Masters Degrees in Spanish Society & Culture, United Kingdom

This wide-ranging and flexible programme offers students the opportunity to develop their understanding of the cultures of the Hispanic world at an advanced level. As a pathway of the Language, Culture and History MA, students can combine their interest in Hispanic Studies with course options from Gender Studies, Translation Studies, and Comparative Literature.

Degree information

The programme offers a broad range of course options in Hispanic cultures from the early modern period to the present day, alongside relevant training in research skills and methodologies. Students develop a knowledge and understanding of the key aspects and complex concepts used to understand Hispanic literature, film and culture.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme offers two pathways: taught and research. Taught: one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), dissertation (90 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits) full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits) full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.

Core module
-Language, Culture and History. This core module permits research into two areas of major contemporary interest; for example, topics explored during the current year include the following: Trauma; Memory; Visual Culture; Queer(y)ing Sexuality.

Optional modules - students take a choice of optional modules on topics such as the following:
-Spanish Film
-The Works of Jorge Luis Borges
-The Conquest of Mexico
-New Argentine Cinemas
-How to Make an Eight-Minute Documentary
-Advanced Translation from and into Spanish

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project on a literary, cultural or historical topic, which culminates in a 12,000-word dissertation (taught pathway) or 18,000-word dissertation (research pathway), written in Spanish or English.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, classes and tutorials. Students are encouraged to undertake independent reading both to supplement and consolidate what is being taught. Students are assessed by a variety of methods, including long essays, take-home exams, and the dissertation.

Careers

This programme may lead to further research, or to employment in which a broad familiarity with Spanish and Latin American culture is an asset.

First destinations of recent graduates of the programme include:
-IMS: Live Subtitler
-British Council: Project Delivery Officer
-University of Westminster: Teacher
-UCL: Further doctoral research in Spanish Literature

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL Spanish & Latin American Studies features staff who are nationally and internationally renowned experts in the field, who publish in their specialist areas and are active researchers. The department regularly hosts a number of events including conferences, research seminars, symposia and a documentary film course in Cuba.

Our location in London provides access to numerous cultural and social events relating to the Spanish-speaking world, its literature, films, history and politics. We encourage active participation in the events of the Instituto Cervantes and the Institute for the Study of the Americas, both of which provide access to excellent resources to enhance your studies.

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This degree offers the possibility of following advanced study in the histories of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American cultures in the light of contemporary theoretical developments in the fields of literature, cultural studies, cultural geography, film and the history of art and media. You may specialise in either Spain and Portugal or Latin America, as well as in different historical periods and media, or combine interests.

Birkbeck is a world-renowned centre of Iberian and Latin American Studies. Our work is distinguished by its innovative character, its engagement with other disciplines and its challenge to received ideas. We are committed to a continual rethinking of the fields we research and the subjects we teach, creatively and critically.

We are also known for our unique student population, including a high number of Spanish and Latin American undergraduates and postgraduates. This brings a particular richness and variety of experience and knowledge to our courses and seminars.

Our international staff specialise in diverse aspects of cultural history and critique, with a strong emphasis not only on the literary and linguistic but also the audiovisual expression of Latin America and the Iberian peninsula past and present.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Can be taken as a first step to doctoral research, to enhance your career prospects or simply for interest.
Our School of Arts is one of the best centres of Iberian and Latin American studies in the country.
Our work is distinguished by its innovative character, its engagement with other disciplines and its challenge to received ideas.
The department hosts the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies (CILAVS), offering a unique environment in which to undertake collaborative, cross-disciplinary and comparative research on visual subjects in the Hispanic and Lusophone world, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The School has achieved notable success in obtaining external funding for research. In addition we have an excellent team of research students (just over 20 at present), several of whom attend MA modules out of interest, ensuring a high level of intellectual discussion and allowing you to benefit from being part of a lively postgraduate community. You are in turn welcome to attend Research Seminars and the Postgraduate Conference, as well as all talks and conferences organised by the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies (CILAVS). As about a third of our students come from Spain, Portugal or Latin America, you also have easy access to native speakers of Spanish and Portuguese, socially as well as academically.
Postgraduate research seminars are held throughout the year, offering a stimulating forum for discussion among our research students, MA/MRes students, staff and invited speakers.
We offer a lively student experience, as well as student support and facilities.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Modern Languages and Linguistics achieved 100% for a research environment conducive to producing research of the highest quality, while 73% of our research was recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent.

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The MA Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies enables students to deepen and broaden their understanding of the Hispanic & Lusophone world, while providing the opportunity to concentrate on a disciplinary or country-specific focus of interest. The programme studies literature, language, history and culture from medieval times to the present and covers Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Lusophone Africa and Latin America.

Key benefits

- Unrivalled range of modules taught by specialists of international standing in literary, cultural and historical studies, film and visual arts.

- Guided country-specific or disciplinary focuses of study. Opportunity to personalise your studies for breadth or target particular interests in a period, topic, or area

- Excellent opportunities for both taught and research modules. Hone your advanced research skills in small classes and a dissertation module.

- Excellent seminar and lecture series that attracts national and international speakers and allows students access to state-of-the-art thinking in the subject areas. Get actively involved in departmental events and Humanities Research Centres that attract national and international speakers

- Located in the heart of London and with modern study and social spaces that create a vibrant and supportive environment for students and academic staff.

- Enhanced career prospects in a wide range of fields: cultural industries, teaching, academia, and business.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/spanish-portuguese-and-latin-american-studies-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The programme develops students' understanding of the problems and debates which have arisen in the field of Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies both through classroom-led curriculum-based study and supervised research. It provides a rigorous but innovative framework within which students can deepen their study of topics of individual interest. You will be given training in theoretical concepts and in research skills in order to equip you to undertake research in your chosen area. You will take up to 6 modules and also write a dissertation which draws on your core studies and also your own particular interests, all supervised in an outstanding research department.

Modules will be selected from those available, with departmental guidance, to construct a coherent programme covering one or many of the following themes:

Literature & Culture
Translation and Performance
Music
History
Portugal
Spain
Brazil
Lusophone Africa
Latin American Cultural Studies
Cinema
Visual Arts.

- Course purpose -

For graduates wishing to deepen and develop their knowledge of the field of Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies and gain research training and experience. This MA enables students to follow their interests and meet their personal needs while at the same time constituting an intellectually coherent approach which can be pursued at an advanced level.

- Course format and assessment -

You must successfully complete modules equivalent to a total of 180 credits. Students take up to 6 modules (120 credits) and complete a compulsory dissertation (60 credits). Modules are taught in weekly two-hour sessions; modules are assessed by coursework.

- Modern Language Centre -

You may also take optional language modules for Graduate students in the Modern Language Centre up to the value of 20 credits in addition to your normal 180 credits.

Student Destinations:

Many students pursue research in our department; others have developed their skills in teaching, journalism, cultural management or the financial sector.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

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We offer promising candidates the opportunity to carry out research in a vibrant and diverse postgraduate community.

Research activity in Hispanic Studies spans medieval to modern, embracing the history, literatures and cultures of Spain, Catalonia, the Hispanic Caribbean, Spanish America, Portugal and Brazil. It also encompasses the disciplines of Linguistics, Translation Studies and Cinema.

The MA by Research programme requires you to prepare a dissertation of up to 40,000 words on a topic of your choice, for which an academic staff member will provide expert supervision.

The PhD – the most advanced research degree – leads to a dissertation of up to 80,000 words on a subject of your choice and under the expert supervision of an academic member of staff.

You can study an MA by Research or PhD programme on campus or by distance learning. Please note that if you are studying with us by distance learning, the programme includes a fully-funded annual visit to campus for each full year of your programme (every two years for part-time students).

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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The Spanish MLitt comprises taught and research-based elements, allowing you to focus in depth on one aspect of Latin American studies. Topics available include: linguistics, culture, history and politics of Latin America, the Spanish novel and Latin American film.

The School of Modern Languages research staff work in a diverse range of fields from sociocultural, historical and political studies, to film and literature, linguistics and sociolinguistics.

We offer expert supervision in the following areas of Latin American studies:
-Anthropology, anthropological linguistics and sociolinguistics of Latin America, including Quechua language (Prof Howard)
semantics, philosophy of language, history and spread of Spanish in Latin America, Latin American dialects and Creole (Prof Mackenzie)
-Political, social and intellectual history of Latin America in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially Brazil and Southern Cone (Prof Hentschke)
-History of education in Latin America in 19th and 20th century Latin America (Prof Hentschke, Dr Oliart, Prof Howard)
-Discourses of race and identity in Latin America (Prof Howard, Dr Oliart, Dr Morgan)
-Latin American film, literature and theatre (Dr Page)
-Spanish and Latin American cultural history and popular culture (Dr Catala Carracso, Dr Morgan, Dr Oliart, Dr Fernández)
-Catalan nationalism (Dr Catala-Carrasco)
-Spanish novel (Dr Catala Carrasco)

You will normally work on a research project which comprises two to four research assignments and a longer dissertation. Your supervisor will be an expert in your chosen field and you will receive support if necessary from an experienced research supervisor. The course is well suited as preparation for PhD research.

The School has strong links with interdisciplinary research centres and groups, including:
-Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
-Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Sciences
-Research Centre in Film and Digital Media
-Gender Research Group
-Medieval and Early Modern Studies
-Postcolonial Research Group

You will also have the opportunity to attend festivals and conferences with a direct bearing on your course:
-Talking to the World Conference
-VAMOS festival

As a student in the School of Modern Languages, you will benefit from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) Faculty research training programme. You will choose these research modules in consultation with your supervisors.

Up to £250 per year is available to support your attendance at conferences or for archival research. You can also request an inter-library loan allowance.

Delivery

This course is delivered by the School of Modern Languages, with the possibility of joint supervision with other schools. You will mainly be based in Newcastle's city-centre campus. Attendance is flexible and agreed between you and your supervisors depending on the requirements of the research project.

Full-time students are expected to undertake 40 hours of work per week with an annual holiday entitlement of 35 days (including statutory and bank holidays). Part-time study requires a commitment of at least 20 hours per week.

The MLitt incorporates a formal research training component where you will develop your research skills and methodologies (20 credits).

You also complete a portfolio of essays chosen in consultation with your supervisors according to your interests and experience (80 credits). You then undertake a dissertation of 16,000–24,000 words consisting of a sustained piece of original research (80 credits).

Study consists mainly of tutorials and independent learning supported by research training. Supervisors will advise you on how to develop your research proposals.

Facilities

You will have access to a dedicated quiet study space, as well as use of a common room with kitchen facilities. The School also houses the Language Resource Centre, with an extensive range of language learning facilities and resources, including:
-Access to 24 satellite television channels from around the world
-Listen and record facilities for speaking practise
-Interactive language learning software
-An international film collection of over 800 titles

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This degree offers the possibility of following advanced study in the histories of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American cultures in the light of contemporary theoretical developments in the fields of literature, cultural studies, cultural geography, film and the history of art and media. You may specialise in either Spain and Portugal or Latin America, as well as in different historical periods and media, or combine interests.

Birkbeck is a world-renowned centre of Iberian and Latin American Studies. Our work is distinguished by its innovative character, its engagement with other disciplines and its challenge to received ideas. We are committed to a continual rethinking of the fields we research and the subjects we teach, creatively and critically.

We are also known for our unique student population, including a high number of Spanish and Latin American undergraduates and postgraduates. This brings a particular richness and variety of experience and knowledge to our courses and seminars.

Our international staff specialise in diverse aspects of cultural history and critique, with a strong emphasis not only on the literary and linguistic but also the audiovisual expression of Latin America and the Iberian peninsula past and present.

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This Graduate Diploma is ideal if you wish to familiarise yourself with and understand the rich cultural histories of Spain and Latin America, while also improving your Spanish and your research and study skills.

The course has been designed for those who want to refresh their knowledge of Spanish in preparation for a Master's degree, particularly if you've taken a break from studying and need to refamiliarise yourself, or if you have a degree in a different but relevant subject area. The course will also suit international students who want to deepen their knowledge of Spanish and Latin American language and culture while experiencing life and study in the UK, as well as teachers who want to refresh and deepen their knowledge, but who do not necessarily want to undertake a full MA quite yet.

This programme will develop your Spanish language skills, enabling you to communicate fluently and accurately with native speakers in both informal and professional contexts. It will also develop your ability to critically analyse Spanish and Latin American language, linguistics and culture, including art, film, history, literature and urban studies. You will learn the latest theoretical approaches to cultural critique and explore a wide range of cultural forms within their social and historical contexts.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Arts and humanities courses at Birkbeck are ranked third best in London and 11th in the UK in the Times Higher Education 2015-16 World University Subject Rankings.
Provides a 1-year qualification in Spanish language and the cultural histories of Spain and Latin America.

Enables you to improve your Spanish language skills and increase your knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture, while also developing the study and research skills you need for Master's-level study.

Ideal for international students who wish to study in the UK for a year and also for teachers who want to deepen their knowledge of Spanish and Latin American language and culture.
Designed for students who require further training to progress to an MA programme, such as Birkbeck's MA/MRes Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Cultural Studies.
You will be studying with a wide variety of students from all over the world and taught by world-class researchers.

Birkbeck is at the heart of a global capital city that is full of opportunities for those wishing to hear and speak Spanish.

Our flexible evening study allows you to achieve your educational goals alongside your professional and personal ones.

Our School of Arts is in the top 5 in the country. Our Department of Cultures and Languages brings together research and teaching in French, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish, making it an outstanding interdisciplinary department.
Ours is a community of scholars with shared interests in interdisciplinary topics and cross-cultural research. Our affiliated research centres, the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Vicual Studies (CILAVS) and the Birkbeck Research in Aesthetics of Kinship and Community (BRAKC), provide important platforms for this exchange.

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Are you keen to specialise in academic study of your chosen language and culture, and do you have the curiosity and motivation to develop an individual research path, leading potentially to PhD study? This innovative course, combining cross-School taught modules with language specific research, offers an advanced preparation for doctoral research.

You’ll work with the support of leading researchers of international reputation, drawing on our expertise in critical theory, research skills, and key research themes from across the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. You’ll benefit from a broad introduction to critical theories and perspectives across the European and North American intellectual traditions, as well as the opportunity to develop your research specialism in French, German, Hispanic or Italian Studies, or in comparative analysis of these cultures. We also provide research skills training, helping you to build subject-specific and transferrable skills.

Our researchers collaborate to teach the core critical modules, and we encourage interdisciplinary teaching or supervision within and outside Modern Languages through optional taught modules, Advanced Study Options, and your dissertation. Advanced Study Options enable you to pursue individual research pathways with the guidance of a tutor or tutors before undertaking your dissertation.

The skills you’ll acquire in research, critical analysis and advanced argumentation, written and oral presentation, project design, and time management will prepare you thoroughly for doctoral research and an academic research career. Equally, you’ll be well placed to pursue professional routes into sectors such as publishing, media, and non-academic research.

Course structure

The MA for Research in Hispanic Studies is suitable for beginning researchers who want to deepen or extend their knowledge before defining a research topic. The course has two parts:
-Taught modules (core Modern Languages theory module plus optional modules and/or guided independent study)
-Dissertation

Duration: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time.
Assessment: 40,000 word dissertation.

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Note: this MPhil can develop into a PHD.

Our approach to Hispanic Studies emphasises a boundary-crossing, transnational vision of the networks of cultural history, memory, literature and identity that crisscross the Hispanic world – from Europe to the Caribbean, the Americas, Africa and the Pacific. We have particular strengths in:
-The cultural histories of Iberia (Spain, Portugal, Galicia), the Hispanic Atlantic and the Caribbean.
-Connections and encounters between Hispanic, Lusophone, Anglophone and Francophone cultures.
-Mobility (travel, migration, exile), memory and identity across the Hispanic world.

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The MA by Research is designed for students who wish to proceed directly to research without first taking a full taught MA programme. It can be taken as a preparation for PhD work. You will write a 40,000 word research thesis under the supervision of one or more subject specialists. This programem will eb for you if you have already developed a very specific interest and skills in a particular area and/or wish to work with particular members of the Department on their areas of expertise.

Research in Hispanic Studies

Our approach to Hispanic Studies emphasises a boundary-crossing, transnational vision of the networks of cultural history, memory, literature and identity that crisscross the Hispanic world – from Europe to the Caribbean, the Americas, Africa and the Pacific. We have particular strengths in:
-The cultural histories of Iberia (Spain, Portugal, Galicia), the Hispanic Atlantic and the Caribbean.
-Connections and encounters between Hispanic, Lusophone, Anglophone and Francophone cultures.
-Mobility (travel, migration, exile), memory and identity across the Hispanic world.

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Taught at our Parkgate Road Campus in Chester, our MRes in Modern Languages offers an excellent opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge and research experience in your chosen field of Modern Languages and Area Studies. Please note that this course recruits in even-numbered years, i.e., 2018, 2020 etc. The course will provide graduate students with the opportunity to develop an independent, substantial piece of scholarly research into a field of Modern Languages and Language Area Studies. Students will be informed by, and to contribute to, broader academic debates about the methods, approaches and practices that underpin the discipline of Modern Languages and Language Area Studies.

The MRes in Modern Languages comprises two key elements: a double core module focusing on research methodology (40 credits) and an extended dissertation (140 credits). The Research Dissertation module is divided into three stages, during which you will work closely with your dissertation supervisor exploring, firstly, the existing literature on your topic; secondly, planning your research project; and finally, writing up your dissertation.

You will choose the topic of your dissertation in consultation with the Programme Leader and it will reflect your own research interests and the Department's research specialisms.

The Department offers supervision in a range of Modern Languages and Area Studies topics. We have particular strengths in postcolonial, political and cultural studies in the francophone, Hispanic and Chinese-speaking worlds, as well as visual cultures and literary specialisms in peninsular Spain, France and mainland China.

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This course will prepare you to teach Spanish across the 11-16 or 11-18 age range. It is a 10 month course which allows graduates to train to teach, gain a postgraduate qualification and qualified teaching status (QTS).

The course combines master's level academic study of key language learning theories and methods with a range of practical experiences. Approximately two-thirds of the course is spent in our partnership schools and colleges developing practical teaching skills with the support of trained mentors and experienced modern language teachers.

The University teaching team has an international reputation for research, teaching and publications in education. We are dedicated to developing your expertise and we believe passionately in the benefits of creative, motivating and engaging language lessons in order to create the next generation of life-long modern language speakers. Our sessions are all interactive and good pedagogy is modelled by skilled and highly motivated tutors and guest speakers. Your University tutors combine experience as outstanding teachers with academic knowledge of innovative, current and relevant educational research.

We have strong partnerships with schools and colleges, many of which are involved in research projects with the University. We work with a large variety of schools, comprehensives, grammar schools, specials schools and sixth form colleges, allowing us to personalise your placement experiences to your individual needs. University tutors and school-based mentors will provide support and challenge to help you achieve your potential.

Scholarships/sponsorships

If you have graduated in the last three years from The University of Manchester with a 1st class honours degree, we will grant you a £1000 tuition fee discount.

For September 2017, graduates with a 2:2 degree or higher are eligible for a Department of Education bursary of £25,000. You do not need to apply for a bursary - if you are enrolled and meet the eligibility criteria, you will begin receiving payment by instalments from October. Graduates with a degree gained outside of the UK should refer to the overseas degree equivalency table to see the bursary your degree may attract.

British Council Languages Teacher Training scholarships of £27,500 are available for the 2017/18 academic year. They are selected through an additional application and assessment process. If successful, you will not also be eligible for a bursary.

Home/EU students may be eligible for a repayable tuition fee loan. Home students in England may also be eligible for a repayable student maintenance loan. Amounts are dependent on your household income. Loans are provided by Student Finance England and repayments will start once you are earning over £21,000 per year.

Career opportunities

On completion of your PGCE and being granted qualified teaching status (QTS), you will work for a year as a newly qualified teacher (NQT). We keep in touch with our former students and continue to support them throughout their NQT year.

A Secondary Spanish PGCE from the University of Manchester is a valued qualification regionally, nationally and internationally. You will be given clear direction, advice and support when making applications for teaching posts. 84% of 2013's graduates from our modern language PGCEs were in a teaching post within six months of completing the course.

Qualified teachers undertake continuous professional development throughout their career, both to maintain the latest subject knowledge and teaching techniques, and if desired, to facilitate progression into leadership and management positions. A PGCE qualification counts as 60 of the 180 credits required for a master's degree and The University of Manchester offers a part-time MA in Educational Leadership should you wish to continue your professional development with a master's in the future.

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PGCE courses consists of a variety of learning experiences designed for those wishing to train as teachers. The majority of the course focuses upon practical training in teaching and learning related skills. This practical training is underpinned by the development of participants knowledge and understanding of education theories, ideas and concepts and by enhancing their awareness of current educational issues and developments. The Secondary courses prepare graduates to teach the National Curriculum and related national strategies, GCSE, AS and A2 level. For the purposes of gaining Qualified Teacher Status, trainees may focus upon the 11-16, 11-18 or 14-19 age range. Learning takes place through a number of school and university based elements. There will be extended periods of school experience which will provide opportunities to work in a Primary setting and to teach in at least two different Secondary Schools. A total of approximately 25 weeks during the PGCE will be spent experiencing and working in different types of School.

Our School Direct routes involve joint selection of candidates by Schools and University tutors. When choosing a School Direct route, applicants should identify the particular arrangement that the School Direct Lead School has made for delivery of School Direct with the University of Manchester as these will involve different patterns of training. Applicants should also clarify the 'expectations' to employ by the Lead School.

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