Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: Candelaria Hall
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: unco.edu/hss/world-languages-cultures/
The master's program is designed for the secondary school teacher of Spanish and concentrates on the development of a high level of functional proficiency in the four language skills - listening, reading, speaking, writing - and in four general content areas - civilization, language, literature, pedagogy. The most recent methodologies are studied and researched.
Students may complete the M.A. degree:
- In summers only on the Greeley campus or
- By combining summer studies with regular academic year program offerings
- By combining one summer of study at the University of Salamanca, Spain with the above programs.
By following the prescribed sequence of courses, students may complete the M.A. in three continuous summers on the Greeley campus. The three year cycle includes curriculum rotation featuring Spain, Latin America, and Mexico/Hispanic United States. Students may complete their M.A. in two years by combining academic year courses with two summer sessions at the Greeley campus. All candidates for the M.A. must attend at least one summer session.
Admission
Location: Greeley
Start Term: Fall and Spring
General Master's Degree Admission Requirements
Foreign Languages M.A. - Spanish Teaching Concentration
Admission Deadline
- Fall and Spring Admissions: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Summer Admissions: April 15
Admission Requirements
Applicants must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado before the program area reviews the applicant’s request for admission. Failure to submit all required materials will delay the evaluation and screening of your application.
Each applicant must:
- Possess a baccalaureate degree from an Institutionally Accredited college or university or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.
- If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.
- If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
Take the following steps to be considered for admission:
Step 1: Complete the Application
Complete the online application.
- Answer the application questions.
- Send your requests for letters of recommendation.
- Request three (3) academic or professional letters of recommendation from those who can attest to your academic potential and abilities. You will be asked to supply information for your recommenders in the application.
- Submit the application and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- Domestic Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- International Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- The Graduate School is waiving application fees for all current UNC students and alumni! (The waiver applies only to the UNC Graduate School application.) Click for details.
Once you submit your application you will be assigned an Admissions Portal, allowing you to upload supplemental items, as listed below, and track your application through the admissions process.
Step 2: Request Transcripts
Request one official transcript from any Institutionally Accredited college or university where a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned or is in progress (if you have earned multiple degrees, bachelor’s level or higher, an official transcript is required from each college or university where a degree was conferred). If you received a degree from UNC, you do not need to request a transcript from UNC. The Office of Admissions reserves the right to request that applicants provide official transcripts from other colleges or universities as needed. Applicants who have earned or are directly pursuing a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution without receiving a bachelor’s degree (e.g., PharmD) may be eligible to apply to the Graduate School without the conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions: If an applicant intends to use Veteran’s Education Benefits, an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended will be required in order to maintain compliance with Veteran’s Affairs policies.
Official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent via mail directly from the educational institution in an unopened, sealed envelope or through an electronically secure digital program from the issuing institution.
Mailed transcripts should be sent to:
University of Northern Colorado
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
Electronic transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly from the educational institution to: grad.admissions@unco.edu.
The Office of Admissions does not accept email, scanned or PDF transcripts directly from applicants. All official transcripts, submitted as part of the application process, are retained by UNC and not returned to applicants or admitted students.
UNC retains submitted transcripts, from institutions other than UNC, for admitted students for up to five years after graduation or date of last attendance at UNC. Transcripts provided by applicants who were not admitted, denied admissions or did not complete their application are destroyed after one (1) year. The Office of Admissions will make every attempt to use previously submitted transcripts if they are within these timeframes. However, if the Office of Admissions cannot locate previously submitted transcripts, the transcripts fall outside the timeframes listed above or they are considered illegible, applicants must provide new transcripts.
Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
Step 3: Note About the GRE
This program does not require GRE scores.
Additional Information
- A bachelor's degree in Spanish is preferred.
- Please note that this program is primarily a summer program. Fall classes are not offered. All students are expected to complete at least one summer session on campus as part of the M.A. experience at UNC. Occasionally, selected courses are offered during the academic year to supplement the summer offerings. Our M.A. program accommodates a variety of students’ needs and options.
- Students are not subject to the continuous registration policy.
Once you apply to the UNC Graduate School and your application packet is complete, your application will be reviewed by the Graduate School and then sent to the faculty/program for an admission recommendation. The timing of the admission decision depends on each individual program’s deadline and review process.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 30 Credits
Required Major Credits — 30 hours
| SPAN 600 | Introduction to Graduate Study and Research Methods | 3 |
| WLC 531 | Teaching of Foreign Languages | 3 |
Civilization — at least 6 hours:
| SPAN 560 | Spanish Civilization and Culture | 2 |
| SPAN 561 | Latin American Civilization and Culture | 2 |
| SPAN 562 | Mexico and United States Hispanic Civilization and Culture | 3 |
Literature — at least 9 hours:
| SPAN 555 | Literature for Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| SPAN 570 | Readings in United States Hispanic Literature | 1- 6 |
| SPAN 571 | Readings in Spanish Literature | 1- 3 |
| SPAN 572 | Readings in Latin American Literature | 1- 3 |
| SPAN 576 | Mexican Literature | 1- 3 |
Language— at least 6 hours:
Program Notes
All master's candidates must successfully complete written and oral comprehensive examinations. No thesis is required.
For students opting for summer study at the University of Salamanca, Spain, 9 hours of transfer credit may be accepted.
A maximum of 9 hours of Academic Year courses (SPAN 531) may be accepted with permission of the graduate faculty in lieu of 9 hours of required SPAN courses in the above list.
The student must possess a B.A. in Spanish or the equivalent and must have completed one year of teaching experience in foreign language at the secondary level.
Students are required to complete 27 hours of coursework within the program in Spanish and pedagogy. SPAN 600 Introduction to Graduate Study and Research Methods (3) is also required.
See “Variable Topic Courses”.