About the Program
2011-2012 Director of Graduate Studies: Professor Mercedes Vaquero
Our program leads to the Ph.D. degree. At the graduate level, it aims at training students both as generalists able to teach the broadest range of courses and as scholars in their field of specialization. Our approach is distinctly transatlantic, emphasizing the long-standing interactions between Spain and Latin America. Courses are coordinated in a system of seminars, study courses, independent study and research projects. In addition, the excellence of Brown's undergraduates allows us to enhance our graduate offerings with courses of mixed undergraduate and graduate enrollments. Graduate classes are small in size, resulting in attention to each student and an individualized plan of studies.
Besides standard courses (in genres, figures, periods, literary theory, teaching methodology, philology), our curriculum has recently included topical courses such as: "Medieval Spanish Epic," "Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in Her Literary Context," "Los sistemas culturales del Siglo de Oro , "La cultura escolástica y el debate sobre el indio americano en el encuentro trasatlántico," " Metaphor: History, theories, problems," "City Lights: Literary Constructions and Urban Space in the Hispanic World, 1890-1990," "Del 97 al 28: Modernidades," "Teoría y práctica en la poesía de César Vallejo," "Archivo Borges." See a description of our graduate seminars since fall 2000 or of all courses currently offered.
Two special features characterize our financial aid program for graduate students. First, the policy of the department has been to guarantee support for four years to students whose performance is deemed satisfactory. Second, entering graduate students are not normally expected to act as teaching assistants in their first year; in subsequent years teaching assistantships, teaching fellowships, and proctorships are available (for more information, see: Brown University Graduate School). The department is privileged to possess, through the Kenyon Fund and the Ruth and A. David Kossoff Fund, its own endowment for fellowships, prizes for excellence in teaching, and travel to academic gatherings (see also at Brown: Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women: Graduate Fellowships / Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Mellon Grants / Cogut Center for the Humanities: Graduate Fellowships; John Carter Brown Library: J. M. Stuart Fellowship).
Specific details of course and language requirements, as well as the Ph. D. preliminary examination reading list, are available by clicking on the links or from the Director of Graduate Studies.
In order to preserve the distinctive character and individualized attention to the students of the Department, our admissions are kept low (approximately 3-5 candidates per year).
For an application to our graduate program, please enter the Brown Graduate School website for detailed application information (incluiding the electronic application form) , contact the Graduate School by phone at (401) 863-2600, or e-mail the Department of Hispanic Studies. Please note that as of 2008, applications to doctoral programs must include the official report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. For further questions, please refer to the Director of Graduate Studies. The combination of a solid and innovative curriculum, a dedicated faculty, up-to-date training in teaching methodology (The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning), and a well-selected student body has given very successful results in placing our graduate students in outstanding universities in the United States and abroad. We are proud to announce that as was the case in the previous rankings dated 1995, Brown’s Department of Hispanic Studies again lands at the top of the chart for its graduate program.
More information on the National Research Council can be found on their website: