So you are considering going to graduate school in Spanish or in Hispanic Studies....

When to apply?  If you are contemplating graduate studies, you should begin investigating your options as soon as possible, preferably no later than the second semester of your junior year.  Application deadlines at graduate schools vary, but in general, in order to be considered for financial aid (fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, etc.) you should apply in the late Fall or early Spring prior to your graduation date.

Examinations for admission? Some (most) universities require as part of the application process scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), so you should keep this in mind and arrange to take this examination  with sufficient lead time prior to submitting your application.  The exam is used as an admissions measure as well as a tool for making financial aid decisions.  For information about taking the Graduate Record Exam, contact National Testing Program office, 2nd floor Westside Hall, UNCW, [phone: (910) 962-7444].  You may also wish to read more about the national tests offered at UNCW.

GPA needed?  Each graduate school has its own criteria for admissions.  But, it goes without saying that the higher your overall GPA is and the higher your Spanish GPA is, the better your chances for success with application will be.  The UNCW graduate school requires a 3.0 overall GPA and, for most programs, a 3.0 GPA in the area of specialization.

Academic preparation?  The UNCW undergraduate curriculum in Spanish is comprehensive but flexible.  With this in mind, you should use the flexibility to your advantage as you look toward graduate studies.  In other words, you should consider what area or areas you are most interested in but not confine yourself to a single area of interest.

In your undergraduate studies, it is best not to limit yourself too much for several reasons:

    --as you mature your idea of what it is you actually wish to do may change.

    --circumstances may necessitate your being able to move in some other direction

    --graduate schools generally look for persons proficient in KNOWLEDGE as well as SKILLS.  In other words, not only do you need to be able to function orally and aurally in Spanish, but you need to be able to read and write it well.  The 300-level literature and culture courses at UNCW give you the opportunity to gain KNOWLEDGE  and to use it to synthesize all the SKILLS.  You have the opportunity to talk, read, write and hear about important aspects of Hispanic culture, in other words to move toward cultural literacy in Spanish.  These same courses offer you the opportunity to hone ANALYTICAL skills.  Graduate schools will be very interested in your proven ability to ANALYZE material (which you cannot do in a vacuum).

What kind of program? For the master's degree, it is most often advisable to look toward a more general type of Spanish degree; however, your decision will depend on more than one factor.  If you intend to follow a literature track or a film track, you should apply to graduate schools that have  programs in those areas.  You should not apply to a university thinking that you will study Spanish film there, if that university does not have a strong film component in its graduate program.   If you do apply, you will more than likely have wasted an application effort.  They will probably not accept you if you have stipulated film as your undying interested.  Even if they do accept you, you stand to be disappointed in the program once you are enrolled.

If you are going to limit yourself to a geographical area, make sure that the university (universities) in that area can offer you the program you want.  If the university or locale is more important than the course of study, then you must adapt your goals to match the program(s) available there.  This will require a well-rounded undergraduate preparation.

Where did UNCW's Spanish faculty do graduate work? Where have UNCW Spanish graduates continued their studies?  While you will not want to limit your options to these universities, you can get informed advice from your professors about where they studied and where other UNCW students have studied.  For the list, CLICK HERE.

What graduate schools have programs in translation-interpretation studies?  This field is growing rapidly.  There is a good on-line source of information at Gradschools.com.

Can you continue your studies at UNCW?  Yes!  The University of North Carolina at Wilmington offers a  Graduate Certificate Program in Hispanic Studies.

If you wish to seek information on line about other graduate schools and programs, please go to the HOT LINKS of the UNCW Career Services and do a search from there.