The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers the degrees of Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Spanish.
The objective of the program is to provide advanced training in the literatures and cultures of Spain and Latin America, as well as in Hispanic linguistics, benefiting from the theoretical and comparative research interests of the professors of the department.
For more information, visit the website of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
The Department participates in a collaborative program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the MA level and in a collaborative program in Canadian Studies at the PhD level. For more information on this program, see "Admission Requirements".
Because of its strength in relevant areas, its bilingual character and its location in the national capital, the University of Ottawa is uniquely positioned to offer a collaborative program leading to a specialization in Canadian Studies at the doctoral level. The program is especially designed for doctoral students in selected programs in the humanities and the social sciences who wish to enrich their training in a particular discipline by including an interdisciplinary component.
The programs are governed by the general regulations in effect for graduate studies.
For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the specific requirements webpage.
Applicants must have an MA in Spanish or equivalent degree, with an average of at least 75 per cent (B+). Applicants are required to submit a short description of their proposed doctoral research project outlining their areas of interest as well as a sample of their graduate written work. Wherever possible, candidates for admission to the program should be interviewed by a professor or professors in the program.
All inquiries should be addressed to the director of graduate studies in Spanish.
Language Requirements
In addition to an excellent knowledge of Spanish, all students must meet one of the following requirements:
- Proficiency in English with a good passive knowledge of French.
OR - Proficiency in French with a good passive knowledge of English.
Moreover, students need a passive knowledge of any other languages necessary for completion of their thesis research.
Transfer from Master’s to PhD
Students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Spanish at the University of Ottawa who have obtained excellent results may, exceptionally, be admitted into the doctoral program without having completed a master's thesis. To take advantage of this option, they must:
- Obtain an average of at least 80 per cent (A-) in the five courses of the master's with thesis option.
AND - Obtain the approval of the graduate studies committee. Similar arrangements may be made for students enrolled in a master of arts in Spanish at another university.
The transfer must take place within sixteen months of initial enrollment in the master's. Following the transfer, all the requirements of the doctoral program must be met.
Collaborative Program
The Spanish section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures is a participating unit in the collaborative program in Canadian Studies at the PhD level. This program has been established for students wishing to enrich their training in Spanish by including an interdisciplinary component in Canadian Studies. The seminar (CDN 6520 or CDN 6910) counts for units towards the PhD in Spanish such that students in the collaborative program are not required to complete an additional course.
To be admitted to the program, students must be enrolled in or have successfully completed at least one graduate course in Spanish with Canadian content. The mention "Specialization in Canadian Studies" will be added to the diploma of students who pass the seminar (CDN 6520 or CDN 6910) and successfully defend a thesis on a Canadian topic in Spanish.
Requirements for this program have been modified. Please consult the 2021-2022 calendars for the previous requirements.
Students must complete five 3-unit courses as follows:
- One of these courses must be ESP 5963 (or equivalent course determined by the Graduate Studies Committee).
Since ESP 5963 is also compulsory in the MA program, students who have completed their MA in Spanish at the University of Ottawa, or at another institution where they passed an equivalent course, will be required to replace ESP 5963 with another graduate course in order to complete the six courses while in the PhD program.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Courses | ||
| ESP 5963 | Teaching Spanish language and Hispanic cultures | 3 Units |
| Optional Courses | ||
| 12 course units from the list of optional courses | 12 Units | |
Note(s)
- Additional courses may be required, depending on the student’s background and preparation.
List of Optional Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ESP 5301 | Special Topics in Hispanic Literary Studies | 3 Units |
| ESP 5912 | Aspects of Spanish Literature I | 3 Units |
| ESP 5914 | Aspects of Spanish Literature II | 3 Units |
| ESP 5918 | Aspects of Spanish Literature III | 3 Units |
| ESP 5920 | Aspects of Spanish Literature IV | 3 Units |
| ESP 5922 | Aspects of Spanish-American Literature I | 3 Units |
| ESP 5924 | Aspects of Spanish-American Literature II | 3 Units |
| ESP 5930 | Aspects of Spanish American Literature III | 3 Units |
| ESP 5932 | Aspects of Spanish-American Literature IV | 3 Units |
| ESP 5934 | Aspects of Hispanic Literature I | 3 Units |
| ESP 5947 | Aspects of Hispanic Linguistic I | 3 Units |
| ESP 5948 | Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics II | 3 Units |
| ESP 5949 | Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics III | 3 Units |
| ESP 5950 | Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics IV | 3 Units |
| ESP 5957 | Aspects of the Theory of Literature I | 3 Units |
| ESP 7901 | Aspects of Spanish Literature V | 3 Units |
| ESP 7902 | Aspects of Hispanic Literature II | 3 Units |
| ESP 7903 | Aspects of Spanish-American Literature V | 3 Units |
| ESP 7905 | Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics | 3 Units |
| ESP 7916 | Research Seminar in Hispanic Linguistics | 3 Units |
| LIN 5303 | Sociolinguistics I | 3 Units |
| LIN 5315 | Phonology I | 3 Units |
| LIN 5317 | Syntax I | 3 Units |
| LIN 5318 | Semantics I | 3 Units |
| LIN 7320 | Second Language Acquisition I | 3 Units |
The Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination (ESP 9998) includes a written and an oral component, must be completed within 18 months of initial enrollment in the program. Its purpose is to test the candidates’ mastery of their field as well as their knowledge of their research topic.
Thesis
Students must complete the PhD Thesis (THD 9999). Upon admission, students will be assigned a professor in their area of interest who will act as their academic advisor and will normally become their thesis director. The thesis topic will be determined by the student in consultation with the thesis director and will be related to the latter’s area of expertise. Shortly after successfully completing the comprehensive examination, the student must submit a thesis project for the approval of the thesis committee.
Collaborative Program in Canadian Studies
Students enrolled in the collaborative program will be asked to meet both the requirements of their primary program and those of the collaborative program. The requirements of the collaborative program will serve as partial fulfillment of the requirements of their primary program.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Courses: | ||
| 3 course units from: | 3 Units | |
| Séminaire sur la francophonie canadienne 1 | ||
| Seminar in Canadian Studies | ||
Submission and successful defence of a thesis on a Canadian topic in the participating unit.
The proposed topic must be approved by both the participating unit and the Canadian Studies Graduate Committee. At least one of the examiners of the thesis must be a person chosen in consultation with the executive committee of the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies.
Note(s)
- 1
Before registering in CDN 6520, students must check to see whether this course can replace a three-unit course in their primary program. CDN 6520 is offered only in French.
Duration of Program
Students are expected to complete all requirements within four years. The maximum time permitted is six years from the date of initial enrollment in the program.
Minimum Standards
The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 units), the thesis proposal, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw.
Thesis Advisory Committee
During the first terms of the program, a thesis advisory committee (TAC) is formed for the candidate. The Committee’s membership will be determined by the specific interests of the candidate. It will be composed of the supervisor and 2-3 additional professors. At least one member of the thesis committee, in addition to the supervisor, must be form the Faculty of Arts. The TAC is responsible for guiding the student throughout the program, including course selection, the comprehensive examination, thesis proposal, and thesis defense.
A meeting between the student and the Thesis Advisory Committee will take place at least once per term. The thesis examining board may include members who are not part of the TAC.
Research at the University of Ottawa
Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa ranks among Canada’s top 10 research universities. Our research is founded on excellence, relevance and impact and is conducted in a spirit of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Our research community thrives in four strategic areas:
- Creating a sustainable environment
- Advancing just societies
- Shaping the digital world
- Enabling lifelong health and wellness
From advancing healthcare solutions to tackling global challenges like climate change, the University of Ottawa’s researchers are at the forefront of innovation, making significant contributions to society and beyond.
Research at the Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is proud of the state of the art research conducted by its professors. In the spirit of showcasing its research to the university community as well as to the general public, the Faculty has created three activities: Dean's Lecture Series, Treasures of the Library, and Excellence Lectures.
Facilities, Research Centres and Institutes at the Faculty of Arts
- Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française
- Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies
- Institute for Science, Society and Policy
- Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI)
- Morisset Library
For more information, refer to the list of faculty members and their research fields on Uniweb.
IMPORTANT: Candidates and students looking for professors to supervise their thesis or research project can also consult the website of the faculty or department of their program of choice. Uniweb does not list all professors authorized to supervise research projects at the University of Ottawa.
ESP 5301 Special Topics in Hispanic Literary Studies (3 units)
Topic and methodology will vary from year to year. Course may be repeated if theme is different.
Course Component: Seminar
ESP 5311 Special Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (3 units)
Topic and methodology will vary from year to year. Course may be repeated if theme is different.
Course Component: Seminar
ESP 5701 Thèmes spéciaux en Études littéraires hispaniques (3 crédits)
Les thèmes peuvent varier d'une année à l'autre. Le cours peut être répété si le thème est différent
Volet : Séminaire
ESP 5711 Thèmes spéciaux en Études linguistiques hispaniques (3 crédits)
Les thèmes peuvent varier d'une année à l'autre. Le cours peut être répété si le thème est différent.
Volet : Séminaire
ESP 5912 Aspects of Spanish Literature I / Aspects of Spanish Literature I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5914 Aspects of Spanish Literature II / Aspects of Spanish Literature II (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5918 Aspects of Spanish Literature III / Aspects of Spanish Literature III (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5920 Aspects de la littérature espagnole IV / Aspects of Spanish Literature IV (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5922 Aspects de la littérature hispano-américaine I / Aspects of Spanish-American Literature I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5924 Aspects de la littérature hispano-américaine II / Aspects of Spanish-American Literature II (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Cours magistral / Lecture
ESP 5930 Aspects de la littérature hispano-américaine III / Aspects of Spanish American Literature III (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5932 Aspects de la littérature hispano-américaine IV / Aspects of Spanish-American Literature IV (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Cours magistral / Lecture
ESP 5934 Aspects de la littérature hispanique I / Aspects of Hispanic Literature I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5947 Aspects de la linguistique hispanique I / Aspects of Hispanic Linguistic I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5948 Aspects de la linguistique hispanique II / Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics II (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5949 Aspects de la linguistique hispanique III / Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics III (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5950 Aspects de la linguistique hispanique IV / Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics IV (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5955 Documentation et terminologie pour la traduction espagnole / Documentation and Terminology for Spanish Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5957 Aspects de la théorie de la littérature I / Aspects of the Theory of Literature I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5962 Séminaire spécial I / Special Seminar I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5963 Enseignement de la langue espagnole et des cultures hispaniques / Teaching Spanish language and Hispanic cultures (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5972 Études dirigées I / Directed Studies I (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 5974 Directed Studies II (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research
ESP 6961 Specialized Translation from Spanish to English (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 6962 Specialized Translation from English to Spanish (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 6963 Traduction spécialisée de l'espagnol vers le français (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 6964 Traduction spécialisée du français vers l'espagnol (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 6972 Études dirigées / Directed studies (3 crédits / 3 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7012 Traduction dirigée / Supervised Translation (6 crédits / 6 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7901 Aspects of Spanish Literature V / Aspects of Spanish Literature V (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7902 Aspects de la littérature hispanique II / Aspects of Hispanic Literature II (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7903 Aspects de la littérature hispano-américaine V / Aspects of Spanish-American Literature V (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7905 Aspects de la linguistique hispanique / Aspects of Hispanic Linguistics (3 crédits / 3 units)
Concentration sur des aspects sélectionnés dans des domaines spécifiques. Travaux écrits. / Focus on selected aspects in specific areas. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7912 Directed Translation (6 crédits / 6 units)
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7916 Séminaire de recherche en linguistique hispanique / Research Seminar in Hispanic Linguistics (3 crédits / 3 units)
Séminaire de recherche sur certains sujets dans des domaines spécifiques avec accent sur la participation de l'étudiant. Travaux écrits. / Seminars on research topics in specific areas with emphasis on student participation. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7920 Séminaire spécial / Special Seminar (3 crédits / 3 units)
Ce cours offre un code de séminaire flexible pour certains domaines de compétences particuliers des professeurs, surtout les professeurs invités. / This course offers a flexible seminar code for some special areas of expertise of professors, particularly invited professors.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 7997 Mémoire de maîtrise / M.A. Research Paper
Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research
ESP 7998 Comprehensive Exam
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 8910 Séminaire de recherche doctorale / Doctoral Research Seminar (3 crédits / 3 units)
Séminaire de recherche sur certains sujets dans des domaines spécifiques avec accent sur la participation de l'étudiant. Travaux écrits. / Seminars on research topics in specific areas with emphasis on student participation. Written assignments.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar
ESP 9998 Examen de synthèse / Comprehensive Examination
Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research
CDN 6520 Séminaire sur la francophonie canadienne (3 crédits)
Séminaire sur des thèmes se rapportant à la francophonie canadienne, particulièrement les francophones vivant en situation minoritaire.
Volet : Séminaire
CDN 6910 Séminaire en études canadiennes / Seminar in Canadian Studies (3 crédits / 3 units)
Séminaire interdisciplinaire bilingue sur des sujets se rapportant au Canada. Les thèmes seront choisis en consultation avec les unités participantes, en tenant compte du nombre d'étudiants, de l'orientation de leur recherches et celles des unités participantes. / Bilingual interdisciplinary seminar on issues related to the study of Canada. Tipics to be selected in consultation with participating units, taking into consideration the number of students, their research interests and those of the participating units.
Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar