West Chester and Millersville Universities launched a new combined graduate degree program, the Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures in Spanish, in Fall 2014. This single degree program is presented by both language departments in collaboration and coordination to facilitate the prompt and successful completion of the students’ coursework, as meaningfully and efficiently as possible. The 11 courses of the 33 semester credit degree program may be completed in from 2-5 years.
The program contains three required core seminars totaling 9 credits to be taken by all students enrolled for the 33 credit degree program: LNC 501 on linguistics, LNC 502 on interpretive strategies, and LNC 503 on cultural studies. These seminars will all be offered each academic calendar year, shared by both schools, and will be taught in English, to allow students in all program languages to study and work together.
Additionally there is a general curriculum of 12 semester hours in Spanish, which includes courses in communicative proficiencies and cultural competencies.
Courses may be offered in all six academic sessions of each calendar year, including both semesters, the three summer sessions, and the winter session.
To complete the master’s degree experience, students choose 12 semester credit hours from elective options, in accord with their experience, needs, and future professional career plans. These may include courses in other fields such as nursing, marketing, criminal justice, etc., study abroad, an internship, or courses in pedagogy, or selected courses from the PA K-12 Graduate Certification in Spanish curriculum. The elective courses may also include all 12 credits in Spanish or a second program language (either French or German) at the graduate level.
Exit requirements for all students are uniform, an exit capstone project of a specialized written and oral exam, or a research project, or a portfolio of three projects, defended at an oral exam with the faculty.
Internships
The Department of Languages and Cultures offers a three, six, nine or twelve credit-hour internship to junior or senior majors and minors in languages or linguistics and to graduate students in French, German and Spanish who wish to enhance their study of a world language in communication, culture, and linguistics with an educational experience directly in the workplace, either in the United States or abroad.
Interns are expected to engage in written and oral experience in the studied language on a regular basis. Internships help students test and develop their skills of expression and communication in the world language or in English, if the internship involves the Teaching of English as a Second Language or English linguistics. Internships may be salaried, but unpaid or volunteer positions also qualify.
Students who seek to pursue this type of elective credit-bearing on-the-job experience by teaching a world language, Teaching English as a Second Language or by working for a company that conducts business in one of our languages or in areas related to English linguistics should contact their advisor to review information regarding job search, company contacts, contractual procedures and semester credit evaluation and approval. Graduate level LAN 525 internships may be arranged as the elective component of the Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures, for up to 12 credits.
Please see the website for more information:
https://wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/languagesCultures/gradLAN525.aspx Careers
Our program graduates pursue many careers using Spanish, including teaching at all levels, further graduate study, law, international relations, marketing, banking, travel, and services in a wide variety of regional and national companies. The high-quality professional training and multicultural perspectives you will acquire will enrich your personal future as well.
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