Students pursuing one of the M.A.'s in Spanish should follow these guidelines when preparing for their comprehensive exams. It is the student's responsability to schedule the exams with the Director of Graduate Studies according to the crtieria explained here. For more guidance, please see these helpful tips for preparing the exams. (Guide to Spanish Comprehensive Exams)

M.A. in Spanish with thesis: Student must take an oral exam BEFORE presenting his or her thesis proposal. It is recommended that the oral exam take place in the third semester so that the thesis student can defend his or her proposal by the end of the third semester, leaving the fourth semester for writing and defending the thesis. For more information and advice on writting the M.A. thesis, see our Guide to Writing the M.A. Thesis.

M.A. or M.A.T. in Spanish without thesis: Student must take a written comprehensive exam in the eighth week of his or her last semester.

For exam formats, sample questions, tips and other information, see Guide to Spanish Comprehensive Exams, linked above.

Exams are evaluated by a committee of professors from the field. Students may repeat failed exams up to two times. The faculty reserves the right to ask for an oral exam follow-up to written exams in some cases.