Ph.D Program in HLL

Current students should refer to the Graduate Handbook.

For information about teaching, refer to the the GSI Handbook. 

PH.D. DEGREE IN HISPANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

Prerequisites for Admission

1. A Bachelor's degree with studies in Spanish, Spanish-American, Portuguese, or Luso-Brazilian literatures, Hispanic or General Linguistics, or another field with demonstrable bearing on Hispanic and/or Luso-Brazilian studies.

2.   Native or near-native proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese.

Program Overview

In close consultation with faculty, the student will develop a specialization in one of HLL three tracks: Hispanic and Spanish American literature and culture (Track 1), Luso-Brazilian literature and culture (Track 2), or Hispanic Linguistics (Track 3). Each track is organized around student areas of interest. Course preparation will lead to the Qualifying Examination, followed by the completion of a dissertation in the field.

Track 1 - Hispanic and Spanish American literature and culture

Track 2 - Luso-Brazilian literature and culture

Track 3 - Hispanic Linguistics

In years 1-3 of the program, students will be advised by a faculty adviser, either the Department’s Head Graduate Adviser (HGA) or a designated assistant adviser (advisers are assigned alphabetically based on student last name). On entering Berkeley, these faculty advisers will assess each student’s  preparation and advise them on appropriate coursework. Students take courses in their main areas of interest, fulfill requirements for the Ph.D., and concentrate on coursework in areas that they have not studied before, in order to prepare themselves for the General Examination or First Qualifying Paper. In addition to meeting with a graduate adviser, each first year student will be assigned a First Year Mentor, a faculty person whose research interests align with the student’s and who will provide support in adjusting to the doctoral program and thinking about research and other career goals.

The immediate goal of the new graduate student is the General Examination (tracks 1 and 2) or First Qualifying Paper (track 3), scheduled for their fourth semester. 

For both fourth semester milestones (General Examination and First Qualifying Paper), a Pass is required in order to continue in the program. Additionally, students who come to Berkeley with an M.A. or otherwise have a strong preparation may petition to take the exam or submit the first qualifying paper before the fourth semester. 

After passing the General Examination or First Qualifying Paper, students will submit a Statement of Purpose that reflects greater intellectual maturity after two years of graduate study, as well as possible changes in primary area of interest, greater understanding of research areas, and other changes in a student’s conception of their own role in the field. Students should consider this statement a first exploration into their dissertation topics, questions or readings, given they will spend the next year preparing their QE lists and statements. The Statement, together with the results of the General Examination or First Qualifying Paper and the student’s performance in coursework will be considered by the faculty of the Department as a whole, who will then vote whether to allow the student to continue in the program.   

Students electing to add a Designated Emphasis to their degree are required to complete the academic work in the Designated Emphasis in addition to all the requirements of the doctoral program. Once admitted, students must send a copy of their admission letter to the GSAO, who will then add the DE to the student’s record. There are no adjustments made to the normative time of the student’s major when a student undertakes a Designated Emphasis. 

Students invited to continue in the program will concentrate their coursework on remaining Ph.D. requirements including any Designated Emphases and/or Graduate Certificates they may have chosen (for instance, Gender Studies, Applied Data Science, Film, New Media, Cognitive Science, Critical Theory, etc. - see a comprehensive list down below, although new programs might be added) during their third year. Formal advising will continue to be carried out by the HGA or an assistant. In addition, the specialist(s) in the student’s chosen field will increasingly mentor the student.

The Qualifying Examination will normally take place in the student’s seventh semester, but may be taken sooner in instances of adequate preparation. Early in the semester in which students plan to take the Oral Ph.D. Exam (QE), students will carry out a preliminary examination consisting of Three Field Statements and a written exam, with accompanying bibliographies (Tracks 1 and 2), or a Second Qualifying Paper, QE List 1 Essay, and QE List 2 Essay (Track 3). 

For Tracks 1 and 2, after submitting the three Field Statements and related bibliographies, the student will move on to the second part of their preliminaries, taking a 2-day written exam based on questions related to the Field Statements and/or bibliographies. The 2-day written exam along with either Field Statements and related bibliographies (Tracks 1 and 2) or Second Qualifying Paper, QE List 1 Essay, and QE List 2 Essay (Track 3) will be assessed by the student’s examination committee in order to determine whether or not the student is prepared to proceed to the oral QE. 

After passing the Qualifying Examination, students will have two and a half years to research and write a dissertation, embodying the results of original research on a subject chosen by the student. The degree should be completed within the program’s normative time of six years.  

Mentoring

All incoming students will be assigned to a First-year Mentor (1 faculty member) responsible for supporting the incoming students during their transition into the doctoral program. Mentors are an added resource for new students.  Curricular advising in years 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be carried out by the Head Graduate Adviser or designate in consultation with appropriate faculty, according to students’ interests.  

Mentoring for continuing students (years 3 and 4) will come from faculty likely to be part of the students Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. On completing the Qualifying Exam (by the end of year 4) and Advancing to Candidacy (i.e. becoming “ABD” in year 5), students will be advised by their dissertation Chair.

General Examination - Tracks 1 & 2

As stated above, all second-year Ph.D students in Tracks 1 & 2 will take a written General Examination. This exam is based on a standard reading list of Spanish and Latin American literature, or Portuguese and Brazilian literature, that first-year students will receive when they enter the program (see appendix). Each reading list is divided into four sections that represent literature from all of the traditional subfields (see appendix). The General Examination will be administered in the 4th semester (i.e., normally in the spring), although students will be able to petition for accelerated progress and an early exam. A committee appointed by the Chair will conduct the exam. 

This exam will be 4 hours, 1 hour per section, 1 day. Notes and laptop permitted. It will be administered by a standing committee of the Department faculty, so the same committee will evaluate every student. The exam will be scheduled for shortly after Spring Break, allowing a month for grading and assessment of student potential. 

Although ours is not a program designed towards an M.A. degree, obtaining one is possible under certain circumstances. Passing the exam is necessary for an M.A., though not sufficient, and students who fail it will not receive that degree. Students may repeat the exam once if they fail it. Please note that UC Berkeley does not allow for duplication of degree; only students entering with a B.A. are eligible for the M.A.

Access the Frequently Asked Questions about the General Examination for further details.

First Qualifying Paper - Track 3 

Initial reception into the program and advising will proceed as in Tracks 1 and 2 above, with advising carried out by a designated Graduate Adviser for this track.

All second-year Ph.D. students in Track 3 will submit a First Qualifying Paper spanning at least one sub-field of Spanish linguistics (e.g. phonetics, language contact, morphosyntax, etc.). The paper should be formatted according to the style sheet of a reputable venue of conference proceedings, such as those from the Hispanic Linguistics Symposium (HLS) or the Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages (LSRL). The paper will be evaluated by a committee of no fewer than two professors specializing in Linguistics (one of whom must be from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese), with the aim of determining whether or not the student is ready to continue on to advanced doctoral research in Hispanic Linguistics. A single revision is permitted if the First Qualifying Paper is deemed unsatisfactory. After a successful evaluation of the First Qualifying Paper, students will submit a Statement of Purpose. This will be considered by the faculty of the Department as a whole, who will then vote whether to allow the student to continue in the program.

Although ours is not a program designed towards an M.A. degree, obtaining one is possible under certain circumstances. Passing the First Qualifying Paper is necessary for an M.A., though not sufficient, and students who fail it will not receive that degree. Please note that UC Berkeley does not allow for duplication of degree, only students entering with a B.A. are eligible for the M.A.

Permission to Continue in the Ph.D.

The faculty of the department as a whole will decide if a student should continue in the program, based on performance on the General Exam or First Qualifying Paper, experience of the student in coursework, and the student’s Statement of Purpose. 

Course Requirements

All courses used to satisfy a requirement or courses taken toward the study program, must be taken for a letter grade option only. Passing grade for graduate students is a B or better. 

• Proseminar 

All Ph.D. students in all tracks must complete Spanish 200A (Graduate Proseminar) in their first semester. Spanish 200A does not count toward the 12 required graduate seminars. Track 3 students must also complete the required Linguistics Department proseminar.

A minimum of twelve graduate level courses are required for the Ph.D.  This includes eleven seminars in the S&P department, and one outside.. Up to two Upper-Division courses  can be allowed as electives with approval of the graduate adviser, if students perform work at a graduate level. Because students need to be assessed at graduate level, instructors of this upper-division course must be a professor or lecturer able to perform such evaluation. In addition to the 12 requirements, students may take courses for Designated Emphases, language study, etc. Courses numbered 298, 302, 601, 602 would remain as options to satisfy credit requirements but do not count towards program course requirements. The Proseminar 200A, although mandatory, is not included among the 12 seminars required.

The following must be included within the 12-course requirement for Tracks 1 and 2:

• One graduate seminar taught in Portuguese (track 1) or Spanish (track 2)

• One graduate seminar outside of the historical period and geographic area of student’s major emphasis (Over 50% of the material covered must be from this period/area)

• One graduate seminar in literary theory or containing a strong theoretical component (Students should consult their faculty advisor to determine which courses cover this requirement)

• One course in Spanish and/or Portuguese language pedagogy (Spanish 375)

• Two courses related to field of interest, approved by adviser

The following must be included within the 12-course requirement for Track 3:

• One graduate seminar in Hispanic Linguistics in the student’s primary linguistics sub-field

• Two graduate seminars in Hispanic Linguistics

• One graduate seminar covering the linguistic structure of a language other than Spanish (C201/2 permitted)

• One graduate seminar in the Linguistics Department in the student’s primary linguistics sub-field  

• One course on quantitative/qualitative methods for social sciences/humanities OR 1 graduate seminar covering linguistic theory

• Three additional courses in linguistics

• One course in Spanish and/or Portuguese language pedagogy (Spanish 375)

• Two courses related to field of interest, approved by adviser

Incomplete Grades

An Incomplete grade (“I”) can be assigned when a student’s coursework is of passing quality but remains incomplete because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as sudden illness. Students who have three or more Incompletes are academically ineligible to hold academic appointments (e.g. GSI, GSR). Students are not eligible to take the General Examination or the Qualifying Examination if they have more than two Incompletes. A student with more than two Incompletes is not considered in good academic standing and may face probation and dismissal. Students seeking an Incomplete grade must request the instructor to submit an Incomplete Grade Agreement Form to the GSAO on their behalf before the end of the semester. 

Independent Study Courses (298 & 299)

Independent Study Courses (Spanish/Portuguese 298) are designed on an ad hoc basis to support pre-QE students in developing knowledge or research in areas not addressed by existing coursework, depending on faculty availability and interest. These courses require regular meetings with the supervising instructor and culminate in a final written report or assessment. They may be repeated for credit and are available for 1–4 units, with grading options of Letter Grade or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U).

To enroll in Spanish/Portuguese 298, students must submit a completed Independent Study Course Agreement Form, signed by the instructor, to the GSAO before the close of the enrollment phase. Please note: Lecturers are not eligible to supervise Independent Study Courses.

Special Advanced Study (Spanish/Portuguese 299) are reserved for PhD Candidates, and may be taken at 1-12 units.

Course Blocks (302, 601, 602)

Course blocks do not involve coursework. They are intended to secure units for students in the semesters they are teaching and/or preparing for exams. All course blocks are S/U only.

Spanish 302 (3-6 units) is intended for students who serve as GSIs, for their class preparation and grading. If the student is teaching Spanish or Portuguese language, the Language Director may request to meet with the student to check in about their teaching performance. Students need to make sure they accommodate the Language Director’s requests. Students enroll in 302 each and every semester they teach.

Spanish 601 (1-8 units) is intended for students preparing for the General Examination. It may be taken once at 8 units during the semester in which the exam is scheduled; or twice at 4 units: once in the semester prior to the GE, and again during the semester in which the GE is scheduled. Enrollment in Spanish 601 must be made after consultation with a faculty adviser. Spanish 601 may be repeated for credit with the approval of the graduate adviser. Students may not enroll in Spanish 601 after passing the GE.

Spanish 602 (1-8 units) is intended for students preparing for the Qualifying Examination. It may be taken once at 8 units during the semester in which the exam is scheduled; or twice at 4 units: once in the semester prior to the QE, and again during the semester in which the Oral QE is scheduled. Enrollment in Spanish 602 must be made after consultation with a faculty adviser. Spanish 602 may be repeated for credit with the approval of the graduate adviser. Students may not enroll in Spanish 602 after passing the Qualifying Examination.

Foreign Language Requirement

For students in Tracks 1 & 2: two foreign languages pertinent to the specialization are required. Of these, Spanish for students in track 1 and Portuguese for students in track 2 are required, and must be fulfilled through graduate course work taught in the pertinent language (not English), with an average grade of B or better. The second language requirement must be satisfied by passing the Language Reading Examinations (also referred to as Translation Exam) administered by the respective language department. 

The Graduate Council directs that for a language requirement to be fulfilled by examination, a passage of at least 300 words be translated into English within a time limit of 90 minutes, with or without a dictionary at the option of the program faculty. Examinations may be conducted by departments, Graduate Groups, or any outside testing agency that has been approved by the Graduate Division, such as the Educational Testing Service.

For students in Track 3: Students can satisfy the requirement via either of two options: 

reading knowledge of two languages other than the primary concentration or exceptionally thorough reading and writing of one language other than the primary concentration. 

Option 1: This option requires a reading knowledge of two languages. Students may pass both by examination, or one by examination and the second by completing either a four-semester (or six-quarter) course sequence,  an upper-div course that requires the course sequence as a language prerequisite, or graduate coursework in a foreign language with an average grade of B or better.

The Graduate Council directs that for a language requirement to be fulfilled by examination, a passage of at least 300 words be translated into English within a time limit of 90 minutes, with or without a dictionary at the option of the program faculty. Examinations may be conducted by departments, Graduate Groups, or any outside testing agency that has been approved by the Graduate Division, such as the Educational Testing Service.

Option 2: The student is expected to demonstrate an exceptionally thorough reading knowledge of one language, as well as an adequate knowledge of the grammatical structure of the language. Knowledge is tested by a written examination consisting of a translation of a passage of about 1,000 words on a subject appropriate to the student’s major field of interest. The examination is limited to three hours and the translation is to be made without the aid of a dictionary. The translation must show an accurate comprehension of the meaning of the exam text, and since the exam text is in the student’s discipline, the translation should use the correct English technical terms.

The requirement for all tracks should be satisfied as early as possible in the student’s doctoral career and must be completed prior to Admission to the Qualifying Examination.

Designated Emphasis (DE)

A “Designated Emphasis” is defined as an area of study constituting a new method of inquiry or an important field of application relevant to two or more existing doctoral degree programs. It is not a free-standing degree program, but must be added as an additional major along with an existing doctoral degree program. Students electing to add a Designated Emphasis are required to complete the academic work in the Designated Emphasis in addition to all the requirements of the doctoral program. There are no adjustments made to the normative time of the student’s major when a student undertakes a Designated Emphasis.

To qualify for the Designated Emphasis, students must have on the Qualifying Examination committee a faculty representative of the DE and must be examined in that area of study. Students are consequently required to be admitted to the DE before taking the Qualifying Examination. Students apply for admission at the Designated Emphasis unit, following procedures described by the Graduate unit sponsoring the DE. Once the student has added a Designated Emphasis to their degree, both their QE and Dissertation Committees must include a Faculty Representative of that DE.

Qualifying Examination (QE)

The QE Committee (chosen by the student in the semester prior to QE) is made up of five members, including at least one person from outside the Department. There may be no more than one committee member from outside UC Berkeley. If the student has added a Designated Emphasis to their degree, the QE Committee must include a Faculty Representative of that DE. One member of the committee will chair the exam; this person may not direct the dissertation. All members of the committee, including the “outside” and DE members, must be Academic Senate members. All five members of the QE Committee must be present and assess the student’s performance at the oral examination. Exceptions for remote participation can be petitioned in advance.

Students choose the membership of their QE Committee. However, the final composition of the Qualifying Examination Committee must be approved by the Head Graduate Adviser around three weeks prior to the submission of their field statements. Final composition must be notified to the GSAO before moving forward with the exam process, this step officially constitutes the committee. Students must work with the GSAO to establish a reasonable QE Calendar at the beginning of their QE semester. 

Final versions of the written preliminaries – field statements, written exams, and bibliographies (tracks 1 and 2) or second qualifying paper, QE list 1 essay, and QE list 2 essay (track 3) – will be turned in at least three weeks before the oral examination.

If the QE committee determines that part of the written preliminaries were not satisfactorily completed, the QE Committee Chair will inform which segments need further work and will grant an extension to re-submit the work. The Committee will then determine whether the student has met the expectations and can proceed to the Qualifying Examination (the oral exam). If the student has fallen short in a second attempt, they will not pass the preliminaries, which will result in a dismissal from HLL. If the committee determines that most or all of the written preliminaries were not satisfactorily completed, the QE Committee has the discretion to fail the student without an extension, which will also result in a dismissal from HLL.

Once students have satisfactorily completed and passed all their written preliminaries, students must then formalize their QE Committee in CalCentral (Dashboard > Student Resources > Higher Degree Committee eForm). Students are not eligible to take the Oral Qualifying Examination if they have pending course and/or language requirements, more than one Incomplete grade, or have failed their written preliminaries.

The Oral QE will consist of a three-hour oral examination conducted by a committee of five, at least one of whom must be from outside the Department.

After passing the QE, students will have two and a half years to complete research and write a dissertation, embodying the results of original research on a subject chosen by the student. The degree should be completed within the program’s normative time of six years.

A tentative schedule for Tracks 1 and 2 may look like this: 

End of 6th Semester (end of year 3)

Formation of QE Committee: In-house notification to GSAO and approval by HGA**; begin work on Lists 

If students have not constituted a committee by the end of the 6th semester, they must notify the GSAO and HGA, and have a plan to constitute it by the first two weeks of the 7th semester. 

7th semester

Weeks 2-9> Preparation of Written Preliminaries 

Weeks 2-3> Finalize Lists 

Weeks 4-6> Present Statements 

Weeks 8-9> Present Written Exam 

Weeks 12-14> Take QE, oral examination

Before taking the QE, formalize the QE committee on CalCentral; effectively becoming QE ready.

Access the Frequently Asked Questions about the Qualifying Examination for further details.

Exam Structure for Tracks 1 and 2:

Early in the semester in which they hope to take their Oral Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, students will undergo a written preliminary examination consisting of written statements and a written exam. Prior to the Oral QE, students will submit a written exam consisting of two parts: produce and submit three field statements with accompanying bibliography, then take a two-day written test. Each statement, up to 8 pages, with accompanying bibliographies (i.e., reading lists), will focus on a pressing topic or problematic, a “deep dive” within the student’s intended field of specialization. There is no set limit of works per list, this will be worked out with each student’s committee depending on student needs. The student will then take a 2-day written exam based on questions related to the statements and bibliographies. On day 1, students will receive 2 batches of questions, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and have 2 hours to answer one question from each batch. On day 2, students will receive the last batch (morning or afternoon), and have 2 hours to answer one question from that batch. The field statements and the written exam will be assessed by the student’s QE committee in order to determine whether or not the student is prepared to proceed to the Oral QE. Any written portion of these QE preliminaries should be original work composed by the student. While students can consult with faculty prior to the generation of these documents, students should write them on their own without external edits or written feedback from any faculty or peers.

The QE is normally held on one day and lasts approximately two to three hours. The Qualifying Examination is an oral exam.

Exam structure for Track 3:

No later than one month before the date of the Oral Ph.D. Exam (QE), track 3 students must submit the three written products that constitute the Written Preliminary Examination, namely:

Second Qualifying Paper

• 3,000-4,000 word (excluding bibliography) essay on first QE list

• 3,000-4,000 word (excluding bibliography) essay on second QE list

With respect to the Second Qualifying Paper, it will span at least one sub-field of Hispanic linguistics (e.g. Phonology/Phonetics, Morphology, Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, etc.). The topic of the paper (as opposed to the subfield in linguistics) cannot be the same as the previous First Qualifying Paper, and moreover must be of a higher caliber. The student should prepare the paper as if planning to submit it to a non-conference venue, professional linguistics journal (for example, Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, Phonetica, Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, Journal of Language Contact, Journal of Sociolinguistics, etc.) and should be formatted according to the style sheet of one of these professional journal venues.

With respect to the two QE list essays (3000-4000 words, excluding bibliography), there are no explicit prompts to follow, nor is the student expected to write about any texts or data which are not in their reading lists. The primary goal of these short essays is to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate how they have engaged with the materials on their QE lists and formulate their own essays to target areas of interest within each topic.

The written QE preliminaries (Second Qualifying Paper, First QE List Essay, Second QE list Essay) will be assessed by the student’s examination committee in order to determine whether or not the student is prepared to proceed to the oral examination.

Inquire with the GSAO for FAQ about the Qualifying Examination.

Prospectus

Once the Qualifying Examination has been passed and formal Advancement to Candidacy is approved by the Graduate Division, the student will submit a dissertation proposal (10-15 pages on average), with selected bibliography, to the Dissertation Committee before the end of the first semester following the Qualifying Examination. It is expected that the proposal will describe the intended research, provide a basic bibliography, and set the project within current research in the field. After examining this material, the dissertation committee will meet with the student to discuss the proposal, to set up a timetable, and to give final approval to the dissertation project. A signed copy of the report must be given to the GSAO for the student’s file and verification of completion of requirement.

It should be remembered that the prospectus is not intended to be a dissertation in miniature, so that there is normally no compelling reason why its completion should be delayed beyond the appointed deadline, usually during the 8th semester. Rather, it should be a concise preliminary description of the dissertation project, including: the primary materials to be investigated; the descriptive or analytical approach to be taken to those materials; the project’s relation to existing scholarly work. The prospectus should be accompanied by references and/or bibliography.

Dissertation 

Upon constituting the dissertation committee, the student will apply for Advancement to Candidacy. Doctoral students should bear in mind that it is to their advantage to be “Advanced to Candidacy” as soon as possible following completion of the Qualifying Examination, preferably by the end of the semester in which the Qualifying Examination is passed.  

The student will write a doctoral dissertation under the guidance of a director or co-directors and faculty committee (selected by the student and their Graduate Advisor and approved by the Graduate Division), embodying the results of original research on a subject chosen by the student in consultation with the dissertation director(s). 

Dissertation committees are made up of a minimum of three members, including one person from “outside” the Department, who serves as the Academic Senate Representative. The Chair of the student’s Qualifying Examination Committee cannot direct the dissertation, but can have served as a member of the QE at large

After completion of the QE by the 7th semester, students will have two years and a half years to research and write a dissertation according to the program's normative time of six years. 

All instructions for filing the Dissertation can be found here.

Dissertation in a Language other than English

Special approval from the Graduate Council is required to submit a dissertation or thesis in a language other than English. A memo from the Head Graduate Advisor requesting permission to the Dean must be sent to the Graduate Division early in the first semester following the Qualifying Examination. After approval is given, an abstract in English must be included with the dissertation or thesis. Please contact the Graduate Advisor for instructions.

Normal Progress Schedule

"Normative Time" (NT) allowance for the program is set at six (6) years. The Normative time to Advancement to Candidacy is within four (4) years (time to QE). 

Foreign ABD (All But Dissertation) students have a maximum of three years (after passing QE) of waived Non-Resident Tuition (NRT) to file the dissertation. Any delay in filing will be at the student’s expense.

Normal Progress Schedule for Hispanic Languages and Literatures – ALL TRACKS

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BOTH PH.D. PROGRAMS

Disability and Academic Accommodations

The campus offers many different resources for graduate students with disabilities. The purpose of an academic accommodation is to offer the graduate student an equal opportunity to meet the department’s academic standards and requirements. The Disabled Students Program at (510) 642-0518 serves graduate students with disabilities (who complete the process for establishing eligibility) by authorizing academic accommodations. 

The Berkeley Disability Access and Compliance at (510) 643-6473 or 643-6456 can usually assist with accommodations to extra-curricular events. Most physical access issues are addressed in the Navigating Berkeley page. If needed, report issues or discrimination on the basis of disability, or contact Steve Johnston (DAC Policy, Complaint, and Special Project Manager) at stevejohnston@berkeley.edu or call 510-697-9313

Fellowships and Financial Aid

All students, except foreign students, applying for Fellowships or Financial Aid are required to complete the FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) available online.

Fellowships

A variety of fellowships and fee grants are awarded to graduate students throughout the duration of the program. Fellowship fund sources fall into three categories: Departmental, Graduate Division, and Outside sources. It is the student's responsibility to identify appropriate sources of support and meet all deadlines. For further information, please reach out to the Departmental Graduate Advisor's office (5309 Dwinelle). 

Financial Aid

Graduate students may apply for need-based loans and work-study through the Graduate Financial Aid Office located at 201 Sproul Hall (642-0485). Under federal guidelines all graduate students are considered independent, so unless they receive other funding which meets the standard student budget, most students are eligible for some type of financial aid. In order to receive aid, students must also be enrolled and be making satisfactory academic progress toward their degrees. 

For more information, please visit their website.

Funding for Conference Travel

Departmental

This support is available to students whose conference papers are related to their proposed areas of study (if they are pre-QE) or to their dissertation (if they are ABD). A maximum of $2000 will be available to students over the course of their time in HLL/RLL, to cover flight tickets, lodging, meals, registration fees, and the like. The department would prefer that students request a maximum amount of $500 per conference, but exceptional requests for more money will be considered. 

Students must be within normative time expectations (except in cases where there have been approved exceptions). Applications must be submitted at least a week before the conference. Here is the application form. Once approved, it will be processed through reimbursement. Receipts shall be submitted to the Graduate Advisor within 45 days after the conference to avoid taxes.

Students should seek other sources of funding in addition to department funding, e.g.:  Graduate Division Conference Grant and Graduate Assembly Travel Funds)

Students are encouraged to explore opportunities to present at local/California conferences so that they do not exhaust these funds too early in their careers.

This application must be accompanied by 1) the paper abstract; 2) a copy of the invitation or acceptance of the paper (or just the abstract if the request is for fees needed to submit a proposal); and by 3) a letter from the Chair of the dissertation committee confirming that the paper advances the student’s professional development, or from the graduate adviser if student is not yet advanced to candidacy. 

All exceptions start with the Graduate Advisor’s assessment and advice on whether to place a petition to the Chair. The criteria for an exception is a case-by-case decision, and depends upon the student's good standing in the program, as well as the relevance of the conference for the student’s academic trajectory. In addition to this, exceptions for requests beyond the maximum amount must be based on insufficient funds or difficulties to match funds from other resources.

Summer Research Grant

Funding for summer research is announced around late-April, contingent on departmental resources. If available, this grant will be distributed equally across cohorts within Normative Time. When such funds are available, they will be split 60/40 to achieve a more equitable distribution of funds across all cohorts: 60% will be equally divided among pre-ABD students, and 40% will be equally divided among ABDs. 

Please note: Students who are not registered (withdrawn or on Filing Fee) are not eligible to receive (any, summer or else) awards. 

Extraordinary Research Grant

Students who come across extraordinary research opportunities that do not qualify for any available funding provision may petition for an Extraordinary Research Grant to cover expenses of their endeavor, contingent on departmental resources. Petitions should be first discussed with the GSAO who, in coordination with the HGA, will assess the “extraordinary” merit of the petition. Research opportunities that could be funded by other sources or undertaken in another moment are not considered “extraordinary.” Criteria for granting this award include the student’s intellectual excellence and achievement in the field, as well as progress toward degree. Students holding more than one incomplete are ineligible to petition for this grant. 

Job Placement

The academic job market requires a series of different materials for application and each one demands time-consuming editorial work. The Department offers advice for Ph.D. candidates seeking academic (but not only) positions as they complete their degree. Each year the Chair appoints a Job Placement Committee composed of department faculty to work with advanced students to help them understand and go about all the steps of the process, from preparing application materials to practicing for interviews and job talks.

The Placement Committee may organize meetings, presentations, and/or workshops to assist students. This includes support for students pursuing non-academic job, however department resources in this regard are limited. Further resources can be found at the GradPro Career Development Resource Hub.

Graduate Student Instructorships (GSI)

For complete information on all GSI matters, please refer to the GSI Handbook. 

For information about Academic Student Employee’s contract and union matters, please visit the Academic Student Employee Unit website.

List of Designated Emphasis (DE)

The following Designated Emphasis have been approved by the Graduate Council**:

**please note that new ones may be added

• Cognitive Science

• Computational and Data Science and Engineering

• Computational and Genomic Biology

• Computational Precision Health

• Critical Theory

• Development Engineering

• Dutch Studies

• European Studies

• Film & Media Studies

• Folklore

• Global Metropolitan Studies

• Indigenous Language Revitalization

• Jewish Studies

• New Media

• Political Economy

• Renaissance and Early Modern Studies

• Science and Technology Studies

• Sociology of Organizations and Markets

• Study of Religion

• Women, Gender, and Sexuality

HLL READING LISTS FOR GENERAL EXAMINATION (Track 1) – LIST A: SPAIN / SPANISH AMERICA

MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN/GOLDEN AGE SPANISH LITERATURE

1. Anónimo. Cantar de mío Cid.

2. Anónimo. Libro de buen amor (Estrofas 1-91, 423-527, 653-687).

3. Juan Manuel. El conde Lucanor (Primera parte, Exemplos I-IX, XI).

4. Fernando de Rojas. La Celestina. 

5. Garcilaso de la Vega. Églogas I y III; Sonetos I (“Cuando me paro”, “Escrito ‘sta en mi alma”, “Hermosas ninfas”, “A Dafne ya los brazos le crecían”, “En tanto que de rosa y d’azucena”, “Boscán, las armas y el furor de Marte”); Canciones III y V.

6. Anónimo. Lazarillo de Tormes.

7. Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quijote. 

8. Luis de Góngora. Polifemo; Sonetos (“La dulce boca que a gustar convida”, “Mientras por competir con tu cabello”); Romances (“La más bella niña”, “Servía en Orán al Rey”).

9. Lope de Vega. Fuenteovejuna y Arte nuevo de hacer comedias.

10. Pedro Calderón de la Barca. La vida es sueño.

11. Francisco de Quevedo. Sonetos (“¡Ah! de la vida”, “Miré los muros”, “Cerrar podrá mis ojos”, Desde la Torre: “Retirado en la paz de estos desiertos”, “¡Ay, Floralba! Soñé que te… ¿Dirélo?”, “En breve cárcel”, “Don Dinero”).

12. María de Zayas. Desengaños amorosos (“La esclava de su amante”, “Inocencia castigada”) y Novelas amorosas y ejemplares (“La burlada Aminta”).

MODERN SPANISH LITERATURE

1. José Cadalso. Cartas marruecas.

2. Mariano José de Larra. Artículos (“El Café”, “Vuelva usted mañana”, “El castellano viejo”, “Horas de Invierno”, “El día de difuntos de 1836”, “La Nochebuena de 1836”). 

3. José Zorrilla. Don Juan Tenorio.

4. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Rimas ("Introducción Sinfónica," y Rimas I-V)

5. Benito Pérez Galdós. Fortunata y Jacinta. 

6. Emilia Pardo Bazán. “El encaje roto” y otros cuentos (edición MLA).

7. Miguel de Unamuno. Niebla.

8. Ramón María del Valle-Inclán. Tirano banderas. 

9. Federico García Lorca. Poeta en Nueva York y Bodas de sangre.

10. Carmen Laforet. Nada. 

11. Luis Martín Santos. Tiempo de silencio. 

12. Juan Goytisolo. Señas de identidad.

13. Carmen Martín Gaite. El cuarto de atrás.

14. Eduardo Mendoza. La verdad sobre el caso Savolta.

15. Antonio Muñoz Molina. Beatus Ille.

16. Javier Cercas. Soldados de Salamina.

COLONIAL SPANISH AMERICAN LITERATURE

1. Cristóbal Colón. Diario de abordo (Primer viaje [9-13 de octubre y 25 de diciembre], y Diario del tercer viaje).

2. Hernán Cortés. Segunda carta de relación, y Tercera carta de relación.

3. Bartolomé de las Casas. Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias. 

4. Bernardino de Sahagún. Historia General de las Cosas de la Nueva España (todos los prólogos más cinco capítulos de cualquier libro). 

5. José de Acosta. Historia moral y natural de las Indias (Proemio, Libro I, caps. 8-25 / Libro IV, caps. 34-39 / Libro V, caps. 1-8 / Libro VI, cap. 1).

6. Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Comentarios reales de los Incas (Libro I, caps. 9-26 / Libro II, caps. 21-28).

7. Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. Nueva crónica y buen gobierno (líneas 532-628 y 834-924)

8. Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora. Alboroto y motín.

9. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. La respuesta y Primero sueño.

10. “Los dzules” del Chilam Balam. 

11. José Antonio Alzate. Gazeta de literatura (5 artículos). 

MODERN SPANISH AMERICAN LITERATURE 

1. Juan Francisco Manzano. Autobiografía de un esclavo 

2. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. Facundo (Parte I)

3. Cirilo Villaverde. Cecilia Valdés

4. Clorinda Matto de Turner. Aves sin nido 

5. Rubén Darío. "A Walt Whitman," "Era un aire suave," "Sonatina," "Ite Missa Est," "Yo soy aquel," "Marcha triunfal," "Canción de otoño en primavera," "Poema de otoño" 

6. José Martí. “Nuestra América,” Versos sencillos

7. Vicente Huidobro. Altazor (Cantos I y VII)

8. César Vallejo. "Los heraldos negros," "Idilio muerto," Trilce (I-V, XIII, XV, LXI), "Voy a hablar de la esperanza," "Piedra negra sobre piedra blanca" 

9. José Eustasio Rivera. La vorágine

10. Gabriela Mistral. "La maestra rural," "Los sonetos de la muerte," "La otra," "La bailarina"  

11. Pablo Neruda. "Barcarola," "Walking Around," "Explico algunas cosas," Canto General (sección "Alturas de Macchu Picchu") 

12. Nicolás Guillén. Songoro Cosongo

13. Jorge Luis Borges. Ficciones 

14. Alejo Carpentier. El reino de este mundo

15. Octavio Paz. "Himno entre ruinas," "Viento entero," "Vuelta"

16. Juan Rulfo. Pedro Páramo

17. Rosario Castellanos. Balún Canán

18. José María Arguedas. Los ríos profundos

19. Gabriel García Márquez. Cien años de soledad

20. Rigoberta Menchú. Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia

21. Gloria Anzaldúa. Borderlands / La Frontera

22. Roberto Bolaño. Estrella distante

HLL READING LISTS GENERAL EXAMINATION (Track 1) - LIST B: SPAIN/LATIN AMERICA (Includes Brazil)

MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN/GOLDEN AGE SPANISH LITERATURE

1. Anónimo. Cantar de mío Cid.

2. Anónimo. Libro de buen amor (Estrofas 1-91, 423-527, 653-687).

3. Juan Manuel. El conde Lucanor (Primera parte, Exemplos I-IX, XI).

4. Fernando de Rojas. La Celestina. 

5. Garcilaso de la Vega. Églogas I y III; Sonetos I (“Cuando me paro”, “Escrito ‘sta en mi alma”, “Hermosas ninfas”, “A Dafne ya los brazos le crecían”, “En tanto que de rosa y d’azucena”, “Boscán, las armas y el furor de Marte”); Canciones III y V.

6. Anónimo. Lazarillo de Tormes.

7. Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quijote. 

8. Luis de Góngora. Polifemo; Sonetos (“La dulce boca que a gustar convida”, “Mientras por competir con tu cabello”); Romances (“La más bella niña”, “Servía en Orán al Rey”).

9. Lope de Vega. Fuenteovejuna y Arte nuevo de hacer comedias.

10. Pedro Calderón de la Barca. La vida es sueño.

11. Francisco de Quevedo. Sonetos (“¡Ah! de la vida”, “Miré los muros”, “Cerrar podrá mis ojos”, Desde la Torre: “Retirado en la paz de estos desiertos”, “¡Ay, Floralba! Soñé que te… ¿Dirélo?”, “En breve cárcel”, “Don Dinero”).

12. María de Zayas. Desengaños amorosos (“La esclava de su amante”, “Inocencia castigada”) y Novelas amorosas y ejemplares (“La burlada Aminta”).

MODERN SPANISH LITERATURE

1. José Cadalso. Cartas marruecas.

2. Mariano José de Larra. Artículos (“El Café”, “Vuelva usted mañana”, “El castellano viejo”, “Horas de Invierno”, “El día de difuntos de 1836”, “La Nochebuena de 1836”). 

3. José Zorrilla. Don Juan Tenorio.

4. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Rimas ("Introducción Sinfónica," y Rimas I-V)

5. Benito Pérez Galdós. Fortunata y Jacinta. 

6. Emilia Pardo Bazán. “El encaje roto” y otros cuentos (edición MLA).

7. Miguel de Unamuno. Niebla.

8. Ramón María del Valle-Inclán. Tirano banderas. 

9. Federico García Lorca. Poeta en Nueva York y Bodas de sangre.

10. Carmen Laforet. Nada. 

11. Luis Martín Santos. Tiempo de silencio. 

12. Juan Goytisolo. Señas de identidad.

13. Carmen Martín Gaite. El cuarto de atrás.

14. Eduardo Mendoza. La verdad sobre el caso Savolta.

15. Antonio Muñoz Molina. Beatus Ille.

16. Javier Cercas. Soldados de Salamina.

COLONIAL LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE

1. Cristóbal Colón. Diario de abordo (Primer viaje [9-13 de octubre y 25 de diciembre], y Diario del tercer viaje).

2. Hernán Cortés. Segunda carta de relación, y Tercera carta de relación.

3. Bartolomé de las Casas. Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias. 

4. Bernardino de Sahagún. Historia General de las Cosas de la Nueva España (todos los prólogos más cinco capítulos de cualquier libro). 

5. José de Acosta. Historia moral y natural de las Indias (Proemio, Libro I, caps. 8-25 / Libro IV, caps. 34-39 / Libro V, caps. 1-8 / Libro VI, cap. 1).

6. Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Comentarios reales de los Incas (Libro I, caps. 9-26 / Libro II, caps. 21-28).

7. Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. Nueva corónica y buen gobierno (líneas 532-628 y 834-924)

8. Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora. Alboroto y motín.

9. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. La respuesta y Primero sueño.

10. “Los dzules” del Chilam Balam. 

11. José Antonio Alzate. Gazeta de literatura (5 artículos). 

MODERN LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE 

1. Juan Francisco Manzano. Autobiografía de un esclavo 

2. José de Alencar. Iracema.

3. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. Facundo (Parte I)

4. Machado de Assis. “Notícia da atual literatura brasileira: Instinto da nacionalidade” and Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas.

5. Clorinda Matto de Turner. Aves sin nido 

6. Rubén Darío. "A Walt Whitman," "Era un aire suave," "Sonatina," "Ite Missa Est," "Yo soy aquel," "Marcha triunfal," "Canción de otoño en primavera," "Poema de otoño" 

7. José Martí. “Nuestra América,” Versos sencillos

8. Euclides da Cunha. Os Sertões (excerpts), Um Paraíso Perdido (Impressões gerais” and “Judas Asvero”).

9. Carlos Drummond de Andrade. “Viagem na família,” “Poema de sete faces,” “José,” “Infância,” “Versos à boca da noite,” Cidadezinha qualquer,” “Confidência do itabirano,” “No meio do camino,” “Política literaria,” “A máquina do mundo.”

10. Oswald de Andrade. “Manifesto Antropófago,” Poesia Pau-Brasil (Falacão).

11. César Vallejo. "Los heraldos negros," "Idilio muerto," Trilce (I-V, XIII, XV, LXI), "Voy a hablar de la esperanza," "Piedra negra sobre piedra blanca" 

12. Gabriela Mistral. "La maestra rural," "Los sonetos de la muerte," "La otra," "La bailarina"  

13. João Guimarães Rosa. Grande Sertao: Veredas, “Sorôco, sua mãe, sua filha,” “A Terceira Margem do Rio,” “A Menina de Lá,” “Os Irmãos Dagobé.”

14. Pablo Neruda. "Barcarola," "Walking Around," "Explico algunas cosas," Canto General (sección "Alturas de Macchu Picchu") 

15. Nicolás Guillén. Songoro Cosongo

16. Jorge Luis Borges. Ficciones 

17. Clarice Lispector. A Hora da Estrela, “Uma Galinha,” “Amar,” “Menor Mulher do Mundo,” “Laços de Família.”

18. Alejo Carpentier. El reino de este mundo

19. Rosario Castellanos. Balún Canán

20. Gabriel García Márquez. Cien años de soledad

21. Rigoberta Menchú. Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia

22. Gloria Anzaldúa. Borderlands / La Frontera

HLL READING LISTS FOR GENERAL EXAMINATION (Track 2) – LIST C: LUSOPHONE

MEDIEVAL/EARLY MODERN/COLONIAL PORTUGUESE LITERATURE

1. Cantigas medievais galego-portuguesa (<https://cantigas.fcsh.unl.pt/listacantigas.asp>), “A dona que eu amo” by Bernal de Bonaval”, “Amigo, queredes vos ir” by Joao Airas de Santiago, “Sanhund'andes, amigo” by Joao Garcia de Guilhade, “Tanto sei de vos” by Alfonso X, “Pois que m'hei ora d'alongar” by Alfonso X

2. Gil Vicente, Auto da barca do inferno

3. Luis de Camões, Os lusíadas: cantos I, V, X

4. Jorge de Albuquerque Coelho, Naufrágio que passou 

5. Fernão Lopes, Crónica de D. João I

6. Gregório de Matos,  “Descreve o que era realmente naquele tempo a cidade de Bahia,” “Pondera agora com mais atencão a formosura de D. Ângela,” “Oh, não espantes não, Dom Antónia,” “A vós correndo vou, braços sagrados,” “Triste Bahia, ó quão dessemelhante” 

7. Pero Vaz de Caminha, “Carta ao Rei D. Manuel”

8. António Vieira, “Sermão de Santo Antônio aos peixes” 

MODERN LUSOPHONE (PORTUGUESE AND AFRICAN) LITERATURE

1. Eça de Queirós, Os maias

2. Fernando Pessoa, Livro do desassossego

3. Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Teresa Horta e Maria Velho da Costa, Novas cartas portuguesas

4. Ana Plácido, Herança de lágrimas

5. Camilo Castelo Branco, Amor de perdição

6. José Saramago, Memorial do convento

7. António Lobo Antunes, O esplendor de portugal

8. Pepetela, A geração da utopia

9. Mia Couto, Terra sonâmbula

10. José Luandino Vieira, Luaanda 

11. Paulina Chiziane, Niketche

12. Baltazar Lopes, Chiquinho

MODERN BRAZILIAN LITERATURE 

1. José de Alencar, Iracema: a lenda do Ceará

2. Machado de Assis, Dom casmurro

3. Maria Firmina dos Reis, Úrsula

4. Raul Pompeia, O ateneu 

5. Manuel Antônio de Almeida, Memórias de um sargento de milícias

6. Lima Barreto, Triste fim de Policarpo Quaresma

7. Aluísio Azevedo, O cortiço

8. Euclides da Cunha, Os sertões 

9. Carlos Drummond de Andrade, “Viagem na família,” “Poema de sete faces,” “José,” “Infância,” “Versos à boca da noite,” “Cidadezinha qualquer,” “Confidência do itabirano,” “No meio do caminho,” “Política literária,” “A máquina do mundo”

10. Oswald de Andrade, “Manifesto antropófago”; Poesia Pau-Brasil (“Falação,” “História do Brasil,” “Poemas de colonização”)

11. Mário de Andrade, Macunaíma

12. Graciliano Ramos, Vidas secas

13. João Guimarães Rosa, Grande sertão: veredas 

14. Clarice Lispector, A paixão segundo G.H. 

15. Castro Alves, “Vozes d’África,” “O navio negreiro”

16. João Cabral de Melo Neto, Educação pela pedra

17.  Manuel Bandeira, “Poemeto erótico,” “Namorados,” “Boda espiritual,” “Os sapos,” “Pneumotórax,” “Poética,” “Evocação do Recife,” “O último poema,” “Última canção do Beco,” “Belo belo,” “Tragédia brasileira,” “Teresa”

18. Raul Bopp, Cobra novato

19. Conceição Evaristo, Ponciá vicêncio

20. Raquel de Queiroz, As três marias

21. Milton Hatoum, Órfãos d’eldorado

22. Jose Lins do Rego, Menino do engenho

23. Jorge Amado, Dona Flor e seus dois maridos

24. Nelson Rodrigues, Vestido de noiva

25. Lygia Fagundes Telles, Antes do baile verde

26. Rubem Fonseca, Feliz ano novo

27. Augusto de Campos, Poetamenos (“Lygia fingers”, “eis os amantes”, “dias dias dias”)

28. Haroldo de Campos, “Galáxias”

29. Ana Cristina Cesar, A teus pés

BRAZILIAN NON-FICTION

1. Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Raízes do brasil 

2. Gilberto Freyre, Casa-grande & senzala

3. Machado de Assis, “Instinto de nacionalidade”

4. Antônio Candido, “Dialética da malandragem,” “Literatura e desenvolvimento”

5. Roberto Schwarz, “As idéias fora do lugar”

6. Haroldo de Campos, Augusto de Campos, Décio Pignatari, “Plano piloto da poesia concreta”

7. Carolina Maria de Jesus, Quarto de despejo

8. Davi Kopenawa, A queda do céu

9. Lélia Gonzalez, “Racismo e sexismo na cultura brasileira”