January 28, 2008

TO:Mark Schneiderhan, Chair

Senate Committee on Educational Policy

FROM:Midge Grosch

Director, Programs and Academic Assessment

I am forwarding for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached Revision of the Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies Program.

The proposal was approved by the faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on November 27, 2007 and was approved by the Graduate College Executive Committee on February 1, 2008.

Attachment

Cc:A. Pallares

V. Tunnicliff

D. Niebylski

L. Lopez-Carretero

Title: Revision of the Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies

Sponsor:Department of Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese (SFIP)

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Description: The master’s program in the Department of Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese (SFIP) offers three concentrations: Hispanic Literary Studies, Spanish Applied Linguistics, and Spanish Descriptive and Theoretical Linguistics. Throughout this document, we refer to all three collectively as Hispanic Studies. The latter two concentrations are called Hispanic Linguistics.

The Department proposes updates to its M.A. concentrationsin Hispanic Studies. There are two general changes that affect all concentrations:

1.AddSPAN 503 Professional Development Workshop I(1 hour) as a courserequirement.

2.Change the minimum number of hours required for the degree from 36 to 37.

M.A. Concentration in Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies

3.Change title of the Concentration in Hispanic Literary Studies to “Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies.”

4. Add new required course, SPAN 407: Methods of Literary and Cultural Analysis (4 hours).

5. Add the following courses as selectives:

  1. SPAN 411 Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature and Culture
  2. SPAN 414 Topics in Cervantes’ Don Quijote
  3. SPAN 421: Topics in 18th and 19th Century Spanish Literature and Culture
  4. SPAN 422: Topics in 20th and 21st Century Spanish Literature and Culture.
  5. SPAN 430:Topics inColonial History, Literature & Culture.
  6. SPAN 431:Topics inLatin American Letters from the Revolutionary Era to Independence
  7. SPAN 434:Topics in Latin American Letters from Modernismo to the early 1970’s
  8. SPAN 435:Topics inContemporary Urban Latin American and LatinoCulture, Literature and the Arts

6. Drop additional Linguistics course requirement for Master’s Degree Concentration in Hispanic Literary Studies.

MA Concentrations in Hispanic Linguistics(Concentration in Spanish Descriptive and Theoretical Linguistics or Concentration in Spanish Applied Linguistics).

7. Add new course SPAN 401 Intensive Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics(4 hours) as arequirement for all Master’s Degree students in Hispanic Linguistics.

8.Delete requirement that students in the Descriptive and Theoretical linguistics take a course in Hispanic literature.

9. Delete SPAN 453Spanish Applied Linguistics and Teaching(4 hours) as a selective for the Applied Linguistics Concentration and require SPAN 556. Currently students can choose between SPAN 453 or SPAN 556.

Justification:

Developments in the field of Hispanic Studies and new job opportunities in certain areas of literature and culture lead us to recommend several changes in our programs. The faculty’s desire to revise the programs converged fully with the observations of the external review panel that evaluated the department in the spring of 2006. It is worth noting that there have been no major revisions to these programs in over a decade.

For all Hispanic Studies MA programs

1. SPAN 503Professional Development Workshop I:The skills taught in this class – library research, working with an advisor, academic writing skills – are essential for the professional training of our graduates. This is a one credit course, supervised by the Director of Graduate Studies and taught by members of the Graduate Faculty in Hispanic Studies.

2. Adding SPAN 503, a one credit course, to the list of required courses increases the minimum credit hours from 36 to 37.

M.A. in Concentration in Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies

3.The revised concentration title reflects the new balance in our courses between strictly literary studies and studies that more accurately fit into the category of general culture and popular culture.

4.SPAN 407: Methods of Literary and Cultural Analysis. New developments in the field of literary and cultural studies make it imperative for our students to have the solid methodological background provided by this course.

5.The new and revised courses in this list reflect changes in the discipline, the interests of new faculty and students, and the demands of the current academic job market.

6. The Hispanic Literature program faculty has concluded that graduate students in literature do not need a background in Linguistics beyond what is provided in the required course SPAN 502: Theoretical and Research Foundations of Communicative Language Teaching. Contemporary cultural and literary studies do not require more than minimal knowledge of linguistic analysis.

MA Concentrationsin Linguistics

7.SPAN 401:Intensive Introduction to Hispanic Linguisticsis a new course. Its inclusion is aimed at incoming graduate students who have insufficient background in formal linguistics. It covers the areas of phonetics/phonology, syntax, and semantics intensively.

8.The requirement that linguistics students take one class in literature has been eliminated because contemporary linguistics does not require skills in literary studies.

9.SPAN 453 was dropped from the catalogin 2004 by the Office of Programs Academic Assessmentbecause it had not been taught for three years.

Catalog Statement: See Attached.

Minority Impact Statement: Many of the changes proposed for the Master’s Degree in Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies are intended to reflect new orientations and new approaches in our discipline as well as anticipating a few others. Some of these changes impact minority students favorably, in that they encourage a broader and more ethnically-diverse perspective on canonical texts at the same time that they encourage the inclusion of non-canonical texts (such as texts by regional, ethnic or linguistic minorities).

Budgetary and Staff implications: No impact

Library Resource Implications: No impact

Space Implications: No impact

Unit Approval: October 10, 2007

College (educational policy committee, faculty) approval dates: LAS EPC: November 19, 2007, LAS Faculty: November 27, 2007

Contact Person(s):Luis F. Lopez-Carretero, Director of Graduate Studies (, 6-3243)

Proposed Effective Date: Fall, 2008

Catalog Statement:

Present: Proposed:

Master of Arts
Minimum semester hours required 36
Course Work Required Course for All Concentrations: SPAN 502 or equivalent. All students must complete at least three courses at the 500-level other than SPAN 502 and any independent study hours (SPAN 596)
Concentration courses:
Hispanic Literary Studies-Eight elective courses (32 hours) chosen in consultation with the graduate adviser. At least one of the eight courses must be in Linguistics other than SPAN 502, for a total of 36 hours.
Spanish Descriptive and Theoretical Linguistics- SPAN 402, SPAN 404, and
SPAN 505, plus one other course at the 500 level, other than SPAN 502, one course in literature, and three electives chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor, for a total of 36 hours.
Spanish Applied linguistics- SPAN 402, SPAN 404, SPAN 453 or SPAN 556 and SPAN 507, plus one other course at the 500-level other than SPAN 502 and three electives chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor for a total of 36 hours.
Comprehensive Examination: Required.
Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Option: Thesis or course work only. No other options available.
Thesis:
Permission of the department’s graduate committee is required. / Master of Arts
Minimum semester hours required 37
Course Work Required Courses for All Concentrations: SPAN 502 or equivalent; SPAN 503; and three additional courses at the 500-level which may NOT be taken as independent study hours.
Concentration courses:
Hispanic Literary and Cultural Studies—
SPAN 407, or the equivalent; four courses chosen from the following: SPAN 411OR 414, 421, 422, 430, 431, 434 OR 435; plus three additional courses at the 500-level chosen in consultation with the graduate adviser, for a total of 37 hours. Electives may be taken in other UIC programs and Departments as long as they relate to the student’s concentration.
Spanish Descriptive and Theoretical Linguistics-- SPAN 401, SPAN 402, SPAN 404, and SPAN 505;two additional courses at the 500 level, other than 502 or 503; plus two electives chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor, for a total of 37 hours.
Spanish Applied Linguistics- SPAN 401, 402, 404, 556 and 507; one other course at the 500-level, other than SPAN 502 or 503;plus two electives chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor for a total of 37 hours.
SAME
SAME
SAME

Course Descriptions

SPANISH (SPAN)

401. Intensive Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics. 4 hours. An intensive introduction to phonetics/phonology, syntax, and semantics of Spanish. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

407. Methods of Literary and Cultural Analysis.3 or 4 hours. Introduction to basic tools and critical vocabulary to conduct advanced work in Hispanic literatures. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or above and two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

411. Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature and Culture. 3 or 4 hours.

Exploration of topics and theoretical approaches to the literature and culture of medieval and early modern Spain. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

414. Topics in Cervantes’ Don Quijote. 3 or 4 hours. This course will examine current critical and theoretical approaches to Cervantes’s DonQuijote, including questions of gender, class, historiography, and ideology. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

421. Topics in 18th & 19th Century Spanish Literature and Culture. 3 or 4 hours.

Exploration of topics and theoretical approaches to Peninsular literature and culture from the Neoclassical period through the Generation of 1898. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

422. Topics in 20th and 21st Century Spanish Literature and Culture. 3 or 4 hours.

Exploration of topics; sociological and historical approaches to the literature and culture from the vanguard movements of the early 20th century through the present day. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

430. Topics in Colonial History, Literature and Culture. 3 or 4 hours.Topics in colonial literature, history and culture intended to introduce students to the main methodologies, paradigms, issues and critical approaches to colonial studies. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

431 Topics in Latin American Letters from the Revolutionary Era to Independence. 3 or 4 hours.Nineteenth-century literary trends from the beginnings of the novel through Romanticism and Realism to Urban naturalism. Prose and poetry. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

434 Topics in Latin American Letters from modernismo to the early 1970’s . 3 or 4 hours.

Emergence of new literary and cultural trends from the beginning of the 20th century to the end of the so-called Latin American boom. It may include fiction, poetry, film, theatre, as well as less traditional genres.Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

435 Topics in Contemporary Urban Latin American and Latino Cultures, Literature and the Arts. 3 or 4 hours.Intensive study of particular cultural, artistic or literary phenomenon in Urban Latin American culture, literature or the arts. Emphasis on cultural studies and/or literary analysis. Critical writing an important component of the course. 3 undergraduate credit hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Two completed 300 level courses in literature or consent of the instructor.

503. Professional DevelopmentWorkshopI.1 hour.

Introduction to the academic profession for students of foreign languages and literatures. Focuses on the development of research and writing skills.Prerequisite(s): Graduate Standing.

Revised 1/25/08- 1 -