MA in Spanish Orientation Welcome to the CSU Sacramento Department of World Languages and Literatures! Our webpage is at: To see the Current CSUS Online Catalog for the MA degree in Spanish, go to: 1

Saclink Accounts Please keep your Saclink account active and check mail on a daily basis. Check MySacState occasionally for updates on your academic record and messages. The Department of World Languages and Literatures, the Office of Graduate Studies, and the University Registrar make use of Saclink . 2

The Office of Graduate Studies Familiarize yourselves with the Office of Graduate Studies homepage: ( For important dates, deadlines, and procedures for completing and submitting all necessary forms for graduate students, such as the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) & Waiver form, go to: 3

Advancement to Candidacy The Advancement to Candidacy form is your final MA academic plan. It is the list of the 27 units of your MA coursework in Spanish. You submit the form once you have completed at least 18 units (including at least four 200-level courses) and know what your final classes are. The deadlines are October 1 st for spring exams and February 1 st for fall exams. The remaining 3 units of the minimum 30 units required for the MA degree are met by registering in Spanish 500, Culminating Experience, for the MA Comprehensive Exam. This is done by filling out a form at the beginning of the semester in which you take the exam and turning it in to the Graduate Coordinator. You cannot enroll in it online. 4

Petition for Exception The Petition for Exception form is used for authorizing MA course substitutions (including transfers form other institutions) or MA course plan changes that deviate from an already-submitted Advancement to Candidacy form. It should be turned in to the Graduate Coordinator and submitted at the same time as the Advancement to Candidacy form. For this form go to: 5

Conditionally Classified Status Students not meeting certain admission course prerequisites may have been admitted with conditionally classified graduate status. These students may work toward the MA degree while the admission prerequisites are being completed. Once met, students may petition a change to Fully Classified status by filling out the classification form and submitting it to the Graduate Coordinator. 6

Coursework Requirements A minimum of two courses or 6 units (one of which must be 200-level) is required in each of the four MA areas: 1. Latin American Literature 2. Spanish Literature 3. Hispanic Culture 4. Linguistics Of these 24 units, a minimum of 18 graduate level units (200-numbered) is required. 7

Coursework Requirements An additional 3-unit elective brings the total to 27 units. This elective may be selected from appropriate upper division or graduate courses in consultation with the graduate advisor. Only 3 units of independent studies are allowed (Special Problems: 199 or 299) and this is only in hardship cases. You must earn a grade of B or higher for any class to count towards the MA. 8

Academic Requirements GOOD STANDING Graduate, credential, certificate and unclassified students whose Sacramento State (semester) and cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 3.0 or above are considered in good academic standing. ACADEMIC PROBATION Students whose Sacramento State (semester) grade point average or cumulative grade point average falls below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation. Students on probation are eligible to enroll in the subsequent semester. CONTINUED PROBATION Students on probation will be placed on Continued Probation if they: Earn a 3.00 GPA in the current semester, but have a cumulative GPA below Students placed on Continued Probation will be limited to a maximum course load of 9 units per semester until they return to academic good standing. 9

Academic Requirements ACADEMIC DISQUALIFICATION If a graduate, credential, certificate, or unclassified student is on academic probation and the Sacramento State (semester) or cumulative grade point average is below 3.0 for the active term, the student will be academically disqualified. Students not on probation will be disqualified if the Sacramento State (semester) or cumulative GPA is or less. Disqualified students will not be allowed to register unless they are formally reinstated and/or readmitted to the University. ADMINISTRATIVE PROBATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE DISQUALIFICATION Graduate, credential, certificate, and unclassified students are subject to Administrative Probation for the following reasons: Withdrawal from all or a substantial portion of their courses in two successive terms or in any three terms. Repeated failure to progress toward a degree or other program objective, when such failure is due to circumstances within the control of the student. Failure to comply, after due notice, with an academic requirement or regulation. Students who do not meet the conditions for removal of administrative probation may be subject to further administrative actions, including Administrative Disqualification. 10

Course rotation for Fall 2016: 110, 113, 151, 152, 201D, 250C Spring 2017: 111, 114, 151, 152, 153, 220C, 224D 11

Coursework Requirements As a culminating requirement (SPAN 500), the candidate will select Comprehensive Examination, worth 3 units, or: Spanish 500 Thesis or Project, each worth 4 units, thus bringing the total units to the minimum 30 units required for the MA. 12

The Culminating Experience In the case of the thesis or project, the candidate must consult a faculty member whose area of expertise is in the area in which the thesis/project will be completed. The faculty member, after accepting the student’s proposed thesis/project, then serves as the student’s advisor. 13

Time Limits All work presented for the degree must be completed within a seven-year time span. Should this 7-year time limit elapse, courses taken during the 1st semester of work or before become invalid and additional coursework will be required. 14

Time Limits In addition, students may be declassified (removed) from the MA program if they show inadequate progress towards the MA degree. Students may skip one semester of coursework without having to re-apply to the Office of Graduate Studies. If they skip two or more semesters, however, they must to re-apply to OGS and later by accepted by the Spanish Area. 15

The Comprehensive Examination The comprehensive examination for the Master of Arts in Spanish consists of four written parts: Latin American Literature Spanish (Peninsular) Literature Hispanic Culture Linguistics 16

The MA Exam Reading List Students choosing the MA comprehensive exam as their culminating requirement option must contact and communicate with each professor administering their MA exam, preferably no later than the beginning of the semester in which the exam is to be taken. The candidate should seek specific guidelines regarding the MA comprehensive exam reading list sub-area chosen for each MA exam. 17

Comprehensive Examination Periods The comprehensive exam for the M.A. in Spanish is scheduled only once each semester: in November during the Fall Semester and in April during the Spring Semester. 18

Comprehensive Examination Periods Contact me at or visit my webpage at: for the specific exam dates and times. Each of the four exams (parts) lasts 90 minutes, and students take two exams on a Wednesday and two on a Friday. 19

Examination Deficiencies Any one of the exams judged to be less than 80% correct shall be considered deficient. If any exam receives less than 80% correct, the committee will recommend additional preparation for the student so that they can retake that exam at a future date. In no case will a candidate be allowed to retake the exam found to be deficient until after the lapse of one semester, during which the candidate will have adequate time to prepare for the retake. 20

Multiple Deficiencies Candidates who show deficiencies in more than one graduate examination must write to the Graduate Coordinator to request a meeting with the Examination Committee for special consideration to remain in the M.A. program. The candidate has one week from the date of the meeting with the examination committee to file a request for consideration. Failure to make such a request will result in the candidate being officially dropped from the M.A. program by the Graduate Coordinator. 21

Successful Completion of MA Exams Once all requirements for the degree have been met and the four examinations have been passed, the committee shall certify that the candidate has earned the M.A. in Spanish and all appropriate university forms will be completed for the awarding of the degree. Degrees generally take weeks to post after the last day of the semester. 22

Graduation Application You must apply to graduate by filling out the graduation application on the OGS webpage, paying the fee ($63.50), and having the graduate coordinator sign the form. Pay the fee before you submit the form to OGS. The deadline for Fall graduation is October 1 st and the deadline for Spring graduation is February 1 st. If your semester of graduation changes, you must notify OGS, fill out the graduation date change form, and pay a small fee. 23