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Home Department of World Languages and Literatures Spanish MA Spanish Application Process

Application Process

MA Romance Languages - Spanish Concentration

Applications are accepted throughout the year preceding the semester the student would like to begin the MA program. Students who are also applying for a graduate assistantship are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible. 

To submit your application, please visit https://apply.memphis.edu/portal/graduate_application and select the program 'MA in Romance Languages - Spanish Concentration."

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Program Prerequisites 

  1. The applicant must provide an official transcript showing that a bachelor's degree was awarded by an accredited college or university. Official transcripts should be electronically submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  2. A minimum of a 3.0 quality point average on a scale of 4.0. Students with less than a 3.0 quality point average may be admitted with the approval of the Department Chair and the relevant Coordinator of Graduate Studies. 
  3. A minimum of 24 undergraduate upper-division semester hours or the equivalent in Spanish. Examples of equivalent preparation in Spanish include having native or near-native proficiency, university studies in a Spanish-speaking country, or the permission of the graduate coordinator.
  4. A reasonable proficiency in the language of concentration is to be determined by the Department prior to admission.  In particular, an oral interview in Spanish is required. The applicant must contact the coordinator in Spanish early in the admission process to make arrangements for the interview to assess whether the candidate has reasonable proficiency in Spanish and inform prospective students about the program. 
  5. A writing sample in Spanish must be submitted to the respective coordinator. This documentation is intended to demonstrate the student's adequate command of writing skills in his/her field of concentration. The writing sample must be related to any Hispanic literary, artistic, cultural, or historical topic. Prospective students may submit a final paper for one of their previous classes. The writing sample might be 3-4 pages long.
  6. A letter (in English) of intent explaining the applicant's motivation and objectives in pursuing a graduate degree in Spanish.
  7. Two letters of recommendation from professors who have taught the applicant.
  8. A 3.0 GPA for upper-division courses in the field. A GPA below 3.0 requires the approval of the Department Chair and the Coordinator of Graduate Studies. 

Language Proficiency 

All graduate students must demonstrate proficiency in Spanish. Deficiencies must be corrected. Lack of proficiency in Spanish can and will be used as a basis for termination of the student's graduate assistantship.  

International Students 

In addition to general admissions requirements, international students must adhere to the following:

International students, i.e. applicants whose highest degree is from a foreign university, must have their credentials evaluated. The university will accept evaluations done by any credentialing agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services website http://www.naces.org. The course-by-course report is required. International students must, therefore:

  1. score a minimum of 94 on the web-based TOEFL and a minimum of 26 on the speaking portion of the same exam. See the "English Proficiency Exam Scores" section below for more information. 
  2. convert their educational credentials–grades and diploma—into their US equivalents with an appropriate agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation services;
  3. Ask the same agency to submit the official transcript and diploma along with their respective conversion and translation to Graduate Admissions, University of Memphis.

English Proficiency Exam Scores

All applicants who will be attending the University on a student visa who are not native speakers of English and are not graduates of The University of Memphis must supply a minimum overall score on one of the exams noted below. Some degree programs require a higher overall score. Please check respective academic department webpages for their requirements.  With the exception of TOEFL, test scores must be sent directly from the testing center to:
     University of Memphis 
     Graduate School 
     FedEx Institute of Technology Building, Suite 201 
     365 Fogelman Drive 
     Memphis, TN   38152

  • TOEFL: A minimum score of 550 on the paper, a 210 on the computer-based, or 79 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is needed.  . All test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to The University of Memphis electronically using institution code: 1459.
  • IELTS: Graduate Admissions will accept scores on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.0. 
  • PTE: Graduate Admissions will also accept scores on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum acceptable PTE score is 53.  
  • Duolingo: For students affected by test center closures due to COVID-19, the University is temporarily accepting Duolingo as an alternative. A minimum score of 100 is required.
  • English Exam Alternative: The University is pleased to offer English Conditional Admission for qualified students. Students who are unable, or do not feel prepared, to take the TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo can request conditional admission based on completing an English skills assessment, any required English skill-building sessions (www.memphis.edu/iei) and, if required, a TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/Duolingo exam while you are in the USA.