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Graduate Information

Graduate Rules and Procedures (Revised November 2009)

The Graduate Program of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Princeton offers students a rich and rigorous formation in the study of the literatures and cultures of Spain and Latin America. 

I. Administration:


The Graduate Program of the Department is administered by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), in consultation with the Chair of the Department. These two officers are the Department’s spokespersons on matters of policies and procedures as they pertain to departmental and university requirements and regulations.

Students are expected to consult regularly with the DGS concerning their intellectual interests and choices, as well as their academic performance from their first semester and throughout their graduate career. This relationship is facilitated by a meeting every semester with the DGS to review the student’s progress.  

In order to foster communication, a meeting of all students with the Chair and DGS will be scheduled each semester. In addition, a representative graduate liaison committee (GLC) composed of three graduate students (see section XI for more details) will be expected to communicate with the DGS throughout the term to communicate issues of students’ concerns.

II. Course of Study:

During the first two years, students choose their courses in consultation with the DGS, with a view to achieving a basic mastery of four of the Department’s five fields of concentration: 1-Medieval/Renaissance, 2-Modern Peninsular, 3-Colonial, 4-Modern Latin American, and 5-Luso-Brazilian.
 
A student may, however, elect to eliminate examination in one of these four areas by fulfilling course work—for letter-grade credit—in two graduate seminars devoted to that particular field. A total of three fields would, in such a case, be tested on the General Exams.
 
At the end of every spring semester, the faculty evaluates students for readmission. Failure to make adequate progress in the course of study will result in termination.

III. Course Load:

Students normally take three courses for the first five semesters of study.  In the fifth semester, one of the three courses may be audited. Courses chosen for this fifth term are designed to be particularly relevant to the dissertation. Third-year students will be allowed to take one of the last two required seminars in the Spring of their third year, if they wish to do so. Of the 15 courses, students should choose two or three that are offered by departments other than the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. These courses should be chosen for their pertinence to the student´s area of specialization. A total of 15 courses should be completed by the end of the fifth term.

IV. Grading:

No course in the Department is given Pass/Fail. Courses will be graded on a letter basis (A, A-, etc), or receive the designation of “Incomplete” or “Audit”. 
 
“Incompletes” have a serious impact on the student’s graduate career. A student with more than one “Incomplete” at the time of the General Examination will not be permitted to take the Examination. All incompletes must be completed by the time the student plans to present the thesis proposal.
 
Post-Generals students with more than one incomplete will not be considered as being “in good standing.”
 
First year graduate students must submit term papers or take final exams in all of their Fall term courses by the last day of the January reading period. This rule is designed to give students time to prepare for the Oral Presentation they will make at the end of January.

V. Oral Presentations:

Students in their first year prepare an Oral Presentation that they deliver to the faculty during the second week of the final exam period of the Fall semester. A text is selected by the student from a list supplied by the faculty, using it as the basis from which to develop a fifteen-minute talk, offering a clear line of reasoning in good Spanish. The student can use notes for the talk, but should not read a prepared text. This is a diagnostic exercise designed to assess the student’s analytical abilities and success in situating the topic chosen in the context of the literary work as a whole. After the talk, the student will respond to questions regarding the text and the talk. This examination will not be assigned a letter grade; however, the assessment made by the Faculty will be recorded and communicated to the student by the DGS. Failure to perform to satisfaction will result in termination from the program. In some cases, the faculty may recommend that the student strengthen specific areas.

VI. Language Requirements:

Reading proficiency in Latin and one Modern language other than Spanish or Portuguese is required of all students. All language exams must be completed by the end of the fourth semester (before the General Examination), and are normally given by the Department once per semester (usually in November and April). Students may also fulfill these requirements by enrolling in an appropriate course, approved by the DGS.

VII. The General Examination:


By the end of the third semester, if not before, students declare their primary field of specialization, choosing one of the five possible concentrations:
 
1-      Medieval/Early Modern
2-      Colonial
3-      Modern Latin American
4-      Modern Peninsular
5-      Luso-Brazilian
 
The General Exams take place at the end of the fourth semester (during the month of May), covering the student’s primary field of concentration, as well as two of the other four fields.
 
During their careers at Princeton University, students are expected to take courses in all of the five areas, however, of the five total, each student may elect to eliminate one of the four non-specialist fields from consideration on the general exams, and can fulfill coverage of another field by taking two seminar courses offered in that field, as well as completing the written work for the course with a grade of B+ or better, thus leaving the primary field and two secondary fields for the General Exams.
 
The Generals are based on a reading list that is distributed to the students at the beginning of their first semester.
 
These Exams consist of two parts:
 
Day I
Focuses on the student’s field of specialization and consists of two questions. One of the questions on the first day is to be answered in either Spanish or Portuguese, and the other is to be answered in English.  This first part of the exam lasts three hours (1 ½ hours for each question).
 
Day II
Addresses the other two fields chosen by the student, and it lasts for three hours (1 ½  hours for each field).
 
This two-part exam is administered on alternate days (e.g., Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday).
 
Successful completion of the General Exam allows a student to be automatically eligible for a Master of Arts degree. Unsuccessful completion may result in termination. In exceptional cases, the student may be allowed to retake the exam one time only.
 
The DGS will communicate the grades and overall comments of the professors to the student.

VIII. Dissertation Proposal:


The articulation of the dissertation topic and the methodology that will be employed in its writing will be presented to the Faculty at the end of the fifth semester. It will consist of: 1-a detailed oral presentation of the dissertation topic in the language in which the dissertation will be written; 2-an examination by the Faculty on this proposal and its implications. The Faculty will make suggestions to the student, either approving the proposal as it stands, or requesting revision and resubmission. (At this time, the Department may also decide to grant the student a terminal Master’s degree).
 
The student must submit a written version of the proposal to the DGS for transmission to the Faculty no later than one week before the public presentation. This document must include an explanatory essay indicating what the thesis proposes to study, and why it is important to the field. In addition, it should detail a chapter-by-chapter outline of the proposed thesis, and should include a substantial bibliography on the dissertation topic.
 
After the public presentation of the proposal, the DGS will communicate the Faculty’s comments to the student. If judged unacceptable, the proposal may be resubmitted one time only after revision. 
 
Students wishing to write their dissertation in Spanish rather than in English must obtain the prior approval of the DGS, who will consult with the dissertation director. If permission is granted, an explanatory letter from the thesis director and a formal request by the DGS will then be sent to the Dean of the Graduate School, who normally approves the request.

IX. The Dissertation:


The dissertation director will usually be the first examiner of the student’s General Examination. The choice of a director is a matter to be arranged by the student with the faculty member. A second reader should then be selected, at the earliest opportunity, by the dissertation director, after consultation with the student and the DGS.
 
Timely progress on the dissertation is a prerequisite for readmission and for financial aid. Before graduate students are hired as preceptors or research assistants by faculty members, their dissertation advisor must agree that such employment will not significantly delay completion of the dissertation.
 
It is assumed that the scope of the dissertation will be such as to allow for its completion in two and a half years. Both the director and the second reader will be kept up to date on the student’s progress, and will read, judge, and critique chapters as they are produced. Both the director and the second reader should approve a final first draft before the dissertation is produced in its final form.
 
As stated in The Graduate School Catalog, “five years following the General Examination are allowed for the completion of the dissertation”. After that time, the Department is under no obligation to direct or receive a dissertation, and does so at its own discretion.

Taking as a hypothetical example a dissertation of four chapters and an introduction, the optimal timetable would be as follows: 
Chapter One, July, 3rd year;
Chapter Two, December, 4th year;
Chapter Three, May, 4th year;
Chapter Four, October, 5th year;
Introduction, February, 5th year;
Final version, April, 5th year.

X. Final Public Oral Dissertation Defense:


There are three examiners at the defense. Only one of the two readers may serve as principal examiner. The remaining two examiners are selected from among other members of the Faculty. 
 
The examination consists of the following three parts: 1-a brief (thirty-minute) presentation by the candidate of the dissertation in English or Spanish; 2-an examination by the three principal examiners; and 3-questions by other Faculty in attendance. The exercise usually lasts an hour and a half. The Final Public Oral is open to all members of the University community, and graduate students are welcome to attend.

XI. Graduate Liaison Committee:

Each year the graduate students will choose a Graduate Liaison Committee composed of one first-year representative, one second-year representative, and one post-generals representative, who will serve as the communicators for graduate student concerns. These representatives will meet with the DGS once per semester, but also whenever issues of immediate concern arise. They will also attend faculty meetings if the faculty deems it appropriate.

XII. Teaching Assignments:

Students are normally given an Assistantship in Instruction as part of their admission package. The classroom experience is of great value for the development of teaching skills. The success of our department in placing its graduates is closely linked to their training and experience in this essential professional activity.
 
Graduate students will be assigned to teach specific courses based on: previous course evaluations, seniority, appropriateness of field, number of incompletes, and the discretion of the professor in charge of the course. This applies to all levels of teaching, from language courses to precepts. In the case of precepts, only Post-Generals students will be considered.
 
During the first two years, students will normally teach only in the second and third semesters (five hours of elementary language instruction). This will give them time to concentrate on their graduate seminars in their first Fall term, and will also relieve the pressure during the fourth semester, when they will be preparing for their General Examinations. 
 
In their third, fourth, and fifth years, students will normally teach five to six hours per week of elementary or advanced language and literature courses in the fall semester of each year. (The Department may elect to provide other forms of support, such as a research assistantship, in lieu of teaching).
 
Students on outside fellowships will also be required to teach, at the Department´s discretion. All graduate students will be visited at least once a semester by the head of the course they teach. After the visit, the head of course will meet with the student to discuss performance, offer suggestions and, if necessary, arrange for a follow-up visit. The head of course will also complete a Departmental evaluation form, which will be placed in the student´s file.
 
While these teaching evaluations are confidential and will not be communicated verbatim to a prospective employer, it should be remembered that teaching is an essential part of the student´s training, and the Department is usually asked to comment on the student’s teaching performance.

Students with a strong academic record, whose remarkable progress on their dissertation indicates that they would finish by the end of their fifth year, may be exempted from teaching during their last year so that they can devote themselves to the completion of their dissertation. In order to be eligible for this honor, students must be nominated by their advisors in the spring of their fourth year.

XIII. In Absentia and Leave Status:


Students should consult the Graduate School for the University´s policies on In Absentia and Leave Status.

XIV. Colloquia and Lectures:


The Department offers a very lively intellectual climate, with scholarly colloquia, public lectures, workshops, and related events. Attendance of graduate students at such events is strongly urged since these events provide valuable insight into the performative aspects of our profession as speakers, respondents, and presenters.
 
Students are encouraged to selectively participate and read papers related to their fields of interest at professional meetings in the United States and abroad. Given the demands of the program, however, the Department advises that students favor publications in professional journals over conference papers.

XV. Travel Funds:


Requests for funds totaling up to $750 per year for Pre-Generals students, and up to $1,500 per year for Post-Generals students will be available for travel, lodging, and registration expenses incurred while participating in a conference or in connection with research travel. (These funds will not, however, roll over from one year to the next.)
 
Up to $750 will be available on a one-time basis for students to travel to the Modern Language Association Convention in connection with a job search.

XVI. Publication Funds:


In very special cases, the Department will consider supporting publications. A student may petition the Department for subvention funds. If warranted, the Department will determine the extent of the subvention.

XVII. Placement Dossiers:


In the early Fall of their last year of residence in Princeton, students are advised to consult their DGS about creating a Placement Dossier. This is a permanent record that may be sent to the prospective employers to whom the student chooses to apply. It contains a curriculum vitae, a course transcript, and letters of recommendation from three or four professors, including a teaching evaluation. 
 
Access to the recommendations is restricted to indicated officers of the University and, at the request of the student, to prospective employers. Copying and regular mailing charges will be covered by the Department. If the student wishes to send a dossier or part of it by express mail, the student will cover the expense. 
 
In order to ensure that students' records have been fully and fairly presented, the DGS will review the dossiers and, specifically, the Faculty letters of recommendation, before they are sent to prospective employers.

XVIII. Department Prizes:


The Pedro Henríquez Ureña Award
 
Upon nomination from the faculty, this award will be conferred upon a student who has demonstrated the most consistent level of excellence during the five years of graduate study in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.   Conceived as a career award, this distinction will be awarded in the fifth year to the student who, in the estimation of the faculty, exemplifies the highest levels of ability, attainment, professionalism, and promise.
 
In recognition of such outstanding performance and professional promise, this award, in addition, carries with it a stipend of $1,000. The award will be presented during the fall party of the Department of the next academic year.
 
The Américo Castro Award
 
This award (bearing the name of one of the Department´s most illustrious scholars) will be conferred every two years upon the most outstanding dissertation defended in that two-year time-period in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. A committee established for this purpose will read the dissertations and readers´ reports and will make its recommendation to the faculty.
 
This award, beyond its honorific nature, carries with it a stipend of $1,000.

XIX. DCE Status and Financial Support:

Students who have not completed the program by the end of their fifth year at Princeton have the option of applying for up to two years of DCE (Dissertation Completion Enrollment) status (see DCE Status at the Graduate School website). Since DCE students are not funded by the Graduate School in the same manner as regularly enrolled students, the Department may provide additional financial support through the assignment of language courses to departmental students with DCE status. Since the Department cannot guarantee teaching positions to all DCE students in need of financial support, it has therefore established the following guidelines regarding the assignment of courses to DCE students:

  1. Students must be in good standing in the program.
  2. Students must show significant progress towards completing their dissertation. They must present a detailed written report of the state of their project and copies of the sections completed to their advisor and the DGS in the Spring semester of their fifth year.
  3. Students are expected to apply for jobs at the MLA conventions and look for other sources of funding (teaching positions, fellowships, and so on) before they request teaching assignments from the Department.
  4. Students whose last teaching evaluations received an overall mark lower than 4.0 will not be considered for teaching.
  5. The Department will provide only one year of teaching to DCE students.

Students who have been assigned courses will teach a total of three courses, two in the fall and one in the spring.

XX.Terminal Masters Degree

Requirements for the terminal M.A. degree:

  1. Successful completion of at least 10 graduate courses with a  minimum grade of B
  2. No INCs
  3. Completion of an M.A. Thesis (approximate length of 40 pages). The thesis can be based on a previous research paper. The advisor would be the faculty member for whom the thesis was written and there will also be a second reader.   Ideally the thesis should be completed before the student's enrollment terminates. It will be accepted up to four months after termination.