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December 2004

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Redesigned graduate program given more inclusive name: Masters in Hispanic Studies
By Maureen McKew

Dr. Gerald R. Long, dean of graduate studies, has announced that approval has been given by the offices of the vice president for Academic Affairs and the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for the graduate program in Spanish to be re-named the Master’s Program in Hispanic Studies. The change is effective immediately.

   According to Dr. Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, chair of the department, the need for a new name came about abut as a result of a radical reorganization of the program.

   “Three new tracks of study have been opened,” she explained, “Hispanic literature, Hispanic cultural studies, and the Spanish language pedagogy. This means, on one hand, diversification. On the other, it notes the creation of more academically demanding and ‘tight’ program. Hispanic studies include the study of Spanish linguistics, Hispanic literature, but also cultural studies.”

   Nagy-Zekmi said that the latter is  an emerging field of study that has been adopted by “cutting edge” graduate programs at Duke University, the University of California at Irvine, Rice University, and the University of Massachusetts. However, she added, restructuring and renaming of the former Spanish program also corresponds to market demands: those of students who will go on to doctoral programs and pursue academic careers in the field need to be equipped with the newest theoretical tools in order to compete in a tough market

   According to the chair, all the Spanish faculty worked very hard to come up with a new program design and are excited about it. “We offer the students a wholesome academic experience” said Nagy-Zekmi. “The lecture and conference series (http://www.classicalmodernlanglit.villanova.edu/newsandevents.html) are examples of the worthwhile extracurricular activities that take place in the department. In the fall semester the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures hosted nine such events. In March of 2005, an international conference titled “Cervantes at 400” will be held on campus with over one hundred participants from the US and abroad. The keynote speaker for this conference is award-winning Spanish writer and director of the Cervantes Institute in New York, Antonio Muñoz Molina.” (More information on “Cervantes at 400” is available at   http://www3.villanova.edu/conferences/cervantes/index.html)

   The three tracks of the program also correspond to the graduate certificates of advanced study. Students who do not with to complete a Master’s degree, may obtain a certificate of advanced study by completing 18 credits in one of the following areas (or tracks):

   The Hispanic literature track emphasizes the contextualization of literary production and literatures and changing relations between cultures of Europe and Latin America. The aim of the program is to prepare first-rate scholars and teachers. The faculty places emphasis on providing students with a solid knowledge of critical theory without neglecting either a broad background on the literature or professional pedagogical training.

   The Hispanic cultural studies track is a dynamic cross-cultural and transdisciplinary program that presents students with an innovative approach to the field. The emphasis on comparative methodology, cultural interaction, critical theory and cultural studies ensures that students acquire a broad base of knowledge beyond literature (film, music, popular culture) about Spain and Latin America, and advanced skills in critical thinking.

   The language pedagogy track has been designed specifically for teachers of Spanish, providing graduate level course work in the Spanish language, Hispanic linguistics, Hispanic literature, art and culture, and applied linguistics and teaching methodology.

   The new name and the new tracks reflect the reality that while peninsular Spanish is an essential element of Hispanic studies, so is the literature of Latin America, with its two dozen Spanish-speaking nations. The same can be said of Hispanic cultural studies which, Nagy-Zekmi emphasized, include the study of Latino culture in the United States.

   An additional new feature of the Hispanic graduate program is the brand new BA/MA. Outstanding Spanish majors are invited in their junior year to enroll in this unique program where they are able to get an M.A. degree in Hispanic Studies in five years. In their senior year students in the BA/MA program are expected to take a total of 4 graduate courses that count toward both their BA and MA degree. Thus in five years, they are able to complete the graduate program.