Applicants for admission to the graduate program in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese must submit the Graduate Division’s on-line Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships on or before the deadline of DECEMBER 15, 2011.
The department offers two Ph.D. programs, a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures and a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures, emphasis Spanish. Students should become thoroughly acquainted with both degree programs (HLL and RLL) and determine which program best reflects their objectives before submitting their application.
Students are responsible for reading and complying with all application guidelines. All supporting documents listed below must be submitted by the December deadline through the University online application. The time available to departments for the review of applications is extremely limited. We cannot guarantee that documents sent separately will be connected to your application in time for review. Please note that late and incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Applications are accepted for Fall term only.
REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS
- Graduate Division Admissions Application: Applicants must complete the Admission application by logging onto the site directly. The on-line application will become available beginning September for the following year’s Fall admission cycle. http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation. You must obtain three letters of recommendation to support your application. Letters should be written by persons in a position to judge your academic abilities and potential in the field. They must be submitted online through the University online application.
- Transcripts – All undergraduate and graduate work from each institution attended. This includes foreign institutions, study abroad programs, junior colleges, and certification programs. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution with a satisfactory scholastic average of a minimum of 3.0 (B) is required. Upload unofficial transcripts with the online application for the departmental review. Official transcripts will be required if admitted.
- Official GRE Scores. GRE scores must be less than five (5) years old. No additional subject tests are required. Plan on taking the general test early– no later than November. Note: international/non-native English speakers must take the GRE if they have attended an English speaking university/college for one year or more. Please use the following Institution code:4833.
- International students who have never attended an English-speaking university must take the TOEFL examination, or equivalent. A minimum score of 230 is required for admission. TOEFL scores must be less than two (2) years old. You must request that Educational Testing Service (ETS) send the score report directly to UC Berkeley, please use the following codes: Institution code: 4833.
- Writing Sample. Required for all applicants. Writing samples should be in the form of thesis or research paper on a topic relevant to the fields of Romance and/or Hispanic languages and literature (about 15-20 pages. English, Spanish, and Portuguese are accepted). Writing sample must be uploaded with the online application.
- Course Work Outline and Descriptions. The coursework outline (Download PDF) requires that you individually list all courses taken in languages and literature and provide a brief description of each. Foreign students do not need to include grade, units, and GPA.
- Graduate Student Instructorship (GSI): Applications for Graduate Student Instructorships (Download PDF) for the teaching of Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Catalan are accepted from applicants newly seeking admission to our graduate program. Formal appointments cannot be processed until official confirmation of admission is received.
Statement of Purpose: In your statement please indicate the intellectual field of primary interest and the topic(s) within it that you have worked on in classes, papers or trips abroad. Please explain why the topic is compelling and how you wish to develop it at Berkeley. We realize that a student’s intellectual interests often change after a year or two in the program.
MAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Only GSI application should be submitted directly to the department to the following address:
The Graduate Assistant
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
5319 Dwinelle Hall #2590
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-2590
Telephone: (510) 642-8037
Email: spanga@berkeley.edu
Applicants are encouraged to clarify any questions concerning the prerequisites, evaluation and/or application procedures with the Head Graduate Advisor or with the Graduate Assistant.
ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA
The Departmental Committee on Admissions and Fellowships examines and evaluates all applications for admission (including those with requests for fellowships and/or teaching appointments) early in the spring semester of each year. Its recommendations concerning admission and fellowships are made to the Graduate Division by mid-February.
The Department informs all applicants recommended for admission, admission with fellowship, or admission with teaching appointment in early March; formal admission letters from the Graduate Division follow shortly.
Criteria for the selection of applicants for graduate study in the various programs offered by the Department include the following, the first four being of principal importance: closeness of previous academic record to the stated prerequisites for the program of interest, especially in breadth and strength of studies; recommendation letters, with special attention to evaluations of research potential; GPA in the B.A. (and if appropriate, in the M.A.) courses in the appropriate fields, including language proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese or Catalan; statement of purpose, showing evidence of intellectual initiative and commitment; GRE scores; student’s stated field of emphasis, in light of departmental offerings and fields of faculty specializations.
REACTIVATION OF A PREVIOUS APPLICATION
The Department keeps all applications on file for two years. If you have filed an application within the past two years, you may reactivate your previous application (see current application for instructions). The Department recommends that applicants submit new materials such as the Statement of Purpose and writing sample if the previous application was denied.
