Dual Track Course of Study Requirements

***Students who do not plan to continue to the Romance Studies PhD at UNC should follow this course of study.***

For advising and administrative purposes, the “home” for students fulfilling MA requirements in this Dual Track is the Department of Linguistics, and the degree awarded will be the MA in Linguistics.

Core courses (4)

• ROML 700 (Pedagogy), to qualify for a teaching assistantship in Romance Studies
• LING 520 (Phonetics)
• LING 523 (Phonology)
• LING 530 (Syntax)
• One from LING 537 (Semantics), SPAN 679 (Spanish Pragmatics), or SPAN 681 (Spanish Semantics)

Students can expect these required courses to be offered annually.

For final projects in LING-prefixed courses, students on the Hispanic Linguistics track are expected to choose topics focusing on Spanish or an Other Relevant Language.  Applicants for a teaching assistantship in Linguistics must have completed these four courses, and must satisfy the University’s other requirements for holding a teaching assistantship.

Required courses can be waived if the student has already taken an equivalent graduate-level course (e.g., in the case of UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduates).  The student must take one more approved elective for each waived required course.

Elective courses (4)

Four approved electives that are relevant to Hispanic Linguistics as defined above and are approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.  Normally one of these courses is taken in the spring of the first year, and the other three are taken in the fall of the second year.

Research paper

Before the end of the third semester, the student, in consultation with his or her advisor, will write a research paper.  The research paper is written by students planning to continue on to PhD-level graduate work.  The student will register for thesis-substitute credit upon reaching this stage in their progress.  A research paper is expected to contain new research of publishable quality, and the student is expected to submit it to an extramural conference or journal.  The student will form a committee consisting of an advisor and two other relevant faculty members.  The committee should include representatives of both departments.  The student is expected to work with the committee at all stages of the writing process.  The student will write a prospectus of the planned project and defend it at the oral comprehensive examination, before proceeding to carry out the approved project and write the paper.  The paper is defended at the final oral examination, normally before the end of the fourth semester.

Language requirement

Familiarity with one other Relevant Language beyond English and Spanish is required.  (Proficiency in English and Spanish is required for admission to the Dual Track.)  This Other Relevant Language requirement can be met in two ways.  One way is to demonstrate basic proficiency in the language as a communication medium, by passing the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test, by certification by a qualified faculty member, or by taking a two-semester graduate-level introduction to the language.  The other way is to demonstrate knowledge of the language as an object of study, by taking a one-semester class in the structure of the language.

Upon satisfactory completion of the MA requirements, students enrolled in the Dual Track receive the MA degree en passant and continue as PhD students in Romance Studies.

***Students entering the Program with a relevant Master’s degree in hand will comply with the requirements listed herein.***

For advising and administrative purposes, the “home” for students fulfilling PhD requirements in the Dual Track is the Department of Romance Studies, and the degree awarded will be the PhD in Romance Studies.

Course requirements

The PhD requires a total of 36 credit hours beyond the MA, of which 9 will be dissertation credit.  The remaining 27 credit hours (9 courses) will be graduate-level courses chosen by the student in consultation with his or her advisor as preparation for writing the second qualifying paper and dissertation.   It is expected that the student will enroll in at least one upper-level graduate research seminar.  At least 7 of the 9 courses must be in Linguistics or Romance Studies.

Language requirement

Familiarity with two other Relevant Languages other than English and Spanish, one of which must be Latin or another Romance language, and the other of which must be a non-Indo-European language in contact with Spanish.  This requirement can be met by passing the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test, by certification by a qualified faculty member, by taking a one-semester class in the structure of the language, or by taking a two-semester graduate-level introduction to the language.

The Other Relevant Language taken as an MA student will count toward PhD progress.

Qualifying papers (written comprehensive examination)

The PhD written comprehensive examination will consist of two substantial essays from distinct areas of linguistics, demonstrating the student’s ability to conduct original, publishable research. The essays will be evaluated by a committee of two faculty members designated by the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are expected to consult closely with this committee as they prepare their essay for submission.

Dissertation prospectus (oral comprehensive examination)

Toward the end of course work, students should seek out an appropriate faculty member as a dissertation director, with whom a dissertation proposal should be worked out (on the form and submission of the proposal see remarks on the MA thesis prospectus). Sometimes two co-directors are appropriate. The dissertation proposal is presented at an oral examination to a committee of five faculty members, at least three members of which should be from either the Department of Romance Studies or the Department of  Linguistics. During the actual writing of the dissertation, students are expected to consult regularly with the director and at least two other members of the committee.  The oral examination is expected to focus on the dissertation prospectus, but the committee may examine the student on other topics as well.

Dissertation defense (final oral examination)

This exam centers on defense of the dissertation, but the committee reserves the right to question the student on other relevant topics.