|
Introduction
Program Overview
The Graduate Program in Hispanic Studies, a five-year Ph.D.
program within the Department of Romance Languages, offers
a rigorous professional formation in academic research, writing,
and pedagogy. The program prepares students in a range of
critical and methodological approaches to the study of literature,
culture, and theory in Spain and Latin America. Students may
complement their areas of specialization with course work
in a second Romance language or in other disciplines such
as Comparative Literature, English, History, and Philosophy.
Interdisciplinary study is also invited through participation
in the many lectures and colloquia sponsored by the various
Graduate Groups and affiliated research institutes and centers
at Penn. All graduate students have the opportunity to teach
undergraduate courses in Spanish language and Hispanic culture,
for which they attend extensive teacher training seminars
and workshops. Faculty members are committed to enhancing
graduate students' preparation for professional life through
annual seminars on professional concerns and through comprehensive
job placement support. The Department of Romance Languages
publishes the hispanic review, and graduate students
in Hispanic Studies may serve as editorial assistants to the
journal.
Graduate Workshop in Hispanic Studies
The Workshop is the official sponsor of all activities undertaken
by the Graduate Program in Hispanic Studies. On campus, these
activities include a yearly lecture series given by renowned
national and international scholars; two one-week intensive
mini-courses led each year by visiting scholars, who address
topics related to their current research; and regularly scheduled
seminars to consider issues germane to the discipline of Hispanic
Studies.
A principal component of the Workshop is an annual summer program designed for graduate students who have completed their second year at Penn. This program allows students to design a research project that will be completed while traveling abroad during the summer after the completion of the second year. The topic of this research trip will usually be relevant for the dissertation project. During their third year in the program, students present a lecture about the findings of their summer research. A Paleography workshop is also offered for those students specializing in Medieval, Early Modern and Colonial studies. Students are also introduced to archival research and engage in the study of techniques for handling archival sources.
General Program Requirements
Sixteen courses (students who enter the program with previous
graduate work may be eligible to transfer some credits toward
the Ph.D.)
-
Fulfillment of the program's two language requirements
-
Four semesters of undergraduate teaching, one course
per semester
-
A doctoral examination in the student's chosen area of
concentration
-
A dissertation based on original research in the area
of concentration
Admissions and Financial Support
Candidates for admission should have an excellent command
of Spanish, a superlative undergraduate record, competitive
GRE scores, strong letters of recommendation, and demonstrated
skill in academic writing. Applications are accepted only
for full-time work in the Ph.D. program beginning in the fall
semester. All students admitted to the program receive a five-year
Benjamin Franklin Fellowship that includes a stipend, tuition
remission, and student health insurance. Students who have
finished all pre-dissertation requirements and who no longer
receive fellowship support are eligible for a lectureship.
Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Study
Students may complement their studies with up to five courses
outside the Hispanic Studies section--for example, in another
Romance language, Comparative
Literature, English,
or History. Certificate
programs are also available in the areas of Women's
Studies and Urban
Studies. The University of Pennsylvania enjoys reciprocal
agreements with several other nearby institutions, which allow
students to complete a number of courses in them while enrolled
in a graduate program at Penn. Additionally, interdisciplinary
study is encouraged through participation in the wide range
of seminars, lectures, and colloquia sponsored by the various
Graduate Groups and affiliated research institutes and centers
at Penn, including the Center for Italian Studies and the Latin
American and Latino Studies Program. Students and faculty participate
in the weekly "History of the Book Seminar," which
draws scholars from a wide range of disciplines to discuss
the history and materiality of the book. The Graduate
Humanities Forum also provides a forum for doctoral students
to interact with colleagues from across the disciplines and
holds weekly meetings as well as special research seminars,
colloquia, and an annual student conference.
Placement
The Department offers guided preparation for students' participation
in the academic job market. Students receive advice and feedback
on their job application materials (CVs, cover letters, teaching
statements, research statements, etc.) and attend an intensive
week-long seminar in December that prepares them for the Annual
Convention of the MLA. Mock interviews and practice job talks
are also arranged. Recent graduates of our program have fared
extremely well on the job market, accepting tenure-track positions
at some of the best colleges and universities around the country,
including Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Princeton.
The Career Services Office makes every effort to assist students
in finding employment and offers a range of services geared
toward both academic and nonacademic career options.
Library Resources
The Van Pelt
Library, the University's central humanities research
collection, is especially rich in the Romance languages areas,
with outstanding collections of rare books and manuscripts.
The Spanish literature collections, while strong in all areas,
have historically been most outstanding in the areas of Medieval
and Golden Age literature and include the Rennert Collection
in Spanish Golden Age drama. In addition, there are
significant collections in other languages and literatures
of the Iberian Peninsula: Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan.
The Latin American collections include a number of extraordinary
special collections, and current collecting reflects the vigorous
state of Latin American scholarship on campus.
The Department publishes the prestigious literary journal
Hispanic Review. Each year, a number of graduate students
in Spanish have the opportunity to work as assistant editors.
The Graduate Romanic Association, the graduate student organization
of the Department of Romance Languages, works to enhance the
general welfare of graduate students in both intellectual
and practical terms. This group helps to organize Department-sponsored
lectures and colloquia, organizes an annual graduate student
colloquium, and publishes a journal of its proceedings.
Graduate students have the opportunity to live and work as
resident advisors at the Gregory House, an undergraduate campus
dormitory that is staffed by native speakers, graduate students,
and faculty members from participating departments in French,
Spanish, Italian, and German. In addition to communal
dining for House residents, each floor offers weekly coffee
hours for informal conversation, movies, and other social
events.
Department Facilities
The Department of Romance Languages occupies the fourth and
fifth floors of Williams Hall, with a seminar room for Romance
Languages graduate classes, a graduate lounge, and a computer
lab, as well as the Cherpack Lounge, where faculty and graduate
students meet informally, and where lectures and colloquia
sponsored by the Department are held.
For Further Information
Lisbeth Dennis
Graduate Coordinator
University of Pennsylvania
521 Williams Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305
Telephone: (215) 898-1980
Fax: (215) 898-0933
|
