Ph.D. Program

The aim of the doctoral program is to prepare students to become first-rate scholars and teachers. To this end, 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 essential components of the program are detailed below:

Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree:

Course work. Students will be required to complete satisfactorily a total of 18 courses. Normally a student will take 3 courses per semester for six semesters. Two courses must be taken outside the Department in the same discipline or field, and a total of four courses out of the 18 may be non-department courses. Three courses are required of all students: Spanish 630 ("Graduate Seminar in Literary Theory") or a suitable equivalent in another department, Spanish 610, ("History of the Spanish Language"), and Spanish 620 ("Foreign Language Teaching Methodologies"). The amount of credit to be received by an incoming student for work done in another institution will be determined on an ad hoc basis, but by Graduate School regulations may not exceed six courses.

Language requirements.

• a translation exam in two foreign languages that are appropriate to the student's prospective field of specialization.
• a translation exam in Latin, or successful completion of a one-semester Latin course. Students should consult with the relevant faculty member about the several options available for preparing to fulfill this requirement.

Summer Workshop in Salamanca. In the summer after their second year in the program, students spend ten weeks in Salamanca, Spain, under the supervision of an Emory faculty member. Transportation to Salamanca, tuition, room and board are provided by the Department. During that time, students engage in the following activities:

• A concentrated study of research techniques for the handling of archival sources, and familiarization with Spanish archives. This seminar in Salamanca is complemented with sessions at a number of possible archival sites. These are determined on the basis of the specific interests of the students attending on any given year. There are, for instance, the Archivo Nacional in Simancas and the Archivo de Indias in Seville. The first is the national repository of Renaissance historical documents; the second is the archive that contains all materials pertaining to the conquest and settlement of the New World. Madrid also offers a number of archival sources for students interested in the modern period, such as the Archivo Histórico Nacional, the Biblioteca Nacional, and the Hemeroteca Municipal.
• An intensive writing workshop to enhance proficiency in the use of formal Spanish. This workshop consists of intensive writing assignments geared to developing to the maximum the students' written expression in academic Spanish. The small size of the class makes it possible to receive frequent and detailed critiques of the assignments handed in by each student.
• Workshop on academic writing. Under the supervision of an Emory faculty member, participating students rewrite a previously composed paper into an article that could be eventualy submitted for publication in a scholarly journal. In most cases this activity will also serve as a preliminary stage in the dissertation process.

Comprehensive examination. The comprehensive exam should be taken the semester immediately following the completion of all course work and language requirements. The comprehensive exam will consist of the following: a) a written exam that will include: a first part consisting of one general question on each of the four fields in which the student is not specializing; a second part on the area of specialization; b) a two-hour oral exam. There is also a list of theoretical works with which all students are expected to be familiar.

Dissertation prospectus. Towards the middle of the semester following completion of the comprehensive exam (normally the spring semester of the fourth year) a student will submit a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus is a 10-15-page document with an appended bibliography that explains in detail the proposed thesis topic, the critical instrument chosen to approach it, existing scholarship on the subject, and an overarching plan for its development. The prospectus is prepared in consultation with the thesis adviser but it is reviewed and commented on by all members of the faculty.

Dissertation. The student will submit a completed dissertation. The dissertation is prepared in close consultation with the adviser, but students are highly encouraged to consult with any professor at Emory whose research may be relevant to the dissertation project.

Dissertation defense. The dissertation defense is the final requirement for the Ph.D. degree. It is an academic exercise open to the general university public.

Professional training. The department's faculty sponsors seminars intended to provide students with a knowledge of the profession and of the skills necessary to participate actively and successfully in it. (See next heading for more details.)

Pedagogical training. Graduate students are trained on effective pedagogical methodologies through a course required of all students. There is also continuous supervision and critique of the students's teaching performance by a faculty member. Every effort is made to give students a broad teaching experience that included courses on culture and literature as well as language.

Seminars on Professional Concerns. The Department of Spanish recognizes the need to inform graduate students regarding a wide range of professional issues directly related to the successful development of their academic careers. To that end, each year sponsors a series of meetings during which these concerns can be more fully addressed and explored. The professional concerns seminars meet as needed are led by one or several faculty members. Topics to be covered include the following:

• Publishing your work. From course paper to published article; choosing a journal; following editorial guidelines; writing a cover letter; the referee system; the ethics of manuscript submission.
• Participating in conferences and symposia. Membership in relevant professional organizations; sources of announcements of upcoming conferences; potential sources of funding; writing and submitting an abstract; rehearsing the finished paper.
• Applying for grants and fellowships. Locating sources of funding; dissertation and postdoctoral support; formulating and writing the proposal; requesting letters of recommendation; IRS regulations governing taxability of scholarships and fellowships.
• Writing the curriculum vitae. How to construct a curriculum vitae; what information to include; techniques of organization and presentation.
• Applying for jobs. General procedures; sources of job announcements; writing the cover letter; setting up a dossier; letters of recommendation.
• Preparing for an interview. MLA and on-campus interviews; what to anticipate; the job-seeker's dress and behavioral code; questions most frequently asked of candidates; what candidates can do to prepare; EEOC regulations and the questions interviewers may and may not legally ask. (Students with upcoming job interviews will have the opportunity to conduct mock interviews with departmental faculty and receive a critique of their performance).

Other possible topics for discussion might include book reviewing, publishing the dissertation and networking. Students may also propose a seminar on a topic not listed here that is of special professional concern to them. Such proposals are channeled through the Director of Graduate Studies.