Introduction
This Graduate Student Handbook provides information on the policies and requirements of the graduate program in Spanish Linguistics in the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese (SIP) at Penn State. While most of the policies detailed in this handbook are established at the departmental level, others are policies set by the Graduate School and the University. For further details on Graduate School and University-level policies, please consult the most recent Penn State Graduate Bulletin at the following URL:
Whether you are a new or continuing graduate student, it is always important to be familiar with the handbook. Our goal is to design a handbook that will be a useful reference for you as you progress through your program, and we hope that with your feedback, we can continually refine the handbook to best serve your needs. With this in mind, please be aware that the policies in this handbook are subject to change. We believe that a strong program requires feedback, evaluation and revision. Accordingly, from time to time, the policies in this handbook will be updated. The Director of Graduate Studies will notify you of any such changes and of their date of implementation.
The faculty understands that as graduate students you make crucial contributions to the mission of the department. We hope that you will participate fully in the intellectual life of the department, that you will be active participants in helping to improve our graduate programs, that you will be active learners, and that you become independent scholars over the course of your graduate studies. We also hope that you will stay in touch with us after you graduate, and that you will let us know of your progress in your career.
The Department of Spanish, Italian, & Portuguese extends to you its best wishes for a productive and rewarding academic career as a graduate student in Spanish at Penn State.
Overview of the Linguistics Program
The linguistics division of the Department of Spanish, Italian, & Portuguese ranks among the strongest in the nation. Our strengths are focused in bilingualism and language contact, areas in which our faculty work from distinct perspectives and which connect to other language researchers at Penn State. Our faculty encourage excellence in scientific research by engaging in collaborative projects with students and other scholars, both here and abroad. Faculty research examines questions related to dialectology, language contact and language variation, as well as the linguistic and psycholinguistic aspects of bilingualism. Our department is committed to maintaining a low student-to-faculty ratio.
Our graduate students typically teach three basic Spanish courses per academic year, though qualified students often have the opportunity to teach culture, literature, or linguistics courses not only in Spanish, but also in Latino Studies, Comparative Literature, Italian, and Portuguese. The intellectual environment of the department is regularly enriched with guest lectures, colloquia, conferences, and institutes.
Many of the faculty and graduate students in our program have received external funding, including awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and National Institutes of Health. We have an outstanding placement record, both in tenure track positions and in post-doctoral appointments, of the kind not traditionally available to Spanish Ph.D. students. This success is a direct reflection of the national visibility of our faculty and of the cutting-edge research we are pursuing. Our faculty also play a central role in the cross-disciplinary Center for Language Science (http://cls.psu.edu). The increasing methodological sophistication of our experimental research, including investigation through eye tracking and neuro-imaging, provides a transformative model for Hispanic Linguistics programs.
Although students must formally reapply for funding each year, the department is committed to providing support for up to five years as long as students maintain satisfactory progress as a graduate student in the department, perform assistantship duties and activities, and comply with the student code of conduct.
University SARI Requirements
All entering graduate students at Penn State are required to complete an education program on ethical principles and established professional norms in scholarship and research. For graduate students in our department, this training will be structured in accordance with the two-step process outlined below:
PART 1: CITI Online RCR Training Program
All entering students will be expected to complete this online training module by no later than October 1 of their first semester in residence. Students will be responsible for providing the Graduate Program Assistant with a copy of the certificate of completion received upon completing the training. The Director of Graduate Studies will be responsible for verifying that all students are in compliance as of the stipulated date of completion.
PART 2: Additional RCR Education
This portion of the required training involves two separate components:
- Participation, as early as possible during the first year in residence, in two centrally-sponsored RCR workshops organized by the Office of Research Protections (ORP) at Penn State. These workshops will provide students with opportunities to engage in cross-disciplinary conversations about research ethics.
- Participation, by the end of the first year in residence in three hours of discipline-specific RCR workshops organized by the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, another department within the School of Global Languages, Literatures and Cultures (such as the Department of Comparative Literature Luncheon series), or (with approval from the Director of Graduate Studies) another department of relevance to the student’s intended program of study.
Workshops will be generally focused on case studies and will seek to generate dialogue related to issues surrounding ethical decision-making skills. Specific topics to be addressed may include:
- Morality in the search for truth
- The defensibility of knowledge claims
- Appropriate sharing of credit in collaborative research
- The ethical mentoring of research assistants
- Conflicts of interest in research
- The possible consequences of the irresponsible conduct of research to the researcher
- Ethical responsibilities of those involved in peer review of research
- Proper citation, self-citation
- Interviewing ethics
- Intellectual property rights
- Untruthful reporting of research results
- Proper CV preparation
English language competence requirement for international students
English language competence is assessed through the written materials included in each student’s application for admission to the program and the oral interview prior to the admission offer. Students who require improvement shall take an ESL course (or equivalent) during their first year in the program and use EPPIC (English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center) services, particularly Individual Consultations. At the time of the Qualifying examination, English competence will be assessed via the essay and the oral exam. English competence will be attested to by the Director of Graduate Studies prior to scheduling of the Comprehensive Examination.
Academic Integrity Policy
The department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese follows the College of the Liberal Arts Graduate Student Academic Integrity Interim Policy. All students in any of the department’s graduate programs are subject to that policy. The policy is available through the Graduate School’s Academic Integrity webpage, https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-800/gcac-805-academic-integrity
The M.A. in Spanish Linguistics
The purpose of this section of the handbook is to explain the requirements and procedures for the completion of the M.A. degree in Spanish within the linguistics division of our graduate program. This section provides information on credit requirements, specific course requirements, residency requirements, credit transfer, and the design of the M.A. Exam.
Credit Requirements
The Graduate School requires the completion of a minimum of 30 credits for the successful completion of an M.A. degree. The Department of Spanish, Italian, & Portuguese requires that of these 30 credits, a minimum of 27 graduate credits must be taken at the 500-level. Under special circumstances, the Director of Graduate Studies may authorize a student to take a 400-level course and have it count towards the 500-level requirement if, for instance, a relevant course in a particular area is not regularly offered.
Course Requirements
All M.A. students in Spanish are required to take SPAN 502 (1 credit), a course on teaching methodology, and PORT 123 (2 credits) during their first semester in the program.
In addition, M.A. students in linguistics follow a structured curriculum, the purpose of which is to provide students with training in theoretical and experimental linguistics, to expose students to diverse areas of potential interest within Hispanic linguistics, and to prepare students for the rigors of independent research at the doctoral level.
The particular courses that comprise the curriculum of an incoming class will vary by year, depending on the selection of graduate seminars offered in past academic cycles, in addition to other factors including faculty-leave schedules. M.A. students should select their courses only after consulting with either the Director of Graduate Studies or a designated advisor from the linguistics faculty. The following provides a general overview of the structure of the coursework that students will pursue in the M.A. program.
Semester 1:
- Theory and Techniques of Teaching Spanish (SPAN 502) (1 credit)
- Portuguese for Romance Language Speakers (PORT 123) (2 credits)
- Generative Syntax (SPAN 508)
- Phonology (LING 504)
- Hispano-Romance Linguistics (SPAN 507)
Semester 2:
- Acquisition of Spanish as a Second Language (SPAN 513)
- Spanish Phonology (SPAN 510)
- Functional Syntax (SPAN 509)
Semester 3:
- Hispanic Dialectology (SPAN 514)/Sociolinguistics (LING 548) or similar course
- Psycholinguistics (Linguistics 520) or similar course
- Current Statistical Practice in Language Science (SPAN 519)
Semester 4:
- Course dealing with bilingualism as offered (in consultation with the designated graduate faculty in linguistics)
- Language Science Proseminar course (LNGSC 521 or LNGSC 522) or Elective (in consultation with the designated graduate faculty in linguistics)
- Elective (in consultation with the designated graduate faculty in linguistics)
Note: Students with a summer Bunton-Waller, graduate scholar, or any other College-administered award (included in your admission offer letter) must be registered in courses (independent study credits or other scheduled courses) for the summers during which they are receiving the scholarship.
Residency Requirements
The university requires that at least 20 credits must be earned in residence at the University Park campus.
Credit Transfer
A maximum of 10 credits may be transferred towards the credit requirement for the M.A. As a rule, the department believes that success in our program requires the completion of the training that students receive at Penn State, both in terms of course content and contact with the professors who will serve as advisors and committee members for exams. With this in mind, we do not readily approve transfer credits. However, some courses taken at another institution of high caliber may, with the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, be granted transfer credit towards the M.A. degree on a case-by-case basis.
The M.A. Exam in Linguistics
The M.A. exam consists of two parts: 1) a sole or first authored paper submitted by February 1 of the student’s 4th semester and 2) an oral exam administered by the M.A. Exam committee in linguistics. Each of these elements is explained in this section of the handbook.
M.A. Exam: Paper Requirement
The Graduate School at Penn State requires that each M.A. program at the university culminate in a significant capstone experience that demonstrates evidence of the student’s analytical skills, and which shows an ability on the part of the student to synthesize material. To satisfy this requirement, as part of M.A. exam, all degree candidates must turn in an original paper written for one of their classes in our program. The deadline for submission of this paper is February 1 of the student’s fourth semester.
Students are encouraged to revise this paper beyond its form as originally turned in for the course. We strongly recommend, moreover, that students consult with faculty members for whom they have written papers if they have any doubts about whether a given essay would be suitable for this particular requirement. Students are advised to select what they believe to be the best paper that they have written in the program.
M.A. Oral Exam
The M.A. Oral Exam consists of an oral examination lasting up to two hours. Questions on the examination will focus, in part, on issues arising from the paper submitted for the written portion of the M.A. Exam. In addition, M.A. students will be provided with a list of study questions by the end of December of their third semester. These questions will be related to areas and issues covered in their core curriculum coursework. The study questions are not meant to be answered in rote fashion. Rather, we intend them to serve as points of departure for a general range of questions during the oral exam.
The oral exam should be seen as an opportunity to display flexibility and breadth while fielding a variety of questions relevant to a mastery of the discipline. In this sense, though certainly an occasion for the student to highlight his or her knowledge of central areas, trends, and themes in Hispanic Linguistics, the oral exam should also be seen as a moment to connect to broader issues in linguistic scholarship. Demonstrating this latter skill is essential, especially for those students who wish to move on to the Ph.D. program. As a means of facilitating strong preparation for this portion of the exam process, we encourage students to consult with peers in our linguistics program who have advanced successfully beyond the M.A. to the Ph.D. level.
M.A. Exam Dates
The Director of Graduate Studies will inform all students of their exact exam dates during fall of their second year. All components of the M.A. exam will be completed prior to Spring Break during the student’s 4th semester in the program.
M.A. Exam Committee
The M.A. Exam committee is generally comprised of all of the Spanish linguistics graduate faculty members. On some occasions, especially if there is a large number of M.A. candidates or if faculty members are unavailable due to travel or sabbaticals, smaller committees will be assigned by the Director of Graduate Studies. All M.A. Exam committees will have a minimum of three faculty members.
M.A. Exam: Grading
The M.A. paper and responses at the oral exam are graded by the members of the M.A. exam committee in linguistics with input, if necessary, from other members of the department. The exam as a whole—in sum, the oral exam along with the submitted paper—will be assigned an overall grade of pass or fail. In general, the student will be informed of this grade one week after the oral exam.
It is important to note that a passing grade on the M.A. exam does not automatically qualify a student for admission to the Ph.D. program in linguistics. This grade refers strictly to the exam committee’s decision regarding the student’s performance on the M.A. examination. A passing grade, assuming all other departmental and university requirements have been met, qualifies a student to earn the M.A. degree. For information pertaining to the Ph.D. program in linguistics, please consult the corresponding section of this handbook.
M.A. Exam: Failing Grades
Failure of the M.A. exam will result in termination from the graduate program. No retake will be permitted.
M.A. Letters of Evaluation
Students will receive a letter of evaluation at the end of their first semester and at the end of each academic year, which addresses their overall performance in the program, in addition to their development, in the broadest sense, as potential future members of the profession. The letter will reflect input from all available faculty members in the linguistics division. Students are advised to address any concerns and recommendations which arise in the annual evaluation as actively as possible, and to do so in a timely fashion. They are also encouraged to discuss the letter’s contents at any time with the Director of Graduate Studies and/or any other faculty advisors in the department.
M.A. Program: Summary Check List
Credit and Course Requirements
SPAN 502 taken in the 1st semester
PORT 123 taken in the 1st semester
Minimum of 30 credits
Minimum of 27 credits at 500-level
Core curriculum coursework (see above)
M.A. Exam
Study questions received by student during the fall semester prior to the exam.
Paper submitted to the Graduate Program Staff Assistant by February 1 of the student’s 4th semester
Oral Examination during February of 4th semester
The Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics
Application to the Ph.D. Program and the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam
All students entering the Ph.D. program are required by the university to pass a Qualifying examination within the first three semesters of their Ph.D. studies. The exam incorporates content from the dual-title program in Language Science. Upon successful completion of the M.A. exam in linguistics, students may apply to continue on to the Ph.D. program. Admission to the Ph.D. program is not automatically granted upon completion of the M.A. Rather, admission is contingent on two factors: 1) the student expressing interest in continuing by means of a formal statement of purpose (described below), and 2) the recommendation of the linguistics faculty that the student be allowed to continue. This re-admission process is internal to the department and will be administered by the entire linguistics faculty.
Students who would like to continue on to the Ph.D. program must submit a two-page statement of purpose describing: 1) their reasons for wishing to continue with the program, 2) their proposed research interests during proposed doctoral training (including names of linguistics faculty with whom they are interested in working), and 3) their post- degree academic and professional goals. It is recommended that potential doctoral students consult with faculty prior to submitting the statement of purpose; please note, however, that a faculty member’s tentative agreement to work with a particular student does not imply that the student is guaranteed admission to the Ph.D. program.
If a student is accepted from our M.A. in linguistics into the Ph.D. program, then successful completion of the M.A. exam itself satisfies the university’s Ph.D. Qualifying examination requirement.
All students entering the Ph.D. program are required by the university to pass a Qualifying examination within the first three semesters of their Ph.D. studies. The exam incorporates content from the dual-title program in Language Science. Upon successful completion of the M.A. exam in linguistics, students may apply to continue on to the Ph.D. program. Admission to the Ph.D. program is not automatically granted upon completion of the M.A. Rather, admission is contingent on two factors: 1) the student expressing interest in continuing by means of a formal statement of purpose (described below), and 2) the recommendation of the linguistics faculty that the student be allowed to continue. This re-admission process is internal to the department and will be administered by the entire linguistics faculty.
Students who would like to continue on to the Ph.D. program must submit a two-page statement of purpose describing: 1) their reasons for wishing to continue with the program, 2) their proposed research interests during proposed doctoral training (including names of linguistics faculty with whom they are interested in working), and 3) their post- degree academic and professional goals. It is recommended that potential doctoral students consult with faculty prior to submitting the statement of purpose; please note, however, that a faculty member’s tentative agreement to work with a particular student does not imply that the student is guaranteed admission to the Ph.D. program.
If a student is accepted from our M.A. in linguistics into the Ph.D. program, then successful completion of the M.A. exam itself satisfies the university’s Ph.D. Qualifying examination requirement.
The Doctoral Committee
Credit Requirements
During the same semester the student passes the Qualifying Exam (or M.A. Exam) and is admitted to the doctoral program, they must choose a Ph.D. advisor in order to make arrangements for the formation of a Doctoral (Ph.D.) Committee. This committee is charged with guiding the student in scholarly work and professional development, including approval of courses and the creation of a Ph.D. reading list. It will approve a written assessment of the student’s progress and professional development minimally on an annual basis (beginning in the Fall semester of the third year). It will provide recommendations, as appropriate, to improve the student’s research and address any concerns. The Ph.D. committee administers the Ph.D. comprehensive exam, assesses the student’s dissertation and conducts the Final Oral Examination. The student may request a meeting of the Ph.D. committee. For Ph.D. Committee responsibilities see: https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-600/gcac-603-phd-committee-responsibilities/
The doctoral committee usually has five members but shall have no fewer than four. Students may suggest members for their committee in consultation with their advisor. Generally speaking, the chair of this committee will be the eventual dissertation advisor. Members of the committee should reflect the student’s research interests, while still maintaining a balanced representation of the entire literature faculty. Members of the doctoral committee must be formally approved by the Director of Graduate Studies during the semester prior to taking the Ph.D. comprehensive exam.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact potential committee members after consultation with the doctoral committee chair. Each committee must include an Outside Unit Member with a primary appointment outside of the administrative home of dissertation director. Specific university policies regarding committee formation, including rules and definitions involving the required Outside Field Member and Outside Unit Member, can be found at the following website: http://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-600/gcac-602-phd- committee-formation/
*Students should work with the Spanish Program Graduate Staff Assistant to complete the required “Doctoral Committee Appointment Signature Form.” Students are responsible for obtaining the signatures of their committee members. The deadline for the formation of the doctoral committee via submittal of the aforementioned form is no later than February 1 of the student’s third year (that is, no more than one year after the M.A./Qualifying Exam).
For those students seeking a Dual Title in Spanish and Visual Studies, the Ph.D. committee must include at least one member of the Visual Studies Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Visual Studies, the member of the committee representing Visual Studies must be appointed as co-chair. The Visual Studies representative on the student’s Ph.D. committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination.
The Department of Spanish, Italian, & Portuguese requires that a minimum of 21 credits of coursework at Penn State be completed in courses offered by the department in order to earn the Ph.D. in linguistics. All 21 graduate credits must be taken at the 500-level. Under special circumstances, the Director of Graduate Studies may authorize a student to take a 400-level course and have it count towards the 500-level requirement, if, for instance, a course in a particular area is not regularly offered.
Course Requirements: Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics
Ph.D. students in the linguistics division follow a curriculum offering rigor and depth in linguistic studies, the goal of which is to prepare them for scholarly work of a professional caliber. The linguistics seminars that students take during their Ph.D. program are designed to provide exposure to the diverse areas of study within our department, and to give students the opportunity to study with as many members of the linguistic faculty as possible.
The particular courses that comprise the curriculum of an incoming class will vary by year, depending on the selection of graduate seminars offered in past academic cycles, as well as other factors including faculty-leave schedules. Ph.D. students should select their courses only after consulting with their Ph.D. advisor and Ph.D. Committee. Generally speaking, students will need to enroll in 9 credits per semester. By transferring 3 credits from the MA (see Credit Transfer from the MA at Penn State, below), this would add up to the minimum of 21 credits.
Ph.D. in Spanish with a Dual Title in Language Science
A dual-title degree program in Spanish and Language Science will prepare students to combine the theoretical and methodological approaches of several disciplines in order to contribute to research in the rapidly growing area of Language Science. This inherently interdisciplinary field draws on linguistics, psychology, speech-language pathology, and cognitive neuroscience, as well as other disciplines, to address both basic and applied research questions in such areas as first and second language acquisition, developmental and acquired language disorders, literacy, and language pedagogy.
Dual-title degree students will receive interdisciplinary training that will enable them to communicate and collaborate productively with a wide range of colleagues across traditional discipline boundaries. Such training will open up new employment opportunities for students and give them the tools to foster a thriving interdisciplinary culture in their own future students. The dual-title program will facilitate the formation of a cross-disciplinary network of peers for participating students as part of their professional development. To obtain the Dual Title Certificate, students must formally apply for the Language Science dual-title before September 1 of the first year of the Ph.D. program and complete the following course requirements and training requirements, in addition to the requirements for obtaining the Ph.D. in Spanish. Some courses will count for both the Ph.D. in Spanish and the Dual Title Certificate.
- Language Science Proseminar courses
- LING 521 and LING 522; 6 credits
- Research Methods/Statistics
- SPAN 519 or LING 525 or equivalent; 3 credits
- Generative Syntax or Functional Syntax
- SPAN 508 or SPAN 509; 3 credits
- These courses can be used to substitute LING 500
- SPAN 508 or SPAN 509; 3 credits
- Cognitive Neuroscience or Psycholinguistics
- LING/PSY 520, PSY 511 or equivalent; 3 credits
- Research Internships with two different Language Science faculty members
- CSD 596, GER 596, LING 596, PSY 596, SPAN 596; 6 credits
Additional Language Requirement for the Ph.D.
For the Ph.D. degree, students must demonstrate reading proficiency in a language other than English or Spanish. This requirement must be satisfied prior to the student taking the oral portion of the Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam. This requirement may be satisfied in one of several ways:
By passing an appropriate graduate-level reading course while in residence at Penn State or by passing a reading proficiency examination offered by a language department at Penn State, in a language other than English or Spanish.
Demonstrating native or near-native fluency, or long-term formal education in, a language other than Spanish or English. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies to determine an appropriate method to document proficiency.
Students electing to satisfy the language requirement with Italian may do so by successful completion of IT 801 (Fundamentals of Reading Italian for Graduate Research) or by exam. Students electing to take the exam for Italian should inform the Director of Graduate Studies, who will put them in contact with the appropriate faculty member. The exam will be based on an article in the student’s discipline (the student will not likely have previous familiarity with it) and will involve writing a summary of the main argument and/or primary points and answering comprehension questions.
Students electing to satisfy the language requirement with Portuguese may do so by successful completion of an upper-level language course or time abroad, in addition to PORT 123. Students should inform the Director of Graduate Studies, who will put them in contact with the appropriate faculty member, who will advise them on a suitable course or study abroad program, and who will evaluate their proficiency.
If an individual case does not fall neatly within any of these categories, please consult with the Director of Graduate Studies.
Note: Depending on the student’s area of specialization, their advisor may require additional proficiency in more than one language above and beyond Spanish and English. The student’s advisor, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, will determine how any relevant courses taken in this regard will count towards the total credits required for completion of the Ph.D.
Residency Requirements
The university requires that at least 20 credits, in two consecutive semesters (exclusive of summers), be earned in residence at Penn State’s University Park campus (601 and 611 cannot be used to meet this requirement).
Credit Transfer from the M.A. at Penn State
Ph.D. students continuing from the M.A. program in Spanish at Penn State often earn more than the 30-credit minimum required for the M.A. Up to 3 discipline-relevant credits above the minimum 30 credits earned in the M.A. program may be counted towards the satisfaction of the additional 21 credits required for the Ph.D. Technically, these are not “transfer” credits, but if a student earns 33 credits at the M.A. level, for example, 3 of these credits may be used towards satisfying the credit requirements of the Ph.D. Students must consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine if M.A. credits may be counted in this way.
If a student has doubts regarding whether a particular course is “discipline-relevant”, they should consult with their advisor and with the Director of Graduate Studies. Within the linguistics division, discipline-relevant coursework is primarily found in linguistics courses taken in one of the other language departments, in coursework in the Linguistics program, in language-related courses in Psychology, and in coursework in the Department of Applied Linguistics.
Credit Transfer from Other Institutions
A maximum of 10 credits may be transferred from other institutions towards the credit requirement for the Ph.D. Generally speaking, we believe that success in our program requires the completion of the training that students receive at Penn State, both in terms of course content and contact with the professors who will serve as advisors and committee members for exams. With this in mind, we do not readily approve transfer credits. However, some courses taken at another institution of high caliber may, with the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, be granted transfer credit towards the Ph.D. degree on a case-by-case basis.
Ph.D. Peer-Review Essay Requirement
All Ph.D. students in linguistics are required to submit at least one single-authored or first-authored essay of outstanding quality to a peer-reviewed journal in their field prior to taking the Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams. Ideally, students will work on the paper between the summer of their second year and the spring of their third year. The paper and journal should be chosen in close consultation with faculty mentors. This requirement seeks to encourage scholarly engagement and eventual competitiveness on the job market, as well as to foster students’ greater understanding of the rigor and benefits of the peer-review system. In order to document compliance with this requirement, students should present the Director of Graduate Studies with a copy of any correspondence with the journal, which confirms the essay’s submission.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations
Ph.D. candidates must satisfy all course requirements and pass regular departmental evaluations in order to schedule the Ph.D. comprehensive examination. Any deferred or incomplete grades must be resolved before scheduling the exam.
The comprehensive examination may be held fully in-person, fully remote, or hybrid with some individuals participating in-person while others participate remotely.
Student preference for delivery mode should be strongly considered, but the student and adviser must agree on the mode. If the student and adviser cannot agree on the mode, the Graduate Program Head will make the final decision. Either the student or adviser can appeal the decision of the Director of Graduate Studies.
Note: If a period of more than eight years has elapsed since passing the Ph.D. Qualifying exam (or more than six years since passing the Ph.D. comprehensive examination), students wishing to defend the dissertation must first take a new Ph.D. comprehensive exam.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations: Dates
In order to have ample time for dissertation research and writing, as well as career planning, students must take the oral portion of their Ph.D. comprehensive exam by the end of the spring semester of their third year in the program (i.e., 1st year in the doctoral program).
Notify the Spanish Program Graduate Staff Assistant with your exam date, time, and location at least 15 business days prior to the exam date.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations: Exam Composition
The Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam consists of four parts, administered in the following order : 1) one research paper, submitted no later than February of the student’s 3rd year in the program (2) one examination paper written over the course of 4 weeks 3) one article submission prior to the oral exam 4) the oral exam, administered no later than the end of the spring semester of the student’s 3rd year. Each of these elements is explained below.
Note: If a period of more than eight years has elapsed since passing the Ph.D. qualifying exam (or more than six years since passing the Ph.D. comprehensive examination), students wishing to defend the dissertation must first take a new Ph.D. comprehensive exam.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations: Paper requirements
Ph.D. students must turn in one sole authored (or first authored) original research paper relevant to the proposed dissertation topic to the chair of the Ph.D. committee, with a copy to the Spanish Program Graduate Staff Assistant in the main office.
In addition, students will submit one examination paper in which they address a set of questions or problems posed by the Ph.D. committee. The questions will be given to the student upon request, but no sooner than two weeks after the student has submitted the research paper and no later than 6 weeks prior to the oral exam. The specific nature and requirements of the examination paper will be left to the discretion of the Ph.D. committee. The student will be given 4 weeks’ time in which to complete and submit the examination paper.
The examination paper is expected to be submitted as an originally-researched, full-length, properly-formatted research article, but it is not expected to be of publishable quality. All exams in Spanish linguistics may be written in English or Spanish as per the decision of the committee members responsible.
Prior to the oral exam, students must have submitted one sole authored (or first authored) original research paper to a peer-reviewed journal, and evidence of this submission to the DGS, with a copy to the Spanish Program Graduate Staff Assistant in the main office (see Ph.D. Peer-Review Essay Requirement, above on pg. 12). This may be the same as the research paper in (1) above (with proof that the paper is under review).
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations: Oral examination
The oral comprehensive examination should be scheduled after submission of the examination papers and will generally last for two hours. Following successful performance in the oral examination, the student is required to submit and defend the dissertation proposal (explained below).
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations: Grading
At the end of the oral examination, the doctoral committee will come to a determination regarding whether the student has passed or failed the overall Ph.D. comprehensive exam. In general, the committee will inform the student shortly after the oral exam of its decision. Determination of the passing or failing grade will be based on the committee’s assessment of the combined quality of the written exams, and the student’s performance on the oral portion of the exam. In certain cases, the committee may not be able to reach an immediate decision. Under this scenario, the committee may delay its decision for a period of up to one week, after which point the committee will inform the student of its final decision.
Note: If a student is not enrolled in 500-level courses during the semester of the comprehensive exam, they should enroll in SPAN 600. All students will be enrolled in SPAN 601 in fall and spring (not summer) semesters following the comprehensive exam to maintain continuous registration.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations: Failing grades
If a student fails the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination, they may retake the examination once within the following six calendar months. However, if the student has been receiving financial support, they are not guaranteed continued support. Students will make arrangements on an individual basis with the Director of Graduate Studies, should a retake be necessary. The primary responsibility to arrange for the scheduling of the exam resides with the individual student, who will work with the Chair of the Doctoral Committee. A second failure on the examination will result in termination of graduate student status in the department.
Ph.D. Dissertation proposal
Upon successful completion of the Ph.D. comprehensive exam, the student will schedule an oral defense of their dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal must be submitted no later than September 15th of the fall semester of the student’s 4th year in the program and should be defended no later than October 15th of the same semester.
In consultation with the dissertation director, the student will prepare a dissertation proposal or prospectus of approximately 15-20 pages, in addition to a working bibliography of 5-7 pages. This document is then to be circulated among the members of the doctoral committee at least two weeks prior to the proposal defense.
During the proposal defense, the student will initiate discussion by presenting their project in detail to the committee, whose members will then offer questions and advice concerning central research questions, methodology, dissertation design, and the viability of the overall project. At the end of the session, the committee will either 1) approve the proposal (while still reserving the right to call for revisions to be addressed during the writing of the actual dissertation), or 2) formally call for a revised proposal and/or second proposal defense to be completed before granting permission to proceed.
Ph.D. Dissertation: Research and Writing
The dissertation must be written in English or Spanish. For norms concerning its physical presentation, please consult the latest copy of The Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide, which contains complete information on the dissertation format, preparation, content constraints, etc. Thesis formatting templates are also available for standard word-processing software. Students should consult the Office of Theses and Dissertations of the Graduate School for further information concerning any issues in this regard, and for a complete list of thesis, defense, and graduation-related deadlines:
http://gradschool.psu.edu/current-students/etd/
Working with the dissertation director, students should plan to have a complete draft to their committee no less than one month before their intended defense date. Committee
members will then make any and all suggestions for revision within two weeks of receiving the completed draft. Suggestions may be made in writing or orally in a meeting with the student. If the committee agrees, the director will then move toward setting a date for the final defense.
The Graduate School formally requires at least two weeks’ advance notice to schedule a doctoral defense, which is customarily advertised and open to the public. Notify the Spanish Program Graduate Staff Assistant at least 15 business days in advance with your defense date, time, and location. The defense is typically related in large measure to the specific contents of the dissertation but may also cover the candidate’s whole program of study without regard to specific courses taken at Penn State or elsewhere.
A favorable vote from at least two-thirds of the committee is required to pass the dissertation defense. Should a candidate fail, it is the responsibility of the doctoral committee to determine what steps must be taken by the student before a second defense is to be scheduled. After being properly submitted to the Graduate School, the dissertation will also be made available to the public at Pattee Library.
Note: Starting with the Fall 2019 semester, graduate students submitting a thesis or dissertation through the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Application (https://submit-etda.libraries.psu.edu) will have their thesis and dissertation submissions digitally signed by their committees via the eTD application. This capability allows students to securely share their final document with committee members and allows committee members the ability to review the document and give their approval electronically.
Criteria for Requesting an Additional Year in the Program
Students who wish to request an additional year in the program (beyond the five indicated in their offer letter) must apply to the Director of Graduate Studies who will consult with the Graduate Committee and make a recommendation to the Head. Applications must be submitted no later than the second Friday of September.
Application: Applications will include a written justification from the student that addresses the criteria below, an updated cv, a timeline for completion of work for the degree, and copies of publications and manuscripts under review or in progress. Only applications that meet the following criteria will be considered:
Circumstances: The department will only consider these cases if the student can demonstrate that the delay in completion of the degree was caused by extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control.
Academic Performance: The student must be among the top performing students in the program as reflected in grades, publications, awards and other markers of excellence as appropriate for each field.
Progress in the Program: The student must be on schedule in reaching program benchmarks other than the dissertation (such as Qualifying evaluation, comprehensive exams, proposal defense, language requirement).
Past Funding: Special consideration will be given to students who have obtained funding for their stipends from sources external to the department during previous years in the program.
Teaching responsibilities
Teaching your scheduled classes, whether at the beginning of the semester, the end of the semester, before holidays, or during the rest of the semester, is a minimum requirement for all instructors, no matter what your rank or status. If you know in advance that you must be absent from a class for reasons such as attending a conference, you are expected to notify your department head at least two weeks before the scheduled absence and, within the options approved by each department head, inform the head how the class will be handled in your absence; TAs for SPAN 215 must also notify the professor. It is the head’s role to approve or not approve the absence. It is not acceptable to reschedule classes (with the exception of independent studies or small graduate courses, if this is done in a way that does not shorten the semester or lengthen vacations).
If you are teaching online, or partly online (“blended learning”), it is your responsibility to keep up to date with the course schedule and to promptly respond to student messages and grade their assignments. If you will not be able to do so, you must inform your department head how the class will be handled in your absence; as with residence-education courses, it is the head’s role to approve or not approve the absence.
Of course, unanticipated absences for reasons such as sudden illness or injury or serious family emergency are exceptions to this requirement. Obviously, it is not possible in those situations to make arrangements in advance, but you must provide notification to the head and to the course coordinator (if you are teaching Spanish basic language classes or SPAN 215) as soon as possible.
Program Timeline
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*1 sole authored or first authored M.A. paper
**21 credits beyond the M.A. must be taken (more additional year of coursework). In their third year, students can develop the requirement of independent studies, and prepare for comp.
***1 sole authored or first authored Comp Paper.