M.S. and Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics

M.S. Degree

1. Director of Graduate Studies

Students should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in Spanish Linguistics whenever they have questions about the program. They are also responsible for meeting with the DGS at least once per semester to ensure they are taking the appropriate courses and following the correct sequence. New students must meet with the DGS prior to the start of the Fall semester. Continuing students must meet with the DGS during the pre-registration period. In addition, all students must meet with the DGS during the add/drop period if any changes to their registration are needed, as course selections cannot be modified without prior approval from the DGS.

2. Course and Examination Requirements

The M.S. curriculum includes courses in the six areas of specialization: Applied Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Phonology/Morphology, Semantics & Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, and Syntax. Coursework is organized into two tiers. Students are required to complete all Tier I courses and four courses from Tier II. Tier I courses must generally be completed before Tier II courses, with the exception of History of the Spanish Language and World Spanishes, which may be taken in either order.

In addition to Tier I and Tier II courses, students complete two elective courses in linguistics or related disciplines such as philosophy, cognition, computer science, or bilingual education. In the fourth semester, students who intend to write a Qualifying Paper in order to continue to the Ph.D. program enroll in Thesis Research (SPAN 9999) alongside two regular courses.

3. Qualifying Paper

The purpose of the Qualifying Paper (QP) is to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to conduct the kind of independent research required for a doctoral dissertation. Students may consult faculty regarding the viability and originality of their proposed topics or with any questions that arise during the process; however, faculty do not read drafts and do not provide written feedback. The QP may be an original study or may originate from a previous course, provided that it has not received written feedback from any faculty member, as prior written feedback disqualifies a paper from consideration. Students must also document the relationship between the QP and any paper previously submitted to meet a course requirement. If the QP is a conceptual replication of a prior study, or is based in whole or in part on a faculty paradigm, faculty database, or public database (e.g., CHILDES), it must include at least one additional independent variable, along with the appropriate literature review needed to motivate the research question.

The QP form, which includes a title, topic description, reference list, and abstract, must be submitted by February 15 of the student’s fourth semester of study. While the QP does not require an experiment involving Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, students who intend to conduct research involving human subjects should consult the University’s IRB website and obtain approval before the February 15 deadline. Because the IRB process can take up to two months, students should have all materials and procedures ready for submission before the winter break.

The final QP must be submitted by the last day of finals in the spring semester of the fourth semester of coursework. Students may request one extension, which must be approved by the DGS and is granted only for medical reasons. Any extension may not exceed two weeks.

The QP is evaluated by a committee of two Georgetown University faculty members with expertise in the relevant area. Committee members are appointed by the Department Chair in consultation with the DGS; ideally both members, but at minimum one, must be from the Spanish and Portuguese Department. After evaluation, the committee provides written feedback and submits its decision to the DGS, who communicates the result to the student, Chair, Registrar, faculty, and Graduate Studies. All decisions are final.

If the paper is deemed satisfactory and the student has a cumulative GPA above 3.5 as well as a GPA of 3.67 or higher in the chosen area of specialization, the student is admitted into the Ph.D. program. If the paper does not meet passing standards and/or the GPA requirements are not satisfied, the student is not admitted to the Ph.D. program but may be awarded a terminal Master’s degree, provided all other requirements, including a minimum GPA of 3.0, have been met. Students who do not wish to continue to the Ph.D. program are not required to complete a QP. Upon successful completion of all Master’s degree requirements, students admitted to the Ph.D. program may apply to Graduate Studies to receive the Master of Science degree in passing and may participate in Commencement if they choose.

4. Academic Standing

Students who wish to earn only a Master’s degree are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Those who plan to continue into the Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics should consult the requirements listed below for additional prerequisites.

5. Language Requirement

All M.S. students must pass an oral proficiency exam in a language other than English or Spanish, administered by a regular faculty member in one of the language departments. After the exam, students should request the appropriate form from the DGS to register the result. The exam typically consists of a 20-minute period in which students read an article with the aid of a dictionary, followed by an oral discussion of the text, which, when possible, should focus on a linguistic topic or another language-related subject.

The language requirement must be completed by the end of the fourth semester, so students are encouraged to plan ahead and contact language departments early in the semester. Because oral proficiency in an additional language requires sustained practice, students are advised to begin preparing for this requirement from their first semester.

6. Annual Goal and Achievement Reports

By the end of each academic year, all students are required to submit or update a “statement” to the DGS. In this statement, students report their academic progress and achievements, including all courses taken, grades received, examinations passed, publications and presentations, as well as service activities such as participation in student organizations and teaching.

Students must also provide a detailed update on their progress toward the QP and the dissertation. The information included in the statement is kept on file and used for purposes such as writing letters of recommendation and making teaching assignments. It is also reviewed by the Department’s Academic Progress Committee, which reports its evaluations to the Department Chair. The Progress Committee meets each spring and may recommend appropriate action when necessary.

Ph.D. degree

1. Prerequisites

Students wishing to pursue the Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics must first have successfully completed the eleven courses required for the M.S., maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall and 3.67 in their area of specialization, and complete the QP (see point 3 above for procedure). Applicants holding a Master’s degree from another institution may request Advanced Standing and be exempted from up to three courses listed under point 2 above, provided they can demonstrate mastery of the relevant course content. Such students must submit supporting documentation (e.g., syllabi, reading lists, and research papers) to the DGS and the relevant faculty member for evaluation. Importantly, no course credit is granted for Advanced Standing, and all students must complete a total of 17 three-credit courses at the 4000 level or above.

2. Selection of a Graduate Adviser and a Dissertation Director

By the end of the fourth semester in the program, students must select a graduate adviser. Together, the student and the prospective adviser will design a Ph.D. course plan (see point 3 below). After completing the required 17 courses and before taking the Ph.D. examinations, the student must also choose a dissertation director, who may or may not be the same person selected as graduate adviser. In addition, each semester, students must obtain approval for their coursework from either the DGS, their adviser, or both the DGS and the adviser.

3. Courses

Students authorized to pursue the Ph.D. must complete six additional content courses beyond the M.S., selected in consultation with their graduate adviser, for a total of 17 courses (51 credits) beyond the B.A. degree, excluding all enrollments in Thesis Research. At least three of these courses must be seminars, which are typically advanced courses within a specific field. Departments identify seminars in different ways. For example, in Psychology and in Spanish and Portuguese, the word “Seminar” appears in the course title; in other cases, seminars require prior coursework in the area (e.g., Syntax 3 requires completion of Syntax 1 and 2), or they are designated with course numbers in the 7000s. Students must obtain written approval from either the DGS or their adviser.

4. Language Requirement

Prior to taking the Ph.D. Examination, students must demonstrate reading proficiency in a language other than English, Spanish, and the language used to satisfy the Master’s degree language requirement. For additional information and protocol, please refer to point 5 above.

5. Ph.D. Examinations

By October 15 of the third semester in the Ph.D. program, students must submit a written proposal to the thesis director. The proposal should include:

1. a 350-word abstract serving as an executive summary of the thesis topic, its goals and motivation, and its potential theoretical and practical implications;
2. a concise review of the relevant literature concerning the selected independent variable(s) or the social (external) and linguistic (internal) factors to be examined;
3. potential research questions;
4. a proposed research design that identifies the dependent variable(s) or principal phenomenon under investigation; and
5. a comprehensive list of references. 

The proposal should be between 10 and 15 pages in length, excluding references.

The thesis director uses the proposal to develop the questions for the two written Ph.D. examinations. The first examination serves as the initial draft of Chapter 1 of the dissertation (Statement of the Problem). It requires students to contextualize their research by providing a comprehensive overview of previous and current scholarship and by identifying potential future directions within the specific strand(s) of research they intend to pursue. The second examination constitutes the first draft of Chapters 2 and 3 of the dissertation. In this exam, students are expected to further elaborate on the selected independent variable(s) through a detailed review of the literature, clearly defined research questions, and an appropriate research design. Together, chapters 1-3 form the Dissertation Proposal.

Both examinations are four-day take-home exams and must not exceed 20 pages for students in the theoretical, historical, and sociolinguistics tracks, or 30 pages for students in Applied Linguistics, excluding references, appendices, and related materials. All submissions must be double-spaced. The examinations are taken during the final month of the third semester in the Ph.D. program, after the student has submitted the department’s “Ph.D. Examination form” to the DGS. The exams are evaluated by the thesis director and one additional faculty member appointed by the Chair. To pass the Ph.D. Examination, students must earn a minimum grade of B+. Students are permitted one rewrite.

6. Dissertation Committee

After successfully completing the Ph.D. exams, students select a dissertation committee consisting of at least three faculty members: a director and two readers. Co-mentorship is also possible, although it is exceptional. At least two of the three committee members must be tenure-line faculty at Georgetown, and at least one must be a member of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Readers may be drawn from outside the Department, either from another Georgetown department or program or from outside Georgetown University; external readers are encouraged whenever feasible. Readers from outside the University must hold a doctoral degree and either be faculty members at another university or hold a professional research appointment in a non-academic institution equivalent to the rank of assistant professor or higher. Once the dissertation committee is selected, students must submit the appropriate form to the DGS. Any subsequent changes to the committee require approval from GSAS.

7. Dissertation Proposal

One semester after successfully completing the two Ph.D. exams, students will draft a dissertation proposal and defend it publicly before their dissertation committee. All committee members must be present, either in person or via Zoom, Skype, or conference call. At least one week prior to the defense, students must submit the “Proposal Defense Form” to the DGS, along with the appropriate Graduate Studies form, which includes a detailed abstract. The proposal should go beyond a general overview of the topic and demonstrate substantial engagement with the relevant literature to support rigorous discussion.

For Theoretical Linguistics, the dissertation proposal must include an abstract, a literature review, a statement of the problem with clearly formulated research questions, a description of the methodology for data collection (if applicable), and a sketch of the proposed analysis or solution. For Applied Linguistics, the proposal must include an abstract, introduction, statement of the problem, literature review with research questions, and a defensible research design and methodology section addressing those questions. All treatment and testing materials must be included in the appendices.

Upon approval by the dissertation committee, students will enroll in two consecutive semesters of Thesis Research during the final year of study, during which the dissertation will be written. Once the dissertation proposal has been successfully defended, students are considered ABD.

8. Dissertation Defense

Upon completion of the dissertation, and prior to scheduling the dissertation defense, the student’s committee must certify unanimously–at least one week before the defense date–that the dissertation is ready for defense. This certification indicates a reasonable expectation that (a) the student will be able to address any questions about, or shortcomings in, the dissertation, and (b) only minor revisions will be required following the defense. Once the committee has unanimously approved the dissertation as ready for defense, as documented by their signatures on the Graduate Studies Doctoral Dissertation Reviewers’ Report Form, the student will proceed to a public presentation and defense of the dissertation in fulfillment of the requirements for the doctoral degree.

Graduate Studies requires that the defense be publicly announced via its website and that the Doctoral Dissertation Reviewers’ Report Form be submitted at least one week prior to the defense. All committee members must be present for the entire defense session, either in person or via remote participation (Zoom, Skype, or conference call). The candidate will be deemed to have passed the dissertation defense upon a majority vote of the committee certifying that the defense was “successful,” meaning that the candidate has satisfactorily addressed all questions and concerns and that no major revisions are required.

If the dissertation is not successfully defended and accepted by the Office of Graduate Studies within the five- or seven-year time limit (see Section 1.3 of the Graduate Student Handbook), the student will be terminated from the graduate program unless an extension of time has been approved by the Office of Graduate Studies.

A Ph.D. student’s program is typically structured as follows (after completion of the M.S. requirements):

Semester I:
3 courses
Semester II:
3 courses
Semester III:
By October 15: submission of dissertation proposal for Ph.D. exams
End of the semester:
Ph.D. Take-Home Exam #1
Ph.D. Take-Home Exam #2

Semester IV:
Formation  of dissertation committee
Development of dissertation proposal
Public defense of dissertation proposal
Semester V or VI:
Public defense of doctoral dissertation

9. Teaching Requirement

Before graduation, all Ph.D. students are required to provide proof of teaching experience, a requirement designed to support their educational and professional development. Teaching experience is defined as two semesters of instruction at an institution of higher education. This requirement may be completed either prior to or during the Ph.D. program and may be fulfilled at Georgetown University or another institution. Teaching at the high school level or serving as a teaching assistant does not satisfy this requirement. Students seeking a waiver must submit a letter to the DGS along with appropriate documentation.

Graduate Studies fellows are required to serve the Department either as research assistants or as instructors. In most cases, first-year graduate students are assigned to work with faculty as research assistants (RAs) and subsequently teach one course per semester. These courses may include language instruction or upper-level linguistics courses, depending on the student’s preparation and departmental needs. The overall goal of this training structure is to prepare students to excel within the teacher–scholar model, developing strong competencies both as researchers and as communicators in at least two languages.

10. Deadline Extensions and Leaves of Absence

Students may petition their graduate program and the Office of Graduate Studies for an extension of the deadline to complete the Ph.D. The Office of Graduate Studies will typically grant a first extension of up to one year upon the recommendation of both the student’s mentor and the DGS. Additional extensions are granted only in extraordinary circumstances and require the recommendation of the mentor, the DGS, and a standing committee appointed by the Dean to review such requests.

After candidacy is achieved, the Office of Graduate Studies will consider requests for a personal Leave of Absence (LOA) only when the circumstances would prevent the student from making meaningful progress on the dissertation. A LOA will not be granted solely to extend the time allowed for dissertation completion. “Personal Leave of Absence” refers to any LOA other than those granted for medical reasons or for military service.

11. Annual Goal and Achievement Reports

By the end of each academic year, all students are required to submit or update a “statement” to the DGS. In this statement, students report their academic progress and achievements, including all courses taken, grades received, examinations passed, publications and presentations, as well as service activities such as participation in student organizations and teaching.

Students must also provide a detailed update on their progress toward the QP and the dissertation. The information included in the statement is kept on file and used for purposes such as writing letters of recommendation and making teaching assignments. It is also reviewed by the Department’s Academic Progress Committee, which reports its evaluations to the Department Chair. The Progress Committee meets each spring and may recommend appropriate action when necessary.