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor Emerita of Spanish (medieval Spanish and comparative literature)
Juan Villegas, Ph.D. Universidad de Chile, Research Professor of Spanish (literary theory, modern Spanish literature, Latin American theatre and poetry)
Zidia Webb, M.A. Michigan State University, Lecturer Emerita in Spanish and Portuguese
Affiliated Faculty
Homero Aridjis, School of Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Visiting Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, and Nichols Term Chair in Humanities and the Public Sphere
The main objectives of the program in Spanish and Portuguese are to develop competence in the ability to understand, speak, read, and write Spanish and Portuguese, and to provide through the knowledge of these two languages an understanding and appreciation of their literatures and cultures.
Spanish Placement
To enroll in Spanish 1A or any Spanish course through the 2C (or 5) level: Students without previous background in Spanish must take a copy of their high school transcript to the Humanities Undergraduate Counseling Office, 143 Humanities Instructional Building (open daily from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.), to activate their eligibility to enroll in Spanish 1A.
Students with previous background in Spanish wanting to enroll in any Spanish 1A through Spanish 5 course at UCI for the first time must take the Placement Test (for exceptions, see below). Eligibility to enroll in any Spanish 1A through 5 course will be based on the result of that Placement Test. Students currently enrolled in any Spanish 1A through 5 course at UCI will be eligible to enroll for the next course within the series without having to take the Placement Test, provided they receive(d) a grade of C or better in the previous course within the series.
Students who have already met the UCI language other than English breadth requirement with either their SAT II scores or Advanced Placement Examination scores, and who plan to enroll in a Spanish course at UCI, are still required to take the Spanish Placement Test. Students cannot earn units or grade points at UCI in courses from which they have been exempted on the basis of Advanced Placement credit, even if the Placement Test result recommends enrollment in such a level. Placement testing is offered throughout the summer and the academic year. For details about registering for the test, contact the Testing Office, 2200 Student Services II; telephone (949) 824-6207; e-mail: testoff@uci.edu; World Wide Web: http://www.testingoffice.uci.edu/plt/.
Transfer students who have had a previous course (or courses) in Spanish from another college or university who want to enroll in any Spanish 1A through 5 course at UCI must take a copy of their transcript to the Humanities Undergraduate Counseling Office in order to receive authorization to enroll in the appropriate course.
Native or near-native speakers who place into Spanish 2C and whose home language is Spanish are encouraged to enroll in Spanish 5, Spanish for Native Speakers, instead.
To enroll in Spanish 10A, 10B, or beyond: An active prerequisite check system is in place for Spanish 10A and 10B. In order to enroll in Spanish 10A a student must have passed Spanish 2C or 5. The prerequisite for Spanish 10B is 10A.
Students who have satisfied the required prerequisite at another college or university, or who graduated from a high school in a Spanish-speaking country, or who graduated from a Spanish Academy must take a copy of their transcript to the Humanities Undergraduate Counseling Office in order to receive authorization to enroll in the appropriate course.
All courses in Spanish and Portuguese, unless specifically stated, are taught in the foreign language. By the end of the first year, students attain mastery of the basic structure of the language and ability to converse on everyday topics, as well as to read and write on an elementary level.
In the second year, emphasis is put on gradually raising the level of the student's ability to read and write. A third-year two-quarter sequential course stresses composition and introduces literary analysis. Further, a course in phonetics aims to perfect pronunciation and presents historical and dialect variants of Spanish. The introductory courses in literature, also to be taken in the third year, emphasize the analysis and appreciation of complete literary works rather than the study of many short selections of innumerable authors in an anthology. The courses in Hispanic civilization combine a panoramic overview with a close look at a specific country or topic.
Although a major in Portuguese is not offered, advanced literature courses are available. In addition, an undergraduate minor is offered.
The faculty encourages Spanish majors or minors who are serious about improving their Spanish language ability in reading, writing, and speaking to take advantage of opportunities to immerse themselves in the Spanish language by studying in Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, or other Spanish-speaking countries through the Education Abroad Program (EAP) or through the International Opportunities Program (IOP). Programs are available for the summer, one quarter, one semester, or one year. While studying abroad, students can continue to make progress toward their UCI degree. See the Center for International Education section of the Catalogue or an academic counselor for additional information.
University Requirements: See pages 54-59.
School Requirements: See page 209.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
Spanish 2C (or Spanish 5, for native speakers) or the equivalent is a prerequisite to Spanish 10A. Spanish 10A is a prerequisite to Spanish 10B and to major requirements. Spanish 10B may be taken concurrently with 100-level Spanish courses.
Students must choose one or more of the following emphases:
Literature and Culture: Spanish 10A-B; 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E; 110A, 110B, or 110C; 113A; and six upper-division courses in literature, two of which may be in culture, film, and/or creative writing. NOTE: Two courses in the Spanish 100A-E series must be completed before enrolling in upper-division literature courses numbered above 100. Students may not enroll in more than two of the 100A-E series courses per quarter.
Linguistics: Spanish 15*; 100A or 100B; 100C or 100D; 100E; 107; 110A, 110B, or 110C; 113A; 113B; 187; 201, 202, or 205 (consent of instructor required for these graduate courses); Linguistics 3, 10, 20, 100; and either Spanish 199 or Linguistics 154, 164A, or 168A. NOTE: Students may double major in Spanish and Linguistics but may not apply more than two courses toward both majors.
Teaching Language and Culture: Spanish 10A-B; 15*; 100A or 100B; 100C or 100D; 100E; 105; 106A or 106B; 107; 110C; 113A; 113B; 114; 142; and one additional upper-division Spanish course.
* For non-native speakers only; semi-native and native speakers must substitute another upper-division course in either literature, culture, or linguistics for Spanish 15.
Residence Requirement for the Major: At least five upper-division courses required for the major must be completed successfully at UCI.
Departmental Requirements for the Spanish Minor
Spanish 2C or 5 (or equivalent) is a prerequisite to minor requirements.
Seven courses in Spanish, including Spanish 10A and 10B and at least four upper-division courses.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: At least four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. By petition, two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, providing course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.
Departmental Requirements for the Portuguese Minor
Prerequisite: Portuguese 1C or the equivalent. Requirements: Portuguese 120A-B-C and four courses from Portuguese 121 and 122.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: At least four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. By petition, two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, providing course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.
Spanish is particularly useful in international business or trade, community or social service, and in foreign service. Spanish majors interested in writing may look to publishing, writing, or editing positions. For a listing of possible professions, please see http://www.humanities.uci.edu/spanish on the World Wide Web.
Majoring in Spanish is excellent preparation for graduate and professional study in law, medicine, social welfare, library science, business or public administration, education, international relations, journalism, or advanced study in Spanish. An option available to Spanish majors is UCI's 3-2 Program offered by the Graduate School of Management, in which students may earn a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a Master's degree in Management in five years rather than the usual six.
The UCI Career Center provides services to students and alumni including career counseling, information about job opportunities, a career library, and workshops on resume preparation, job search, and interview techniques. See the Career Center section for additional information.
The Department's Distinguished Visiting Professors program brings students in direct contact with some of the outstanding intellectuals in the field of Spanish, Latin American, and Chicano/United States Latino literatures and cultures. Distinguished visiting professors teach both graduate and undergraduate courses during two quarters and produce a publication for the Hispanic Studies Series published by Juan De La Cuesta. Past program participants have included: Professor Elias J. Rivers (1990-91), State University of New York at Stonybrook, Spanish Golden Age literature; Alfonso Sastre (1991-92), Spanish playwright and intellectual; Professor Hernán Vidal (1992-93), University of Minnesota, theorist and scholar in Latin American literature and culture; Professor John Kronik (1993-94), Cornell University, modern Spanish literature; Professor José Agustín (1994-96), leading Mexican novelist and cultural critic; Professor Alan D. Deyermond (1997-98), Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, internationally known medievalist; Professor Noé Jitrik (1999), leading critic in Latin American literature; and Professor José-Miguel Oviedo (2000), internationally known Latin American scholar.
All graduate courses in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese are taught in Spanish, unless otherwise indicated in the course description.
The Master of Arts degree in Spanish is a two-year program of study designed to expose the beginning graduate student to all periods of peninsular, Latin American, and Chicano/Latino literature and culture. The degree is awarded upon the successful completion of course work and written and oral comprehensive examinations. A minimum of 11 courses (one course in Chicano/Latino literatures required) must be completed with a letter grade; at least eight of these must be graduate seminars or proseminars. Required course work includes Spanish 239A, and two courses in linguistics (Spanish 201 and 204 are recommended). To help students prepare for their master's examination, the Department offers a sequence of panoramic courses in peninsular literature (Spanish 210, 214, 225) and in Latin American literature (Spanish 238A, B, C) during alternate years. Proficiency (defined as the equivalent of completing 2C) in a foreign language other than Spanish is required; it is recommended that master's students take Portuguese as their foreign language, although other languages are accepted. Students may choose a focus in literature, linguistics, or creative writing. Master's candidates must complete a minimum of three quarters of course work in the Department; the maximum time to complete the master's program is three years. Normally only students who are studying for the Ph.D. are admitted to the graduate program.
This program is specifically designed to meet the needs of working, credentialed Spanish teachers, although others may apply. It seeks to provide a group of modern and relevant courses that will enable teachers to keep abreast of recent developments in their field. Applicants should have a B.A. in Spanish. The program consists of 10 courses (eight of which must be at the graduate level) as follows: three courses in Hispanic literature; three courses in Hispanic civilization; three courses in Hispanic linguistics; and one course in Recent Trends in Foreign Language Teaching, to be combined with a curricular research project or a thesis.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a Ph.D. degree in Spanish with a specialization in Spanish, Spanish-American, or Chicano/Latino literature and culture. The program integrates period and genre studies with work in literary and critical theory, linguistics, sociohistorical studies, and cultural studies. The Department seeks to professionalize its Ph.D. candidates not as narrow specialists but rather as scholars and critics acquainted with a range of fields that relate to and enhance their discipline. Graduate emphases in Critical Theory and in Feminist Studies are available; other areas of study (for example, film, comparative literature, history) may be designed with approval from the student's Ph.D. guidance committee. The Department has been traditionally committed to excellence in teaching, both in its own practice and in the formation of its graduates.
Language Requirements
In addition to Spanish and English, all doctoral candidates should have the necessary command of Portuguese to successfully complete a graduate course in Portuguese. An additional foreign language (with proficiency equivalent to the 2C level) is also required; this requirement may be satisfied by examination or course work. The selection of a second foreign language must be approved by the student's guidance committee and is based on the specific research interests and field of study of the candidate.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 24 courses beyond the B.A. or 13 beyond the M.A. are required: two courses in literary theory (Spanish 239A and 239B), two courses in linguistics (one diachronic and one synchronic), one graduate course in Luso-Brazilian literature, and Spanish 292. Note that these requirements may include course work completed in the master's program; the remaining elective courses are selected with the approval of the student's guidance committee to prepare for the doctoral examination and the dissertation. Students are encouraged to take more than the minimum number of required courses.
A student who transfers into the doctoral program from elsewhere must take a minimum of 13 graduate courses at UCI, of which nine must be in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (of these, six must be regularly scheduled graduate seminars or proseminars). With regard to students who enter the Ph.D. program with their master's degree from another institution, the Ph.D. guidance committee will determine the number of courses that will be accepted.
Teaching
The Department recognizes its responsibility to train all Ph.D. candidates as teachers and requires that all doctoral students with no prior teaching experience complete a minimum of three quarters of language teaching (Spanish 399). Moreover, all doctoral students are required to complete a teaching practicum by co-teaching an upper-division course with a professor and enrolling in Spanish 292 for a letter grade.
Comprehensive Examination
The Ph.D. student advances to candidacy by passing by majority vote the qualifying examination. The qualifying examination consists of:
1. An essay of 25-30 pages written on a topic related to the student's primary field of study. The essay should be presented as a publishable article for a professional journal with an original scholarly, critical, and theoretical component as well as a critical evaluation of relevant bibliography. The essay will be discussed during the oral examination. It will be circulated to the full committee two months prior to the date of the written examination.
2. A four-hour written examination on the student's major field of study that requires a cultural perspective of the total literary production of a given period with emphasis on one genre, topic, or problem. The definition of the major field of study is approved by the Ph.D. examination committee and the graduate director.
3. A three-hour written examination in the minor field.
4. A two-hour oral examination that includes discussion of the written examinations and the essay.
Dissertation
A dissertation topic is chosen by the candidate in consultation with the dissertation director and committee and normally falls within the major field covered by the qualifying examinations. The candidate presents a plan for the work to the dissertation committee which approves the proposal and a preliminary research outline. The student submits drafts of chapters to the dissertation director who corrects and approves the drafts and circulates them to other committee members for commentary. The defense of the dissertation occurs at an appropriate point of its development, certainly before its completion and during residency of the candidate, so that faculty input is maximized. The doctoral committee certifies the acceptance of a completed final dissertation with the signatures of individual members on the title page.
