Chair: Alyssa Martoccio
Program Assistant: Niki Mott
Office: Plaza Building, Room 118
Telephone: 303-315-7234
Mailing Address:
Campus Box 178
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

Overview

The Master of Arts Program in Spanish at the University of Colorado Denver offers an alternative to exclusively literary studies that traditionally lead to doctoral programs. By integrating language, literature and cultural studies with ancillary work in other disciplines, the degree provides the broader expertise that will lead to or enhance careers in teaching, government, social services, translation, interpretation, diplomacy, non-profit sector, marketing, healthcare, business, and international trade. Students will tailor the program to their specific interests and needs by developing a topical focus including courses within and outside the Department of Modern Languages. This program is not offered online.

Spanish and English Proficiency Requirements

Levels of Spanish and English proficiency will be determined through an oral interview with the Graduate Committee for each applicant. In order to successfully engage in classroom activity at the graduate level, students in the Spanish MA program at University of Colorado Denver are expected to have advanced levels of speaking, reading and writing in both Spanish and English.
If the applicant proves deficient in any area or language, the Grad Committee has the right to refuse admittance.
Information for Graduate Students from the University of Colorado Denver catalog states: “A student who is noticeably deficient in the use of standard English in all oral and written work may not obtain an advanced degree from the University of Colorado Denver. Ability to use the language with precision and distinction should be cultivated as an attainment of major importance. The university reserves the right to test English proficiency for non-native speakers of English to confirm and validate sufficiency for credit-bearing course work and degree programs. Each department will judge the qualifications of its advanced students in the use of English. Reports, examinations and speech will be considered in estimating the candidate’s proficiency.”
Any non-native speaker of English who has not earned a degree from a University in the United States is required by the Department of Modern Languages to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and pass it with a minimum written score of 550, internet score of 80 or a computer score of 213 in order to be admitted into the Spanish MA program.

Teaching Assistantship (TA) Position

Teaching Assistantship (TA) positions may become available in the Spanish MA program. All applicants are interviewed by the Spanish MA faculty and positions are competitive. If you are interested in applying for a TA position, please pick up an application in our office or download it online . All applicants are interviewed by the Spanish MA faculty and positions are competitive.  Included with the Teaching Assistantship is a departmental scholarship that will cover 3 credit hours of in-state tuition for the course in which the student is concurrently enrolled.

Financial Aid

The department offers a limited number of teaching assistantships for graduate students on a semester-by-semester basis. Appointment is competitive and is typically based on a student's academic credentials. Contact the department for details. For information on grants, federal work-study programs, scholarships and loans, contact the Office of Financial Aid (303-556-2886).

For further information concerning the master's degree in Spanish at the University of Colorado Denver, direct inquiries to the graduate advisor Andrés Lema-Hincapie.

Requirements for Admission

In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate admission, the Spanish MA program requires:

• an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5, with a GPA of at least 3.0 in Spanish courses
• a bachelor's degree in Spanish is not required, although all candidates must demonstrate Spanish oral and written proficiency at the advanced level, as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
• two copies of all college transcripts
• three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should come from former college-level instructors.
• a statement of the applicant's purpose in pursuing the degree, in Spanish; any gaps, weaknesses or special circumstances affecting an applicant's academic record should be addressed in the statement of purpose portion of the application
• a TOEFL score higher than 550 for students whose previous academic degree was completed in a non-English-speaking country
• Priority Application Deadlines are: for Fall & Summer Admission – March 15th, and for Spring Admission - October 15th

In special circumstances, the department may modify its admission standards.

Western Regional Graduate Program

The Spanish Master’s Program participates in the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), which is a tuition-reciprocity arrangement with 15 participating states and 1 Commonwealth. The WRGP program allows students who are residents of these participating states to pay in-state tuition for the duration of the MA program. 

In addition to Colorado, the participating states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Students should indicate on their applications that they are requesting residence status through WRGP if applying from out of state.

Programs

Spanish Faculty

PROFESSOR:

Andrés Lema-Hincapié, PhD, Cornell University and PhD, University of Ottawa

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS:

Michael Abeyta, PhD, University of California-Davis
María Luisa Fernández Martínez, PhD, University of California, Irvine
Alyssa Martoccio, PhD, University of Illinois

ASSISTANT TEACHING PROFESSOR:

Gabriela de Robles, PhD, Georgetown University

INSTRUCTORS:

Ileana Gross, MA, University of Georgia
Amanda Ritchie, MA, University of Akron

Graduate Advisor:

Andrés Lema Hincapié

Undergraduate Advisors:

Last Names A-F: Amanda Ritchie

Last Names G-O: Ileana Gross

Last Names P-Z: Alyssa Martoccio

Study Abroad Advisor:

Michael Abeyta

Internship Director:

Andrés Lema-Hincapié

Arabic Faculty

INSTRUCTOR: 

Lizz Huntley, PhD, Michigan State

Chinese Faculty

ASSociate PROFESSOR AND ADVISOR: 

I-hao Victor Woo, PhD, Boston University

French Faculty

LECTURERs:

Adrienne Bleiler, MA, University of Colorado

Katie Irwin Wood, MA, Middlebury , CU Denver

Advisor:

Alyssa Martoccio

German Faculty

LECTURER:

Maggie Rosenau, PhD, University of Colorado

Latin Faculty

LECTURERS:

Mary De Forest, PhD, University of Colorado
Alan Sumler, PhD, City University of New York

Linguistics Faculty

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORs:

Alyssa Martoccio, PhD, University of Illinois

I-hao Victor Woo, PhD, Boston University

ASSISTANT TEACHING PROFESSOR:

Gabriela de Robles, PhD, Georgetown University

INSTRUCTOR AND ADVISOR: 

Lizz Huntley, Ph.D, Michigan State

Emeritus Faculty:

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS:

Kathleen Bollard
Diane Dansereau

ASSOCIATE TEACHING PROFESSOR:

Linda Alcott

INSTRUCTORS:

Tim Phillips 
Ted Wendelin 

Arabic (ARAB)

Chinese (CHIN)

French (FREN)

German (GRMN)

Latin (LATN)

Spanish (SPAN)