Mission

The mission of the Master of Arts in Spanish is to provide qualified students with a structured yet flexible program of study in the literature, linguistics, culture, and civilization of the Spanish-speaking world, and in the art of foreign language teaching. This program is designed to prepare students for further study at the doctoral level; for careers in teaching at the elementary, secondary, or community college level; or for positions in business, social services, international relations, government agencies, and other organizations in need of trained language specialists. The Master of Arts in Spanish degree program allows students the choice of three areas of emphasis:

Option A –

Hispanic Literature and Linguistics, 

OptionB – Hispanic Civilization and Language, and 

Option C – Foreign Language Teaching. Regardless of the option selected, the student's academic experience will be characterized by classes of the highest quality, which encourage the development of critical thinking, an appreciation of multicultural perspectives, and articulate use of the Spanish language. All students will receive ongoing faculty mentoring. Opportunities for guided and independent research, community involvement, and study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country are central to the graduate student experience in this program. 

Our campus’ close proximity to the Mexican border, together with the large Spanish-speaking population in North San Diego  County, makes our area a “living language laboratory” in which students can engage in first-hand study of the many linguistic and cultural aspects of native Spanish speakers. Students who wish to pursue teaching careers will benefit from the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, a special collection in the Cal State San Marcos library which houses over 80,000 books, periodicals, and other materials pertinent to teaching Spanish and Hispanic culture to young people. The University's commitment to multicultural and global awareness, together with the presence of an international group of faculty in the World Languages and Hispanic Literature Department, will contribute to the student's process of learning, in this unique academic setting.