Home

Language, Culture and History: Hispanic Studies MA

London, Bloomsbury

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2023/24)

£14,100

£7,050

Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)

£29,000

£14,500

Duration

1 calendar year

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2023

Applications accepted

All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 30 Jun 2023

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. A knowledge of Spanish at least equivalent to UK A level standard is required. Applications from students who do not have formal qualifications in Spanish but who are competent in the language, will be considered.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The programme offers a broad range of optional modules in Hispanic cultures from the early modern period to the present day, alongside relevant training in research skills and methodologies. Students develop a knowledge and understanding of the key aspects and complex concepts used to understand Hispanic literature, film and culture. Options for study of Lusophone (Portuguese, Brazilian and African) literatures and societies in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are also available.

Who this course is for

The programme will be of interest both to those who wish to enhance their knowledge of the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds for professional purposes - in the fields of education, culture, media and tourism, for example - as well as students who are considering pursuing their studies to doctoral level.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

UCL Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies features staff who are nationally and internationally renowned experts in the field, who publish in their specialist areas and are active researchers. We regularly host a number of Hispanic and Lusophone Studies events including conferences, research seminars, symposia and a documentary film course in Cuba.

Our location in London provides access to numerous cultural and social events relating to the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world, its literature, films, history and politics. We encourage active participation in the events of the Instituto Cervantes, the Institute for the Study of the Americas, and the numerous Hispanic and Lusophone embassies across London, many of which also provide access to excellent resources to enhance your studies.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The programme will be of interest to those who wish to enhance their knowledge of Hispanic culture for professional purposes – in the fields of education, media, commerce and tourism, for example – as well as to students wishing to subsequently pursue their studies at doctoral level.

With their specialist knowledge and language skills, Hispanic Studies Master's graduates can be found in the fields of business, finance, the media, international agencies, teaching and academia.

Employability

This programme may lead to further research, or to employment in which a broad familiarity with Spanish and Latin American culture is an asset.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Formal teaching occurs in the first two terms and the third term is devoted to revision sessions, examinations and detailed supervision of the dissertation project. Student performance is assessed through coursework essays, a dissertation, and unseen written examinations.

For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study per week. The majority of our courses have around 10-12 hours' teaching time spent in lectures and seminars.

For a part-time postgraduate course, your contact hours would usually be 5-6 hours per week across 2-3 days and we recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study per week.

Those undertaking language modules may have additional contact hours.

There is minimal teaching during Term 3, which focusses on the dissertation and assessment.

A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits) full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits) full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.

Modules

The MA Language, Culture and History can be studied full-time for one year and students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

There are seven language routes on the MA programme:

In Terms 1 and 2, you will take compulsory modules, which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation and to provide you with the specific skills to research and write essays and for the dissertation. You will then choose two modules from your language specific pathway and one optional or elective module.

These modules set the foundation of the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. During Term 2, you will start formulating your dissertation proposal. In Term 3, you will be developing your dissertation outline and structure, with support from your supervisor. You will give a presentation to your peers and tutors on your dissertation proposal to help cement your argument and subject area to cover. This is a non-assessed compulsory element of your MA. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your dissertation on a topic of your choice.

The MA Language, Culture and History can be taken part-time, across two years. Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

There are seven language routes on the MA programme:

In Year 1, you will take compulsory modules, which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation and to provide you with the specific skills to research and write essays and for the dissertation. You will also choose modules from your language specific pathway.

In Year 2, you will take optional modules to develop your broader understanding and develop key concepts learnt in Year 1. You will also continue to formulate and develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will give a presentation to your peers and tutors on your dissertation proposal to help cement your argument and subject areas to cover. This is a non-assessed compulsory element of your MA. You will then spend the summer of Year 2 researching and writing your 12,000 word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your supervisor.

Compulsory modules

Language, Culture and History

Optional modules

Spanish Language I

Experiments in Modern Spanish Drama

Introduction to Spanish Film

Civilisation and Barbarism in Argentine Literature

Cultural Responses to the Mexican Revolution

The Latin American Supernatural

Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Studies

What Women Want: La Regenta

Women's Writing in Latin America II

History of Colonial Latin America

History of Spain in the Twentieth Century

Spanish: Translation into English 1

Spanish Film from the 1990s: New Ways of Seeing (II)

The Battle for Memory in the Contemporary Spanish Novel: Part 1, The Transition to Democracy

The Andean World of JM Arguedas

The Latin American Cinematic Tradition A

The Latin American Cinematic Tradition AA

Advanced Translation from and into Spanish

The City in Latin American Culture

The Battle for Memory in the Contemporary Spanish Novel: The Transition to Democracy

Spanish: Translation into English 2

Contemporary Catholicisms in Latin American Culture: Experimentation, Perversion, Revolution

Cultural Minorities in Spanish Contemporary Literature

The Visual Politics of the Drug Wars

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Language, Culture and History: Hispanic Studies. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Language, Culture and History: Hispanic Studies. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Language, Culture and History: Hispanic Studies.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24)	£14,100	£7,050
Tuition fees (2023/24)	£29,000	£14,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

All full time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £1,000 for this programme. All part-time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £500.

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, or conference registration fees and associated travel costs.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: Jean Orr Scholarship

Value: £7,000 (1 year)

Criteria Based on academic merit

Eligibility: UKOverseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study Hispanic Studies at graduate level
why you want to study Hispanic Studies at UCL
what particularly attracts you to this programme
how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.